TJ's Musical 'Pippin' Has Meaning For Graduating And New Students

By Mayuka Valluri and Asha Das, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

Welcome to a world of magic, miracles, and meaningful experiences— underneath the brightly colored lights and spirited songs, a more sinister motivation looms. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Theater Arts (TJTA)’s production of the musical Pippin hopes you “join us” on this daring tale.

Stephan Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson’s inspiring musical comedy follows titular character Pippin on his quest to find personal fulfillment. Amidst flashy tricks, deceptively alluring promises, and rallying cries of revolution, Pippin discovers that true meaning can only be found in the connections formed with those we cherish. As a warm, tight-knit, and welcoming community, TJTA’s cast and crew have found similar comfort in one another while working on their production. Pippin is the department’s last mainstage of the year, and for graduating seniors Mira Singh and Dhanbee Suh, a chance to reflect on their high school theater journey. For freshmen Prajeet Chitty and Bellana Pachon, the show marks the start of a new adventure.

Constantly tinkering in the corner of the woodroom, set designer Mira’s responsibilities start at the very beginning of the production process. After carefully analyzing the script, Mira and the other set designers draft several versions of elaborate set pieces to create a captivating backdrop. For this production, Mira has been responsible for creating a ‘fire pit’ that extends off of the stage, drawing the audience closer into the fantastical world of Pippin. Despite spending the last four years developing her skills in design and construction, the fire pit still proved to be a new challenge for Mira.

"The fire pit is a pretty versatile set piece: it’s where bloody body parts are tossed during war,
where our lovely dancers twirl and leap, and the focal point at the climax of the show," Mira said. "Going into it, I’d pretty much only designed mainstage set pieces, so I thought it was going to be really different. But, the process was the same. I got my dimensions, drew my designs, sourced my
pieces, and then began building."

Though Mira loves the design process, her favorite part of theater is the community fostered
among the set crew. "You never work alone," Mira says. "You're always with other people
around you, building together."

While Mira works behind the scenes, freshman actor Prajeet brings main character Pippin to life onstage. Prajeet described his first impression of the department as "insanely welcoming. It was so easy to connect with the group."

The warm and safe environment allowed Prajeet to tackle the daunting task of playing the leading role.

"It’s pretty nerve wracking, honestly," Prajeet admitted when asked about being given so much responsibility. "But everyone has been incredibly supportive, so I feel more confident."

Taking on either an acting or a technical role is a large commitment, yet freshman actor and hair and makeup designer Bellana manages to glide easily between both. Bellana spends rehearsals working diligently onstage as a featured dancer to execute her choreography flawlessly, and she spends her curricular theater class hours creating her detailed hair and makeup designs. The mix allows Bellana to explore her various interests and witness firsthand how every aspect of the production weaves together to form a cohesive show.

"It’s really cool to think about how far we’ve come from first read until now," Bellana said. "All the choreography, blocking, and vocals, plus the hair and makeup design work I’ve done, is all coming together."

New to the department, Bellana was not expecting to be entrusted with the responsibility of being a designer.

"I definitely felt some pressure when getting the position,” she says.

But upperclassmen have helped Bellana feel empowered to move through the theater spaces with confidence by showing her how to navigate technical work and including her in the vibrant community.

"I wasn’t expecting to be welcomed so immediately, but they all just took me under their wing," she said. "My hair and makeup co-designer—who’s a senior—made sure I knew what was going on. She taught me enough to feel like I could start working by myself. And now I get to pass that on to other people—like recently, I taught all of our cast how to properly apply stage makeup."

For senior Dhanbee, TJTA had a huge impact on her high school experience. Joining the
department in her junior year gave Dhanbee “a huge boost of self-confidence,” allowing her to
step outside of her comfort zone.

"I really put myself out there when I decided to join, and it ended up being one of my favorite experiences," Dhanbee said. "Everyone was so supportive and welcoming to me when I joined. Now that I’m an upperclassman, I hope to pass that on to the new members."

Dhanbee’s role as an ensemble member requires her to lose herself within the show’s mystifying atmosphere. Playing off of her fellow cast mates, Dhanbee uses blocking, character work, and choreography to take part of an ensemble that she describes as "so unified, it’s almost like we breathe together as one." Rehearsals are used to solidify thorny scenes, and with
fine tuned tricks, dynamic dances, and furious stage fighting, Dhanbee finds that "there’s always
something to work on and improve."

With graduation rapidly approaching, Dhanbee looks back on her time in theater fondly and
states that "it’s always bittersweet to leave behind something that’s so awesome. Looking back
on it, joining this department is probably one of the best decisions I’ve made in high school. It’s
helped me to learn and grow as a person, and I can’t wait to go out into the world and keep
spreading all that joy."

Both a brave first leap for new members and a sweet ending for those soon-to-graduate, TJTA’s
Pippin reflects the hard work of the close and caring community. Tickets for Pippin can be
purchased at tjtheaterarts.com or at the door. Show dates are April 27, 28, 29 and May 5 and 6
at 7 p.m. and April 29 and May 6 at 2 p.m.