A few weeks ago, Haverford’s fall play production of Aaron Sorkin’s A Few Good Men came to a close. When the final curtain fell, the applause wasn’t just for the actors on stage, it was for the entire Performing Arts Department, whose dedication and creativity transformed the production into one of the most memorable performances in recent years.
Since the mid-1980s, the school’s major productions have been performed in Centennial Hall. However, director Mr. Darren Hengst, decided to perform this year’s fall play in the Big Room. Centennial Hall provides all the necessary technical developments a production needs to succeed, but the Big Room presents an entirely different atmosphere.
Mr. Hengst said, “I wanted to strip away all the extra technical aspects of the show and just really hone in on the skills of our actors.”
Due to the Big Room’s constricted size, Mr. Hengst introduced students to a “traverse stage,” which places the audience on two sides of the performance space, rather than in front of the stage.
“Our biggest challenge was managing the audience, because it was such a small space compared to Centennial [Hall],” Mr. Hengst said.
The setup presented several challenges to the cast and crew. The Big Room is a common space for all students. To allow the space’s use during the academic day, the production had no fixed set, unlike all the previous productions in Centennial Hall.
Despite the challenges, the cast embraced this challenge wholeheartedly.
“It was a great experience for the department, the boys, and the audience all together,” Mr. Hengst said. “We can’t replicate the type of acting we need in that space in Centennial [Hall]. It’s a completely different style. The cast took it on very well.”
This difference in style required a learning curve for the cast and the production team. Many were surprised by how close the audience was during the open dress rehearsal, just before the actual performances.
The preparation for the play was planned by production team members Mr. Dex Woodward, Mx. Victoria Gill-Gomez, Mr. Hengst, Ms. Kay Strine, and Ms. Rhonda Brown. Additionally, the hard work of the stage crew, headed by Sixth Former Desmond Heneks, helped to outline the play.
“We ran through every situation we needed, ensuring that we and the cast were ready for anything,” Mr. Hengst said.
For Mr. Hengst, directing A Few Good Men was not just about staging a play, but also about creating a positive experience for everyone involved. He carefully planned the play by replicating the Big Room stage in Centennial Hall for early rehearsals. Mr. Hengst’s priority was ensuring that every actor was visible and that their actions were engaging to the audience. He made sure that all the actors were able to enter the stage seamlessly, as t only a bare-bones arrangement of curtains masked movement on- and off-stage.
“It was different having to individually make sure everyone on stage is able to be seen clearly, while on Centennial [Hall] that is just a given,” Mr. Hengst said. “Additionally, I had to make sure that everyone was part of the action and that being able to enter the stage was always easy.”
The sold-out performances, the challenges the cast and crew overcame, and all of the unforgettable moments on stage contributed to a production that will be remembered as one for the books. Mr. Hengst only regrets the limited capacity, preventing many students from experiencing the show.
“I want the audience to take away that we have some really solid actors in the school.” – Mr. Darren Hengst
“Usually we can have the whole baseball team show up,” Mr. Hengst said, “and we would have space for them, but unfortunately, we were fully sold out for all our shows, so it was a bummer a lot of students couldn’t come see the play.”
In the end, A Few Good Men was more than just a play: it was a showcase of the resilience, creativity, and talent of the cast and crew.
“I want the audience to take away that we have some really solid actors in the school,” Mr. Hengst said.
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