By Edie Obernberger
Chantilly High School
FAIRFAX CITY, VA — In a world and life where so much seems to be going wrong, how can we handle it? Where can we turn? From cheesesteaks to chilling sitcoms, humor to horror, W.T. Woodson High School's double feature of :The Philadelphia" and their original podcast, "Buddies," showcased the raw confusion and helplessness that come with losing control.
"Buddies," an audio performance was written and produced by Woodson's Theatre Arts 2 and 3 students and centered on six friends who decided to watch an old VHS tape — supposedly of a '60s style sitcom — and realized it's far more than they bargained for.
The six hung out, and right from the beginning their fluidity and comfort level of conversation were incredibly realistic and immersing, with well-timed banter and notable chemistry even just through audio (Rachel Sper, Anna Closs, Farooq Khan, Jacob Boyett, Diya Selvan, and Maddie Keene). Then, when the VHS tape played, Closs, Khan, and Boyett's voices shifted in tone from playing the children to playing the Buddies living within the tape. The shifts were so smooth it was barely noticeable they were the same actors. The seamless transatlantic accents perfectly fitted the '60s era, and Khan's voice specifically sounded straight out of an old sitcom, adding to the creepy effect of the past coming into the present and establishing a clear switch of character.
With all the editing and sound done by one of the actors (Rachel Sper), the seamless execution became even more impressive. As a podcast, it was imperative that the sound levels were perfect so the actors could all be clearly understood, and Sper delivered on that and more. On multiple occasions many people were talking at once, sometimes including those on the VHS tape — every time, important lines could still be heard well without overpowering others. The voices on the tape itself had an entirely different sound quality, making them easy to differentiate, and attention to detail with extra sounds like laughing tracks and glitches truly acted to tie the podcast together.
Woodson then transitioned to a more humorous take on lack of control in their performance of "The Philadelphia." Eating at a restaurant was Al (Robbie Willcox) with very light, uncaring mannerisms and a relaxed way of speaking. Willcox channeled the natural charisma and charm that came with being in a "Los Angeles state of mind." This provided a great contrast with Mark (Rachel Furr), stuck in a Philadelphia where nothing seemed to go quite right. A wonderful storyteller, Furr's wild and restless gestures and switches in tone to mock others strongly conveyed her pent-up annoyance and confusion. With both acting very naturally with their masks and with the waitress (Anna Riley) having very natural background actions, the three actors helped make the scene not only hilarious, but smooth and relatable.
Like "Buddies," "The Philadelphia" had very fitting tech choices of its own that truly furthered the scene. Having the restaurant outside not only gave actors more flexibility, but it made the scene more COVID-friendly and appealing overall. The editing of the video itself (Willcox) was very good as well, with sound balancing the volume of nature and actors, as well as perfect cuts from angle to angle. These cuts not only allowed for better spacing as different actors came in but helped to represent shifts in tone — as a character became upset with a change, viewers were jolted with sudden change as well.
With arresting and thought-provoking performances, W.T. Woodson High School's production of "Buddies" and "The Philadelphia" gives us a hard truth of life: we won't always have control — but we can still make the most of it.
April 28, 2021 at 08:52PM
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Cappies Review: Woodson Presents Scary And Funny Double Feature - Patch.com
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