CVHS wins first place and ‘best of’ awards for ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’

By CUSD Insider

Capistrano Valley Theatre Arts took home some serious recognition for its production of “The Play That Goes Wrong” last fall.

First, the California Educational Theatre Association (CETA) honored Capistrano Valley High School’s program with its first-place award. Then, that same show was given a “best of” nod during a quick one-day performance in January.

“The Play That Goes Wrong,” published by Dramatist Play Service and written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, played at Capistrano Valley High in November. The production was notable in that the play requires a large crew who must know their stagecraft, said Emily Tucker, Capistrano Valley High’s theater director of 17 years.

“The set was really complicated. It has to fall apart by the end of the show,” Tucker explained. “I knew my stagecraft kids could take on the responsibility of that. Everybody went above and beyond.”

In addition to the set-builders (and destroyers, in this case), Capistrano Valley High students working in costuming, props, lighting, audio, hair and makeup were also recognized in the award, as was the cast.

To win CETA’s first-place honor, judges visited the campus to watch a performance, which needed the talents of about 75 people. Capistrano Valley High competed against other Orange County high schools for the award.

Helping Tucker with the production is Maddy Cole, the assistant director of the after-school theater arts program. The Capistrano Valley High alumnus (class of 2017) is a student teacher earning her theater credential from California State University, East Bay.

Cole suggested the campus do “The Play That Goes Wrong.” Cole said it was exciting working with Tucker, who taught her too.

“What was so fun about it for me was trying to figure out how the puzzle pieces were going to work,” Cole said. “We had to find ways for the large cast and crew to work together. This was my biggest production so far, and in the early stages we had no set.”

In January, Capistrano Valley High took a short field trip to Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga to participate in CETA Festival Weekend. The school annually participates in the event, which presents its own challenges.

On Jan. 15, Tucker said the cast and crew had to set up their version of “The Play That Goes Wrong” in only a few hours on an unfamiliar stage, perform the show, then haul everything away quickly.

Tucker said Capistrano Valley High, which performed the same weekend as three other Southern California schools before an audience of about 1,200, took the audience’s choice award of Play of the Weekend.

“To me that means it’s the show of Southern California,” she said. “We were going up against the top three shows from other counties in the area. The students worked so hard. They have great attitudes.”

Capistrano Valley High has an extensive program, with 178 students spread across several sections: Drama 1, Advanced Drama, Actors Repertory (which is audition-only), Basic Stagecraft, Advanced Stagecraft, and the seventh-period production course.

“There are a lot of different kids involved in a lot of different ways,” Tucker said.

Capistrano Valley High aims to put on two musicals and two straight plays (without music) each year. The school also offers playwrighting units.

The campus enjoys the district’s newest play venue, built about 10 years ago: the Capistrano Performing Arts Center, or CPAC, which seats 450. The campus also has a black box stage seating 100 people that doubles as a classroom.

For those interested in what’s coming up, the school is putting on:

• “Our Town” from Feb. 2 to 4.
• “Mary Poppins” from March 29 to April 1.

To learn more, visit their Instagram account at @capovalleytheatrearts.

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