Schools
Last Night for "Anon(ymous)" at AHS
This story originally appeared online in the Albany High Cougar, written by student Melinda Lyall. It has been reprinted from the Cougar with permission.
It begins in the middle, on the border, at a crossing. It is bold at times, thought-provoking throughout, heartbreaking in moments, and captivating in its entirety. It is .
Theater Ensemble opened their 2011-12 season last Thursday with its fall production Anon(ymous), by Naomi Iizuka. Directed by Andrea Hart and produced by Sarah Samonsky, the product of the dedication and commitment of the cast and crew is nothing short of fantastic.
The show is led by senior Pia Mingkwan who plays Anon, a young man who was separated from his mother (sophomore Christina Reyes) in a storm as they tried to escape a devastating war in their home country. Anon becomes a refugee and spends his life on a search for something he cannot quite define. He is lost somewhere between yearning to find his mother and desperately trying to forget his past and simply start anew.
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As he wanders, Anon meets an assortment of people, each with his or her own story, each with his or her own past. With each new acquaintance, Anon’s journey is molded in a new direction, he is called by a new name, and he continues to leave behind his identity.
Complementing the compelling plot and the skillful acting are the superb sets, sounds, and lights. Though at first the set looks simple with a few long white drapes framing the actors, they soon transform the stage into a workshop, an ocean, a restaurant, or any of the other places the characters might visit.
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Along with the set are the lights, which seamlessly transition from dark and stormy to light, warm, and cheerful. The production is rounded out with a combination of traditional and contemporary music selections alongside live drumming, often creating a sort of heartbeat.
Between drunken townspeople, jealous valley girls, malicious butchers, and alluring goddesses, Anon(ymous) never ceases to entertain. It stirs every emotion imaginable out of its viewers and has a unique way of including the audience in the story.
Anon(ymous) continues Saturday Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. in the AHS Little Theater. Admission is only $7 for students and seniors, and $13 for adults.
So, if you haven’t seen it yet, or even if you have and (understandably) want to go a second time, come support these talented students by seeing Anon(ymous). It is a show you truly do not want to miss.
The entire cast is made up of seniors Pia Mingkwan, Daniel Goldwyn, Savannah Miller, Chanel Tilghman, Savannah Cofield-Barner, and Rachel Ozer-Bearson, juniors Autumn Matherly, Calum Ruxton, Frank Luna, and Krystal Swan, sophomores Christina Reyes, Derrick Ford and Isaac Ozer-Bearson, and freshman Tabitha Hunt, Ethan Salzman, and Luna Maria Bowling.
This story originally appeared online in the Albany High Cougar. It has been reprinted from the Cougar with permission.
See more from the Albany High Cougar online at http://www.albanyhighcougar.com.
