The pandemic has stopped a lot of activities in the past year, but one thing it couldn’t stop is the GHS theatre department. Though the department had to accommodate to fit within COVID-19 safety guidelines, this year’s play, a performance of BLESSINGS FROM THE PANDEMIC by Rich Orloff, is finally ready to be released.

One caveat about the performance is that, instead of being viewed in a live theatre as it has been done in the past, a recording of it will instead be available to rent and watch within 48 hours of purchasing. Senior Andrea Ligocki, the stage manager and associate director of the show, liked the increased control this gave over the finished product. “It was very nice being able to completely control the performance environment and redo monologues that in a live performance would not be able to be redone,” she said.

Senior and first assistant director Katie Minik wasn’t as thrilled about the shift from live to recorded. “The experience of filming was very interesting; it was very different from a live performance in that if there was a mistake you could easily fix it,” she said. “Something that I didn’t like about the virtual form was the fact that it was so easy to fix mistakes. There’s something about live performances where you know things could go completely sideways that is very thrilling, and it was always so satisfying to hear the applause of a live audience.”

Despite the changes, those who worked on the play think that it’s message, which centers around the pandemic and other events from 2020 as well as the feelings associated with them, was important to get out. “The audiences will enjoy the sincerity of our performers, speaking in their own voice and providing insight into how they actually feel, the uplifting and positive message of the entire piece, and they’ll also enjoy the humor of many of these pieces,” theatre director Eric Christiansen said.

Junior Tommy Young, who is part of the cast, agrees. “The aspect of this show that I enjoyed the most was how introspective it was,” he said. “It was a really rewarding experience to take a closer look at my own feelings about the pandemic and how it has impacted me on an emotional level.”

The play is composed of many poems written by Rich Orloff, a renowned playwright whose pieces have been performed in the GHS theatre before. “I have worked with the playwright, Rich Orloff, before, but it was a privilege to be the first high school in the country to be able to present his new work,” Christiansen said.

Purchasing “tickets” to the performance (i.e renting the video) is done online at https://www.showtix4u.com/events/ghs. The video will be available only between March 19-21 and March 26-28, and with a cost of $10 there are very few reasons to miss this year’s performance.