After a competitive and difficult audition process, the ILS Drama Club has finally begun rehearsing for its next, and biggest, show: Les Misérables. The show will open in May, making this one of the longest rehearsal processes for a show at ILS, and for good reason. Les Misérables is not an easy show to perform, not to mention the added pressure on performers because of just how popular it is. There is a lot of pressure on everyone working on the show to get it right. The show is very fortunate to be under the direction of Mrs. Lianne Rodriguez who is ready to guide students at every twist and turn.
The first week of rehearsals, which were held January 17th and 18th, provided opportunities for students to learn about each other and the show.
On January 17th, the entire cast got together in a circle and introduced each other one-by-one, first saying their name and which character they were playing. It’s very important for a cast to get along because that means that everyone can work well together and bring good energy to the show. The next day of rehearsals, was a dramaturgy session. The session allowed students to better understand what the show was about, learn more about the historical context (such as that of the events of the French Revolution leading up to the June Rebellion), and get ahold of what exactly they were striving to give to the audience. Additionally, this session helped students learn to pronounce complicated French names, like Enjolras (awn-joel-ross).
In the second week, blocking began. Blocking is the term for the actions and movements that characters make while on stage. The first scene to be blocked was the very first scene of the show, the Prologue. In this scene, the audience will see prisoners being forced to do labor while being guarded by police officers. The audience will also meet the protagonist, Jean Valjean, played by senior Sebastian Pacheco, and his antagonist Javert, played by junior Miguel Suarez-Cabal.
The third week was focused strictly on music. To help guide the cast with music is ILS music teacher, Mr. Josue Cabrera. The first song to be worked on was At The End of The Day. This one was a bit of a challenge as the harmonies for it are a bit complicated, but the students were quick to get it down.
“We’ve been rehearsing now for about two weeks. So far, everyone has come prepared, ready to work, and to make the show a success. I’ve really enjoyed seeing everyone get into character and interact with other characters in the show. It’s been nothing but fun so far!” mused director Mrs. Lianne Rodriguez.
“Although they were a little rocky, we’re still putting the show together pretty well, especially considering the size of it,” said Miguel Suarez-Cabal.
When asked what she thought of rehearsals, all senior Danna Chalela could respond with was “:3,” whatever that means.
There are many weeks of rehearsals left which means if you are curious to learn more about ethe Drama Club’s production of Les Misérables, you will have to wait until May 8th-11th.
Until then, follow @ilsroyalsdrama on Instagram for updates and information on how you can support this monumental production.
