An Oddly Amusing Production of the ‘Odd Fellows’

The BHS student production of “The Odd Fellows”, directed by senior Robert Croshere and ran from May 19 to May 21, was a wonderful success and a great laugh to be had. It tells the story of two divorced men, Oscar being a slob and Felix a neatfreak, and their antics as they try to get along together. I sent out a questionnaire to the cast and krough of the production about their experiences, and I gathered an interesting variety of responses.

Rate your experience and why?
The average of all the responses was a 9, which reflects the very enjoyable experience it was to participate in the production for both cast and krough. Some of the reasons why were:

Matthew Torres (Oscar): “It’s not a perfect score due to the fact that this show was really a different and tremendously hard hill to climb, but all I could do was push forward and keep trying to climb said mountain; I will admit I was stressed and overall freaked trying to overcome the show, but it was done and I’m happy with the outcome.”
Melany Mendoza (Assistant Lighting Technician, stage krough): “I have never had a bad experience in stage krough. It’s always been an amazing, supportive, and loving community since the first day I joined. Every experience I had was amazing, especially dancing together while we were setting up [the] set or doing pre-show rituals.”
Ellyana Yenque (Assistant Sound Manager, stage krough): “It was very pleasant, everyone in krough was splendid to be around and krough is just filled with wonderful people”

What was the most difficult part/process of the production?

Mendoza: “Saying goodbye to the seniors at the end. Even though a lot of people have mentioned their graduation coming up, when some of my senior friends came up to hug me goodbye, it finally hit that they were all leaving and I realized I’m not ready for it.”
Cristiana McCoy (Blanche): “For me I never dealt with the set until opening night which was definitely difficult for me but I did it and I think I did it right, haha.”
Torres: “The most difficult part of the show was probably the actual understanding and portrayal of my character […] Oscar was a huge jerk and slob, but he’s also using this as a wall to protect his heart from being hurt and his reasons as to why he is like that, which is hard to pull off since I want to portray that he can be a sympathetic person […] so to find that balance is probably the hardest part of this production.”

How nerve-wracking was the experience for you?
Majority of the respondents said it was nerve-wracking at first, but it faded as time went on. To quote Laila-Jade Elie (Linda), “Not very nervous because I was in plays before, but since this was my first play in a long time I was a little nervous, the moment I got out there I was fine.”

What’s your favorite memory from this production?

Lailah Sanders (stage krough): “Opening night when Hoolya kicked down the door because it was stuck; also the cast’s ability to react so quickly when the door did get stuck.”
Being backstage myself for stage krough, it was a feat the way the actors were able to improvise on the spot when faced with an obstacle. Hoolya, played by Jaylynn Valentin, was able to solve the problem of a broken door, ensuring the rest of the script was not affected.
Torres: “My favorite memory from the production was being with everyone after rehearsal just talking and conversing about our thoughts and ideas; it’s really nice to see what goes on in other people’s heads and their thought processes, it really is invigorating.”

How do the productions affect your life?
It’s clear that the productions are extremely important to the students that participate in it.
Victoree Isme (stage krough): “They give me something to look forward to and get to know new people.”
Alanah Angus (Vinnie): “The productions add a lot of stress in my life but it’s always fun because the people in the cast and crew are enjoyable.”
Daniel Polonia (Felix): “They give me a sense of community and friendship that I get nowhere else. In cast, there is no judgment. We all play our character and learn to love each other in the process.”

If you could do it over again, what would you change?
Mendoza: “I would be more open with how the people of stage krough have affected my life and let them know how much I’ll miss them.”
Polonia: Scheduling and timing, the structure of this year made it so AP tests were during the bulk of our rehearsal time. This made it ten times harder to get a good schedule and learn lines.

Any productions you’d like to see in the future?
While others did not have one in mind, those who did suggested Mean Girls, Mamma Mia, and Heathers frequently. The talent in Baldwin could definitely pull those off in the future, and can do whatever they set their mind to. Look out in the future!

Other commentary?
Polonia: “I think that Baldwin’s theater and music programs took a big hit after COVID. I feel that a lot of work and dedication is required to reignite the spark and the same skill that these programs once had. As I leave, I would like to say that I fostered an environment where people wanted to reignite that spark and I hope future grades will do the same.”
Angus: “We’re going to have to do a lot of recruiting for next year’s play since a lot of people in the cast were seniors […] we’ll make it happen.”

There are 3 productions every year, and everyone is welcome to join in the process, whether it be participating in the pit during the first production, cast, or stage krough! Keep your eyes peeled for our next production next year!