As you enter Hayfield Secondary School from the soon-to-be refurbished back set of doors, you'll immediately notice two things upon your arrival: The unusual smell, and the unusual sound. While the smell of soldered metal and sawdust, you never quite get used to, the sound is bound to be emanating from a hallway to your right that leads to the dramatic center of Hayfield.
Entirely unrelated to the, shall we say, unique odor that permeates all the nooks and crannies, the sound is one of work in progress. The sound of Shakespeare being read, tap shoes being tapped, and improvisational variables being shouted mix with the sound of various hard-hatted construction workers quickly removing the pride and joy of the Hayfield drama program. No, they're not adding aluminum siding to the lead actors or refinishing the director, Rebecca Wilburn, but renovating the Hayfield Auditorium, leaving all this noise without a home.
Losing such an important performing space could be devastating or even delay the entire program and its scheduled events. Hayfield's resilience is shown in the continuation of one of the most daunting schedules to date. Auditions, rehearsals and opening nights loom large already, as Hayfield prepares, prior to their stage's renovation, to go into their dance in "42nd Street" on Nov. 14, 15, and 16. Add that on top of three evenings of One Acts, Broadway Night (where actors take a crack at their favorite show tunes), a showcase of student-written plays, skits and songs, as well as a bid to, once again, make a showing at this year's Northern Virginia Theatre Festival.
Preparation for the tough-on-the-toes, easy-on-the-ears musical this year is, as always, elaborate. Summer dance courses were offered, meticulous lighting plots drafted, eye-catching scenery planned and songs tirelessly rehearsed. In the end, all these elements come together to function as one, if only for three nights. While all drama students stand out in their own unique way, when it comes to show time, it's nothing but a group effort. New to Hayfield Drama, Apolonia Davalos' first impressions are that "New-comers immediately feel comfortable in the theater environment, combining everyone's individual talents into one show."
While ingenuity and patience are certainly important in scouting out new performing spaces, what stands out in this time of dire need as most helpful is versatility. Hayfield's drama students truly shine in their ability to stretch, bend, flex and generally pull stunts of a contortionistic nature. No one ever wears one hat for too long in the Theatre Department, and not just because there's a school-wide ban on hats. "From our theater sports team to our techs, we all work together toward keeping Hayfield Drama excellent," said John Miccelli, who often doubles as both a choral member and sound/lighting technician. If one were to traverse the winding trail of Hayfield History, you might stumble into a tap dancer, an SCA President, an opera singer, a would-be rock star, Homecoming King, a director-in-training, a haphazard playwright, quarterback of the football team, a speech and debate national finalist, a classical painter, an amiable if not stern theater critic, Don Pedro from "As You Like It" and a typist narrator. Even after all that, odds are that you've only stumbled across one person.
While drama is notoriously sectarian, Hayfield's program prides itself on the accessibility of the department. Freshmen are regularly cast in the largest productions of the year, and walk-ons during auditions are always appreciated. "Hayfield Drama is like a spectrum," senior Yasir Latifi, who can be seen as Julian Marsh in the Fall musical, begins, "from the wide array of thing we do, to the wide array of things we learn, it truly is an environment that I am proud to be a part of." Latifi is no stranger to accepting challenge at a young age, winning a Cappie his freshman year for his cameo appearance in Our Town.
With the dramatic arts sometimes being the only linking quality from Person A to Person B, Hayfield flourishes in its diversity. New faces are always welcome, while old ones become things of legend, and "No" is usually the wrong answer (unless the question happens to be "Can I directly criticize an actor in my Cappies Review?"). "Hayfield Drama brings a lot of diverse people together, all working towards a common goal," Kristen Garaffo, a sophomore, said, echoing the sentiments of all who have been through the program.
At Hayfield, everyone brings something to the table in a potluck of talent, soon to be served in an undetermined performing space near you.