Bravo! Bravo! Cast and crew from the West High Drama Club recently showed “War of the Worlds: The Panic Broadcast”, as their 2021 play. 

This play is based on a true story. In 1938, CBS radio broadcasted a dramatization of “War of the Worlds” by H.G. Wells, a novel about an invasion of Earth by martians. However, a good number of the listeners began to believe it was real, causing many to behave hysterically. “War of the Worlds: The Panic Broadcast” shows both the narrative within the broadcast and the events caused by it, creating an extraordinary story showing the importance of thinking before you act. 

One thing that this performance exemplified was the importance of the stage crew. The lights, sound, set, and props are all thanks to the crew’s help. Howard Koch, played by Bela Wiley ‘23, is always shown lounging in a chair that the crew wheels on and off the stage with Wiley on it in order to keep the air of pretentiousness that surrounds the character. In another scene, Professor Pierson, played by Justin Six ‘22, is monologuing about how he’s doomed…all while two crew members are carrying him around on a table. It didn’t seem very easy, but the crew members didn’t bring any attention to themselves by struggling or stumbling at all. 

The crew also brought aspects of the show to life with the lights. Crew members up in the booth used them in order to differentiate between settings and to make the martian threat (one that only the characters were able to see) feel real. There were ten crew members that certainly did their work well. 

Although the crew is important, the cast of a show is a very key piece as well. There was a cast of eighteen people for this play, and they all portrayed their characters wonderfully. Two actors who really stood out were Justin Six ‘22 and Samantha Hancock ‘23. Six was able to play his character, Professor Pierson, with amazing comedic timing and flair, but still seemed genuinely afraid of dying at the hands of the martians. Hancock also stood out in the roles she played: Mr. Wilmuth, Wife, and Mother. She got the biggest laugh of the night during one of the ‘advertisement’ scenes, where she chastises her husband for spending too much time with his secretary. 

Of course, the performance wasn’t without some faults. One criticism is that some scenes seemed to go on for far too long. Scenes where a single character was monologuing, or two characters were talking and not moving around much seemed to drag on without additional choreography or effects to back them up.

However, the positives far outweigh the negatives of this performance, and it’s easy to see why. With a month’s worth of rehearsals and hours of hard work behind them, the West High Drama Club has proven again that they are more than capable of putting on a great show, and giving their all until the curtains close.