George C Marshall High School - Columbian Yearbook (Falls Church, VA)

Page 30 text:

GCM 26 STUDENT LIFE Vibrant snatches of music and the sound of pounding hammers emanating from the halls near the auditorium signalled preparations for the fall musical, Guys and Dolls. Following a complex rehearsal and workday schedule which ran from August through the production dates (Nov. 8-12), Marshall’s drama club, choral participants, and orchestra labored toward a memo¬ rable production. Scenery for Guys and Dolls was designed and begun even before the opening of school, and members of the construction and paint crews were hard at work every day during the last weeks of August. All sets were built four feet higher than ever before, and much money, figuring, and time was put into their construciton. Because of limited space available backstage, many pieces of scenery had to serve two or three functions; by turning them around or adding sep¬ arate parts, a whole new effect was created. Welcome assistance with the production was given by many parents — from realistically paint¬ ing the scenery, to sewing cos¬ tumes, to providing transportation to and from late rehearsals. A pro¬ fessional dance instructor choreo¬ graphed the musical, and gave dancing lessons the last spring to all interested students. Tryouts were held the second week of school, and the cast of 80 was chosen. Then after-school re¬ hearsals began — singing parts in the choral room with Mrs. Mary Gay Craig, playing with the orchestra in the band room with Mr. Tony Aver- sano, acting on stage in the audito¬ rium with show director Mrs. Irene Odorizzi, and dancing in the hail with the tape recorder. Since three- fourths of the cast had never been on stage before, a great deal of general confidence-gaining re¬ hearsal, as well as drill in lines, songs, and blocking, was required. Not only the cast-members were busy throughout September and October, however. The costumes, props, publicity, construction, paint, programs, tickets, and refreshments crews were preparing for opening night, too. Unlike most past years, few costumes were rented for the show, and for some characters four or five costume changes had to be provided. The sewing talents and time of the costumes crew¬ members were therefore much in demand. Finding such unusual ob¬ jects as a drum for a mission band or a cup shaped like a coconut was the job of the props crew, while the scene-builders and painters utilized their talents to complete lifelike scenery. An illustrated 16-page program booklet was prepared as a me¬ mento for cast, crew, and orchestra members by the programs crew. Tickets for five performances were printed, and posters and bulletin boards were designed to publicize the musical. Even intermission was not forgotten — the refreshments crew planned the sale of coffee, cokes, and baked goods. As September passed and Oct¬ ober drew to a close, The Guys and Dolls participants grew busier and busier — it seemed the more work was finished, the more needed to be done.

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Lightning quick reflexes and an encyclopedic knowledge were prerequisites for the success of the “It’s Academic” team members. An invitation was sent to twenty- five students to come to Mr. Jack Hurley’s classroom after school if they wanted to pursue a position on the “It’s Academic” squad. These people were selected for their PSAT scores and high grades in certain areas, but the auditions were open to anyone who was inter¬ ested. This was in March of 1972, when planning had already begun on preparation for the next season of TV competition. The skills needed for the participants were a general background in math, science, history and English, not to mention knowledge of a huge con¬ glomeration of trivial facts ranging from the accomplishments of Chopin and Lee Trevino to Picasso and Jane Fonda. Remembering to raise your hand when the answer popped into your mind was the first thing to learn. Those who tallied the most correct responses and possessed the quickest reflexes were not cut. After a trial match at the WRC-TV studio the team was reduced to three principal members with four alternates. Since GCM was to ap¬ pear on the premier show of the season, the “It’s Academic” team’s practices started in the summertime and continued as school began. Every Wednesday afternoon trial tests and drills were held until late buses. Saturday, September 9, was the day of the first competition, where Garfield and Annandale were both defeated by Marshall — 380- 270-245. The team’s pressure to maintain its position mounted as the final weeks of practices pro¬ gressed. On September 23, by a score of 380-310-250, our team lost to Herndon and St. Anselm’s. Though Marshall was ahead at the end of the first third our squad was overwhelmed by the opponents’ disappointing quickness at the end of the match.

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STUDENT LIFE 27 O O V ' Opposite page: The Publicity crew carefully prints posters to announce the coming of Guys and Dolls. Above left: Dennis Hedge paints the interior of his sewer. Above: Kevin Campbell demonstrates his interpretation of the Cuban Dance number. Left: At a late stage crew meeting, David Shepherd, Kevin Campbell, Patty Horne and Carolyn Chryst work on building the set.