Hamilton Drama Presents: The Cages We Build
Photographs submitted by Troy and Muehlenbach.
Livi Sayrs
The competitive One Act is a theater performance that plays for less than 40 minutes. Starting in late June, a team of actors started rehearsing for this year’s competitions, which started in October. This year, Hamilton Drama Society presents The Cages We Build by Emily Hageman. Directed by Mrs. Troy, the cast is as follows: Jack Schirz as Dean, Ella Maassen as Lucy, Livi Sayrs as Mom, Jack McCord as Dad, Tiffani Morris as Girl/Doctor, Payton Grindle as Girl/Stepsister, Livy Powell as Teacher, Emily Muehlenbach as Coach, and Haydn Blank as Uncle/Stepdad.
Content Warning: The Cages We Build by Emily Hageman explores themes related to mental health, personal and family trauma, emotional distress, death, grief, isolation, and the ways individuals may feel trapped by their circumstances or by their own thoughts. The play contains emotionally intense discussions surrounding mental health and personal struggle. Some scenes and dialogue may be emotionally difficult or triggering for audience members with personal experience related to these topics. Viewer discretion is advised.
Each year, the One Act truly brings together the group of actors putting on the performance. As an actress in the show myself, I can speak on how genuinely connected I and the other actors feel. Emotional rehearsals create a sense of safety, post-rehearsal dinners create funny and genuine moments between people, and the process of rehearsing itself creates a bond between the show’s castmates.
The synopsis for the show reads: Dean's dad isn't around, his mom is deeply broken, and everyone at school either hates him or fears him. That's just who he is. But then, he meets Lucy and learns that life can be whatever you make it, and no matter what cage you build, you always have the key.
The One Act director, Mrs. Troy, plays an unbelievably crucial role in the success of our show. She consistently pushes what we thought our limits were for acting, and, in turn, creates a truly amazing performance with acting that comes from living in the moment. I asked Mrs. Troy how she would describe her experience directing One Acts over the years, and this was her response:
“Directing One Acts over the years has quickly become one of my favorite theatre experiences each year. I had no idea what I was doing when I started them (LOL). But they quickly became one of the most important classrooms I’ve worked in. The depth of human growth and understanding is amazing, the collaboration of the actors is next level in a One Act, and the understanding of the importance of storytelling is unparalleled. It has DEFINITELY made me a better director! I think all of us who have been involved in a One Act over the years would tell you it has made us better performers/artists, but more importantly, better humans (insert heart emoji here). ”
Along with the competitive One Act, we also perform a non-competitive One Act. One of the competitive actors, Tiffani Morris, was in the non-competitive One Act last year. I asked her how she would describe the difference between the two, and these are her words:
“I think the non-competitive One Act last year was a cool experience for me as an actor; it offered a lot of insight into what my strengths were as well as what I had a harder time with. The One Act this year has a bigger focus on the universal themes and really connecting with the audience. We spend a lot more time talking about what the show means, which I think is what makes this show such a special opportunity to be a part of and an important message to share.”
The One Act typically consists of upperclassmen, with the exception of two sophomores in the cast this year. I asked Ella Maassen what her biggest challenge she faced as a first year One Act actress was and how she overcame it, and her response was beautifully articulated:
“I would say the hardest part was going into such an emotional show having never done anything like it. The One Act this year goes through some very heavy topics and I was worried about how I could effectively convey that on stage. However, in rehearsals we took lots of time to talk through each thing and find ways that showed these issues without harming any actors. It was a very interesting process that never made me feel worse off mentally walking out of rehearsals. ”
Hamilton Drama Society chooses heavy themes for each year’s One Act. Last year tackled themes of childhood cancer and death in Dreamwalk. With this, our director and the actors alike all know how important it is to take care of ourselves mentally and emotionally during rehearsals and performances. My character, Mom, sobs at the end of the show in a touching moment, and it can be incredibly exhausting to run that scene multiple times in rehearsal. Whenever actors vocalize their emotional capacities, our director’s words are always, “That’s okay.”
Our seniors, Jack McCord, Livy Powell, Haydn Blank, and Emily Muehlenbach have impacted our show greatly. The seniors who have done more than one One Act, Livy Powell and Emily Muehlenbach, have a deep understanding of how the One Act influences the audience and the importance of storytelling. I asked Emily Muehlenbach what the most important thing for audiences to know about the One Act is, and she responded beautifully:
“Every year the One Act is a new show, but what doesn’t change is the ‘intensity’ of the show, or the bond we make with each other as a cast…Throughout the rehearsal process we work together, and by the end of our run we become a tight-knit family because we get to grow with the show. The One Act is a chance for a smaller group of actors to become better in their practice while also learning what it feels like to work on a heavier show with people who become some of your close friends. We want the audience to feel what we feel while we are performing, and with a story like the one we are telling this year, we heavily encourage the high school population to come and see the work we are doing and have done because the story we are telling could help someone. Each and every year we do the One Act, someone in the audience feels seen, and realizes they are not alone in their struggles. And that is why the competitive One Acts are important, not just to our cast, but to those in the audience who might be struggling. ”
Throughout the years, the One Act has become an integral part of the Hamilton Drama Society and a part of the Hamilton community as a whole. We advanced from our district-wide and sectional competitions on October 24th and November 7th, and we are headed to State on November 20th! Our home show dates in the Hamilton Fine Arts Center are November 13th & 14th at 7pm, and November 15th at 2pm. There is also an opportunity for HHS students to see the show during Flex on the 13th! We hope to see you there!
