Drama Club’s first performance is a success

Written by Monique Boileau, Staff Writer

 On January 29th and 30th, the members of the Forest Hill High Drama Club, lead by Mr.  Zamora, put on a performance of “Roosters”, a play written by Milcha Sanchez-Scott. The story  takes place in a Hispanic home located in the American Southwest. After years of being in  prison for manslaughter, the family awaits the release and return of a father, Gallo, an  obsessive rooster-fighter. Upon his much anticipated arrival, Hector, the son of Juana and Gallo Morales is disappointed, being the only one to realize Gallo’s tendency to put his bird before his family. This ‘cock fighting’, between the men of the house, rivalry for superiority tears this family apart.
 When I heard that the Drama Club was going to attempt such emotional and contraversial piece, I was skeptical. On the night of the play, however, the actors and actresses did not fail  to impress. Although several lines were delivered a bit half-heartedly, when it got down to the  emotional or violent scenes between Hector and his family, I definitely saw a few people in the  audience tear up. The scene between Chata (Hector’s aunt, played by Genesis Rodriguez)  and Hector (Alex Jinesta) was especially moving and very well done. Oliberto Vasquez, who  played Gallo, portrayed his character very well as he delivered his performance with a booming voice full of rage. I’d have to say one of my favorite characters was a rooster played by Sergei Orekov. His ability to get into character was remarkable because he was able to perform the part in a very convincing way.
 Stage Manager, Nabil Rodriguez, commented that as it grew closer to the day of the performance, he really saw how well the actors fit their characters and  stepped up the the challenge.
 Prior to the premiere of “Roosters”, I interviewed the cast to see how they prepared for their performance. “I rehearse all the time: when I’m driving, when I’m in the shower, at home,” says Brianna Stiles, who plays Juana. This proved to help, although not flawless, Brianna had a good comprehension of the character she was trying to portray. Carolina Campinatti, a shadow, states, “I try to chill out because if I get too tense, I’ll blank out.”
 The most crowd-pleasing character was Adan (played by Jose Lioz), a friend of the Morales family and comedic relief in this dramatic story.
 The set used for this play was very minimal, with only a table and a few chairs where the  family would congregate; wooden crosses in the foreground where Hector’s spiritual younger sister Angela prays; and a large white rectangular screen meant to represent the chicken coop where the roosters are housed. The furniture was old and broken in some spots, showing  that the family was not very wealthy. The chicken coop was symbolic and I could appreciate  that, but latecomers and other viewers who did not know what the play was about were confused at first. Quite a bit of the set was built and assembled by Carly Littles, William Abella, and Jessica Gonzalez.
 All in all, I think the production was fairly welldone and I look forward to seeing more school  plays. Mr Zamora seems confident that the drama club will once again step up to the plate.  When asked why he had chosen Roosters, he gave this statement: “I felt it was appropriate  for the actors and actresses at Forest Hill in terms of them being able to meet the challenge.”
 The Drama Club in already in the process of rehearsing for the play, Madame Butterfly. Be sure to attend and support your Falcon actors and actresses!