By Timothy Cho
Editor in Chief
On Nov. 2, the Roadies presented, “Waiting for Death,” a one-act show, in the Black Box Theatre. Originally written by Michael Maiello, “Waiting for Death” revolved around what began as a party and ended with death. “Waiting for Death” was also presented on Friday, Nov. 4, at the Pennsylvania State Thespian Festival, in which Neshaminy participated for their first time, and received a superior score.
The show began with Donovan and Ella, played by junior Chad Wiatrowski and senior Hannah Lieb, respectively, preparing their home for a party with friends. However, their shallowness was all too clear: High class members of society preparing only a single bowl of potato chips, fake flowers as the only decoration and an open window with a full view of the sometimes-naked “Mrs. Fulsom,” contradicted the life the enjoy.
Donovan and Ella contrasted each other’s roles, highlighting the flaws of the other while revealing their broken marriage; Donovan, a passionate but regretful man who gave up on his early dreams, never failed to stress Ella, a dramatic and hostile woman and Valium addict.
As they bicker, they open the door, only to find a strange man, dressed casually, with a scythe and a hat, who welcomes himself into the home. Death has arrived.
Played by senior Forrest Filiano, Death stated what his purpose was: Someone was to die, but he would not reveal who. Donovan and Ella. The next two guests then enter: Eddie, played by senior Sean Conway, and Bonnie, played by junior Emma Saloky.
Immediately, Eddie reveals himself to be a self-proclaimed television maestro evidently interested only in profit, while Bonnie reveals herself to be a woman of physical vanity, dressed to show her body off. The final two guests eventually arrive: Rebecca, played by senior Cora Burns, and Malcolm, played by junior Bryant Zagarodny. Rebecca, a woman of high fashion with shallow interests, contrasts Malcolm, the friendly and properly-dressed cosmetic surgeon.
Rebecca and Malcolm leave the party, while Eddie intoxicates himself with alcohol. In his drunken state, he reveals his love for Ella, while his lover, Bonnie, was never a serious consideration of his love.
With a complicated love story now unfolding, Ella declares her love for Eddie, leaving Donovan in dismay. Bonnie, too, leaves, and now only Donovan, Ella, Death and Eddie remain.
As Ella and Eddie continue in their declarations of love toward one another, Donovan leaves to his room and returns with a gun, threatening to do Death’s job for him. Ella attempts to pull the gun away, and as the two struggle for control, the gun points towards the open window, and the gun is shot.
As they stand in silence, Death walks to the window, and confirms that his job has been completed: Mrs. Fulsom has been killed.
“Waiting for Death” incorporated an immense amount of action in the short period the actors had, but the action unfolded naturally and smoothly, so much to the point where the actors seemed to be real embodiments of their personas, not just acting on a stage, but truly performing an act for the world.
This cohesiveness between the actors, the natural reliance and trust upon one another, is what director Gina Chiolan called the Roadies’, “ability to act as an ensemble,” and feel at ease on stage.
Wiatrowski attributes their success with the, “amount of time we spent together,” the amount of work they do together. Lieb saw their success as a result of, “the fact that the cast is so close,” while Filiano believed it was, “the diversity in the group.”
While “Waiting for Death” was performed well, it was not easy. As a one act show, having to present an introduction, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution within a short period of time was strenuous, but, “being forced to spend so much time together really made us closer,” Burns said.
With the members of “Waiting for Death” composed of four seniors and three juniors, they, too, realize that not much time remains with one another, and that what time they do have is precious— all the more reason to enjoy it with a passionate heart.
For Lieb, the stage is where she can, “escape my life and enter another,” creating reality out of fiction, alongside other actors who share her same passion, while, for Burns, the stage is where she can make, “people feel emotions and take them away from their problems, ever if it is just for a little while,”
They also looked in retrospect on their previous years and shared their hopes for the underclassmen. Burns shared what she would say to her freshman self, while reminding underclassmen,“To be more confident and take more chances when it comes to theatre, because even if it doesn’t work out it is always a great learning experience.”
All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women are merely players; they have their exits and their entrances, and one player in their time plays many parts. And so these players, do.
