Due to the theater teacher Nick Saubers’ recent absences, the fall play was taken over by Courtney Gibson, the choir teacher and musical director. It was changed from Roald Dahl’s story of James and the Giant Peach to a compilation of monster sketches called Gravestone Manor. Gibson has always enjoyed directing the musical, but she’s adapted well to directing a play, considering it’s much less to worry about. 

“[I’d do this again] only if I was needed to. I do really enjoy directing musicals, and I like to direct comedy plays, and not dramas – dramas are not for me – I like to direct comedy plays, but mostly I like to do musicals because I like the chaos of everything all together,” Gibson said. 

Senior actor Aija Cohen was set to play the spider in James in the Giant Peach, and now plays Griffin, the Ghost Host, in Gravestone Manor. She, while excited for James and the Giant Peach, didn’t mind the change that much, and saw it coming. 

“So I wasn’t super disappointed [when it changed]. It [James and the Giant Peach] was a lot thrown together last minute, so what was supposed to happen sounded really cool, but we all knew it just wasn’t going to happen, so I’m not too disappointed, but I am at the same time,” Cohen said. 

Cohen also likes her character in Gravestone Manor, as she narrates and connects all the scenes together.

“To be honest, I kinda like both of them [the roles].” Cohen said, “I like the characterization of being a character in the story, but there’s a lot more goofy, silly things I can do If I’m like, breaking the fourth wall.”

Another actor, Alex Johns, has changed from her role as ensemble in James and the Giant Peach to Paranoid Adele in Gravestone Manor. Like many other people in the show, she wasn’t shocked by the change in show. 

“I thought it would get pushed back, more than canceled or changed.” Johns said, “but it wasn’t, it was changed.” 

Gibson has taken on the role of director well, and is excited to perform it for the school and others. 

“I don’t know if I would change anything, and I hope by the time we present it, people won’t even know we only did it in four weeks. That’s the goal, to look so polished by the time we go out there people won’t even notice the difference,” Gibson said.