West Side Story
During my vacation in North Woodstock, New
Hampshire, my two friends and I came
across The Papermill Theater. An old run
down mill, turned into a theater, with
lots of history. We all decided to
attend the play , West Side Story, hoping it
would be a good experience. As
we entered the theater my eyes swayed from left
to right taking in all the
history of the building. I saw old ceilings and walls
with different mill
machines with in them. I came across the old set up of the
building
consisting of a rundown stage with many scene props and dusty old
chairs.
These chairs really stood out, they were all differently designed and
all
different types. Some were folding chairs while others were cushion
movie
like chairs. As the three of us discovered our seats we noticed how
popular the
show really is, as a matter of fact all 100 seats ended up being
filled. After
everyone was seated I took out my program booklets and began to
read about the
backgrounds of the actors and actresses. I discovered that
they were all
professional actors and actresses and had produced three
well-liked plays
already this summer. These plays were "Anything Goes", "She
Loves Me",
and of course "West Side Story". As I continued to read I also
cited the
pictures and the descriptions of every actor. I became very anxious
to see what
was to come of this production. The lights finally went out and I
was instantly
enthralled with the cast and plot. The play focused around the
two gangs, the
Jets and the Sharks(the Puerto Ricans). They continued on
to identify the
hostility of these two gangs through song dance and of course
acting. Every
scene change was not a done with a curtain, but rather a
spotlight. This
technique I enjoyed and found very intriguing to watch. As
the actors toured me
through the play act by act I enjoyed it more and more.
I even felt suspense
while the fights went on and the couples fell in love.
By the end of the play I
was so caught up in the moment that I felt the tears
of sadness as I wept for
the awful death of Tony and how much sadness it
brought to not only Maria, but
also the other gangs too. In fact both gangs
felt so much sadness that they all
assisted the carrying off of Tony to his
grave. At that moment I knew Tony’s
death resulted in peace between both
gangs. The play was a tragedy, but did have
a rather positive ending in one
way. This production was such a wonderful
experience for me that I would
totally consider going back to see another one
and more. I give much credit
to every actor for the absolutely wonderful job
they did in the play. They
made it so real for the audience. I praise the
Mainstage Acting Company
on what a terrific performance they
held.