Centreville High's Cappie critics this year are Brian Marchetti, Sarah Lucas, Tyler Spindle, Theo Thompson and Krista Lewandowski. Two of them recently told Centre View what they look for and how much they enjoy doing it.
Thompson, 18 and a senior, has been involved in Centreville's theatre all four years and has acted in several plays. He's the lead critic for his school and, like his colleagues, he takes the job seriously. The students select five plays they want to critique, and they examine several elements of each, as well as the cast members.
"We look at how well the individual characters develop relationships with each other and how they react to each other in different circumstances," said Thompson. "And we see how well the play is portrayed — could [the audience] understand its meaning and message?"
They critique how well the set conveys the place and whether the environment is realistic. Lighting, said Thompson, is one of the trickiest things to judge. "Is it natural or artificial?" he asked. Can you see the light boards? Can you sense the environment through the lighting? Were the lighting cues on time?"
They also look at how successfully sound is incorporated into the play and how it's amplified. And, as with lighting, said Thompson, "Are the sound cues given at the right moment? For example, does a gunshot go off in the right place?"
The costumes are also important, he said: "Do they fit with the period of the play? It's a big factor in how the actors and actresses portray their roles."
IN ADDITION, student critics scrutinize makeup — cosmetics, hair, nails, etc.; props and effects — how they enhance the play; and the crew — including set and furniture changes and whether they were smooth and unnoticeable. And in the cases of musicals, they also examine the orchestra's pace and balance, plus they check the choreography and whether the dance steps were all done correctly.
"Then we look at whether specific actors should be recognized," said Thompson. "For example, is there a female cameo or male vocalist who especially stands out?"
Students determine whether the cameo parts were memorable, and they critique the skills of the dancers and the voice and phrasing of the vocalists. Also important, said Thompson, is whether the actors were "still in character" while singing. As for the ensemble, students see how well the members work together and what makes them appealing to the audience.
Comic actors and actresses must be able to make the audience laugh, and featured players must successfully illustrate their relationships, conflicts and motivations on a greater level than those in lesser roles. Lead actors and actresses must develop their characters within the storyline and be able to convey their secrets and other, subtle details about themselves. The same holds true for musical performers, plus they must sing at least two songs.
OVERALL, 35 CAPPIE awards are given — including best song, best play and best musical. Best male and female critics and best critics team are also chosen. Thompson believes featured and lead actors and actresses are the hardest to critique, but he likes the challenge."
"While you're in the critics' room, you may have different ideas about who did better, and you have to come up with one nomination for each play," he said. "[But] I like the discussion — talking about how different critics feel about different actors in a play and hearing their opinions."
Junior Krista Lewandowski, 16, also enjoys being a Cappie critic. "You get to see other plays from different high schools and learn what it's like to be a critic," she said. "You don't get a chance to do that in any other school courses."
So far, she's seen Hayfield's musical, "42nd Street," and Fairfax High's production of "Romeo and Juliet" and was impressed with both. "'42nd Street' had really creative ideas with props," she said. "For example, they danced on top of huge, cardboard dimes. And in 'Romeo and Juliet,' I was amazed by how they choreographed the dances. They looked authentic [to the time period]."
Lewandowski said the toughest part about being a Cappie critic is having to "turn in the essays [on each play] by the next day. It doesn't give you much time to work on them." She said critiquing "how well the people act in character is hardest to judge, if you haven't seen the play before and don't know what they're supposed to act like."
She especially enjoys judging costumes because she likes to see how various colors and styles are used to help interpret different characters' personas. She also determines whether they "match up with the theme of the play and work well with the setting."
Lewandowski likes dramas best because "they're usually intense and they make you think about things around you." Like Thompson, she volunteered to be a critic and is glad she did. "It's so much fun," she said. "You get to meet people from different schools, it's exciting and it gives me a chance to see what different schools do with their plays."