We the People: A Human Family Play At Herndon High School

By Neena Peterson of Dominion High School

The Herndon High School show is available to watch at: Herndon High School Theatre (herndondrama.org)

As 2020 saw the country engrossed in a revolution of self-discovery and protest in the face of gender-based and racial injustices alongside the health crisis of COVID-19, many people lost their identity. Despite the tragedy surrounding them, the talented students at Herndon High School redefined what it means to be "American" in their recent original production of We the People.

Created on the Virginia Tech campus by a group of enthusiastic theatre majors in 1994, with the help of Herndon's current theatre director, Scott Pafumi, this revamped adaptation of the original show assembled an inherently diverse cast to bring the show's concepts into the 21st century and showcase the relatable consequences of nearly a year living under quarantine.

Addressing the complexities of an identity defined by no single interpretation, whether that be through ethnicity, religion, or sexuality, the students did an incredible job in using their production limitations to benefit the show and increase its impact as a result. Despite the restrictions of typical accessibility to the resources from their beloved theater, the homespun lighting and audio quality rather lent itself to the message than distracted from it, while the variation in each of the performers' sets and costumes redefined the necessity of conformity, further impacting the audience with its all-encompassing diversity.

By taking advantage of their differences, several students stood out in their acting skills and physicality. The production opened with each ensemble member giving an "I am ..." introduction, in which they defined themselves by a unique characteristic. In this way the characters achieved their preliminary goal of perpetuating stereotypes and tearing them down through the value of an honest declaration. Additionally, the memorable monologue of Ava Deutschman as Gloria Steinem in "If Men Could Menstruate," highlighted the value of physicality in intriguing the audience. She utilized being on the small screen and increased her minute yet powerful inflection to truly exemplify the character and subsequently both her and Steinem's anger at the injustice of gendered discrimination.

Even more so, the knowledge of this original show and its rewrite to adapt for the difficulties and changes in 2020 specifically acknowledged and tailored each story to the diversity and unique struggles of the cast, which increased both their relatability and connection to their peers in an artistic, though differentiated execution that ultimately exhibited their capability as young actors. While Yaliek Miranda's original rap "Not Gonna Change" conveyed his hardships in a mode of comforting rhyme, the ensemble of the "GSA" (Gay-Straight Alliance) skit authentically displayed the awkwardness of today's daily Zoom calls while it still highlighted the importance of sharing and supporting one another. Both, no matter how different they are, took advantage of the cast's own experiences to be channeled into their skilled performances.

The truly surprising aspect of this show was that, despite its large diversification in topics and modes of expression, each story connected to the other in its message. The duality and back-and-forth conversation, well-executed through an online call and maintained consistently throughout the show, managed to transform the on-stage performance into a nearly interactive online experience that conveyed each controversial issue in a blunt, confident tone that took each of the issues in stride and respected its origins as well.

Herndon High School's performance of We the People truly exemplified the importance of this country's diversity, and, no matter the differences that may divide them, how everyone is American.