This was indeed a “Celebration in Words, Song and Dance!” This outdoor delight, performed in Christ the King Church’s parking lot, had something for everyone. There were interactive jokes, some amazing gymnastic moves, dances, dialogues, monologues, short skits, and songs, all carefully done with masks when the actors were within six feet of each other. The asphalt was hot, but these young actors were sizzling!

Much beloved musicals from Broadway and movies were the centerpiece of the show. A monologue from Funny Girl about a girl being a bagel on a plate of sweet rolls was charming. A group danced to “Magic to Do” from Pippin with the song playing in the background. There were four young girls complaining about their siblings, then deciding to sing about how it would be easier to be cats, from Disney’s Aristocrats. There were scenes from The Pirates of Penzance, of which Prana was planning to do a full version but was cut short by the pandemic. This included a Jolly Roger held aloft, numerous pirate outfits, and a line of policemen with proper British caps from that era. There was an impassioned plea done as a monologue about a show the high school was trying to put on, The Laramie Project, based on the murder of Matthew Shepherd.

There was a dialogue between two girls about the curse of being a half-blood, from Harry Potter. There was a dialogue tribute to Beverly Cleary. There were scenes about the Princess of Genova, Charlotte’s Web, Anne of Green Gables, A Secret Garden, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Sister Act, and The Prom. At times the students would ask the audience members to name the play their scene was from. The show ended with a bang, with the whole cast rocking out to a lively “Time to Dance.” One outstanding performer was Saachi Chandrakant. Her lovely voice soared in “Gotta Find My Corner of the Sky.”  She also led and choreographer three Indian dances that her mother told her she learned as a child. Her fellow performers added to the grace and beauty of these evocative moves. The red dresses sparkling with mirrors swirled. Saachi also gave great feeling to the monologue from Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs. She exploded with rage as she let out all her jealousy and resentment against her sister who was always sick and drained her parents’ attention so that she got little at all. Poignantly, she wailed that she wished she had a fatal illness so that her parents would notice her.

Against the constraints of roaring motorcycles going by and the limits of masks so that one could not see much more than the eyes on their faces, this group still gave a knock out show. It’s a credit to Roberta Weiner’s creativity that she kept spirits high and gave these young actors an exposure to a wide range of theater and performance. Again!

Here is the list of the talented young performers:

Louisa Bigelow, Sadie Bigelow, Saachi Chandrakant, Nicholas DiPippo, Victoria Edwards, Morgan Fetrow, Allyson Forbes, Abigail Halstead, Ryan Klimeczko, Ethan Kuhlman, Cora McGillicuddy, Caroline Mulik, Maggie Mulik, Sophia Warnetski, Charlotte Wolfstitch