In a time of such chaos and uncertainty, the fall play that the Flintridge Prep community so anticipates every year returned full-force, this time in a new online setting.

Directed by Ms. Bascom, the fall play, Most Likely To: The Senior Superlative Monologues, opened on November 5th, and had additional screenings on the 6th and 7th, when it finally came to a close. The cast of the production included Amelie Besch, Alex Comer, Silvia Gibilaro, Sophie Haddad, Angie Henderson, Mira Kaplan, Ethan Kim, John MacLeod, Maxine Park, Gabi Wrighten, Oscar Yum, and Hope Zionts.

The play was formatted so that there was a combination of live cast involvement and prerecorded monologues. Each member of the cast played one or two different roles, each representing a certain high school stereotype. The monologues were written so that even though everyone was recording in solitude from the safety of their own homes, each character’s stories were interwoven with one another. For example, Silvia Gibilaro’s character, Kyra Jackson, who earned the title of “Frequently Flirty,” was a topic of discussion for many of the other characters who’d had various different interactions with her over the course of their lives.

At the start of the evening, everyone who attended the show was encouraged to change their name to the superlative that they thought would fit them the most. Attendees got creative with their responses, and soon, the Zoom call was full of users with names like “Most Forgetful” or “Most Likely to Become Famous.” After that, Ms. Bascom provided a Vimeo link and counted down so that all the guests could begin the screening at the same time. While the play was running, all the cast members — who were named for their superlatives, of course — interacted with guests and each other in the Zoom chat while remaining in character. They made playful comments about their fellow castmates and engaged with members of the audience, who were also encouraged to participate in conversation via the online chat window. After the main part of the play ended, an election took place to decide who was the best overall, and the winning nominee gave an in-character acceptance speech.

Despite the bitterly difficult obstacles that the Prep Performing Arts Department had to face this year, the amount of care and positive energy that went towards putting on the fall play was indescribably admirable, and it resulted in an incredible production that, albeit being online, had many charms and unique opportunities that it wouldn’t have had otherwise. Additionally, the online format more than likely encouraged the selection of a play that was composed almost entirely of monologues, which was a fresh and exciting type of production that could possibly be considered again, even when we do return to campus.

As always, the fall play showcased the abundance of talent that Prep students hold, and it was an enjoyable respite from the monotony of life in quarantine. Kudos to everyone involved!