One Last Supper

-Daniela Ortiz ‘21

Only at St. Mark's does high school theater bring the audience to both genuine laughter and heart-wrenching tears. 

The Ending Scene of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot

From February 27th to 29th, the St. Mark's Theater Department put on its production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, a play written by Stephen Adly Guirgis. This production marked the final performance for six seniors in the cast and also marked the SM Theater debut of Aiden Tam, ‘22, as Jesus. 

Each production put on by director Christopher Kent seems to top the ambition of the previous one and this show was no exception. From the moment you set eyes on the set with its varying elevation levels, neon lighting, and grunge vibe you can feel that the show you’re about to watch is going to be something very different and special. 

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot follows the trial of Judas (yes, that Judas of biblical fame/infamy) determining whether he will be damned to eternal torment or ascend to heaven. During the trial, two lawyers, also both confined to “downtown purgatory”, call on such witnesses as Mother Teresa, Sigmund Freud, and Satan. The cast is more than game for the heavy themes that appear in the show such as redemption, guilt, and forgiveness of self and others. The show never talks down to its audience and expects highschoolers and adults alike to keep up with its fast-paced journey through the afterlife while keeping tabs on the cases for Judas’ forgiveness. The first act especially is tremendously funny and brought the audience to laughter while the second act brought many in the audience close to tears with its intense performances by Tam, ‘22 and Lu ‘20, as Jesus and Judas. 

Aiden Tam ‘22 and Will Lu ‘20 casted as Jesus and Judas, respectively.

As mentioned above, this show was the final star turn for several Class of 2020 St. Markers; Yiwei Lu, Illia Rebechar, Alexander Sumner, Anu Akibu, Kian Sahani, and Jack Griffin. Kian Sahani said “Theater at St. Marks really changed [his] life” and allowed him to open up more and grow in self-confidence. Alex Chen, ‘21, said of the departing students “it’s kinda sad how this is the senior’s last performance” and that there was a lot of pre- and post-show bonding between the cast. All involved ended on a wonderful note, turning in performan0ces that were nuanced, layered, and intelligent. The quiet suffering of Judas(played by Lu), the calculated cruelty and humor of Satan(played by Sumner), the great comedic beats of Saint Monica/ Mother Teresa(Akibu), the ridiculousness and arrogance of El-Fayoumi(Rebechar) and the humor and pathos of Saints Peter and Matthew(Sahani and Griffin, respectively) were all engaging to watch. However, if one fears for the future of St.Marks theater after these actors leave, they would be mistaken. The future looks bright when performances such as the ones by Sydni Williams, Kendall Sommers, and Michael Ferlisi were all given by members of the class of ‘22. 

In one quote the entirety of the show seems to almost be encapsulated- “ Despair is the ultimate development of a pride so great and so stiff-necked that it selects the absolute misery of damnation rather than accept happiness . . .  we are not capable of fulfilling our destiny by ourselves”. It is attributed to theologian Thomas Merton in the show and offered as words of advice to Fayoumy’s lawyer character. If only Fayoumy could look beyond his own pride he could forgive Judas as Jesus has, yet he can’t. If Judas could only forgive himself and accept being loved again, he could choose happiness for himself over purgatory. Yet, he does not. For these kids though, recognizing something greater than themselves and working together to that end is not a problem. For all these kids, it’s the love of the art of theater that leads them to create something greater than themselves, to leave something behind that is ephemeral in nature but enduring for all those who got to witness it or be a part of it. 

District Music Festival: A Splendid Music Concert

By Kelly Yang ‘23

On January 18th, Massachusetts Music Educators' Association Central District Senior Festival was successfully held at the Mechanics Hall in Worcester, MA. Three days of seven-hour rehearsals of the orchestra, band, and choir paid off. The splendid performance gained thousands of audiences’ applauses. 

Through the selective audition, Kelly Yang ‘23 joined the District choir. Grace Li ‘21 became part of the District concert band. Richard Zhang ‘21,  Waverly Shi ‘21, Albert Wu ‘23 played in the District orchestra as violinists, and Ryder Henry ‘20 played the French Horn in the same orchestra.

The repertoire of the concerts included a great variety of musical and cultural genres. This year, under Edward Cumming, Director of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, the orchestra challenged itself with hard pieces like Prelude to Act III "Lohengrin" by Wagner, Symphony No. 5 (2nd movement) by Tchaikovsky, and Dvorak's Slavonic Dance op. 46, no. 1 in C major. Richard Zhang ‘21 reflected that the conductor was very different as he did not get straight into the repertoire like most of the other conductors during the rehearsal. "Instead, he let all musicians spend half an hour to introduce themselves to each other. It helped all the musicians to bond together. The orchestra not only interpreted and made music together, but they also develop friendships and musicianships, which is also vital for the experience," he recalled. Waverly Shi '21, a two-year participant of District, also commented that the conductor of the orchestra was very different from last year's, as well as the style of the pieces. She reflected that her favorite piece to play was Dvorak Slavonic dances. "The harmonies and melodies are all blended together. The style was also very upbeat," she said. 

This year, Dr. Dominick Ferrara, a professor from Berklee College of Music, conducted the concert band. Grace Li ‘21, who played the flute in the concert band, shared her experience. "I always love going to districts because you get to meet and play with many other musicians who are just as passionate as you are about music,” she said. Li also recalled that her biggest challenge of joining the band was getting through hours of rehearsal and as a V former, she also had very heavy workload to manage. “But that being said, being able to play music with a conductor who is very knowledgeable and passionate, as well as with kids your age who are so hardworking and talented is such a pleasure and great opportunity that makes the long hours easier to get through!” she reflected. 

The central district invited Kayla Werlin, who is a conductor and soloist, and choral music teacher at Longmeadow High School, to conduct the choir. Her vivid imagination gives spirit to the repertoires. The first piece was Sicut Locutus by J.S. Bach. The piece was originally sung by boys and men choir. In this concert, the conductor also added the female voice which created a bright timbre and a more jocund mood. The polyphonic texture made the piece harder to keep in tempo, but the choir mastered it and added dynamic change, which made the piece more delightful. The following piece was Esto Les Digo by Kinley Lange. The choir’s phrasing and the solo made the piece sound peaceful and serene. The next piece Three Madrigal by Emma Lou Diemer uses different texture, tempo, and dynamic in three movements. The first movement uses word-painting in the phrase “High and low”, creates a beautiful descending line. The choir also performer the African folk song, Fiela, which depicted African women doing the housework and sweeping the floor. The choreography added vividness and cultural elements to the concert. The last repertoire Untravelled Worlds by Paul Halley use the famous poem, Ulysses, by Alfred for its text. Ulysses’ spirit of adventure encourages all of the musicians of the festival to continue the exploration of music in the future.

The successful performance can never leave the assistance of Mr. Wallace, who have the musicians both physical and spiritual support during rehearsals and auditions. And congratulations to Waverly Shi, Grace Li, and Ryder Henry, who were accepted into the All-States Music Festival! They will play in the All-State Music Festival Concert in Symphony Hall, Boston, on March 7.