Sat. Nov 21 wrapped up the Norwin Theatre Company’s first fall feature drive-in. Due to Coronavirus, the NTC couldn’t put on their regular fall musical, but that didn’t stop them from finding a way to still have a fall show. NTC students created  6 productions, including 7 Deadly Clues, Don’t Give Up On Me, The Disappearance of the Damsel, Dancing Through the Decades, Wasted, and The Fundraiser. 

     The drive-in was held in the band parking lot and opened Wed. Nov 18 and ran until Sat. Nov 21. Many precautions were taken to ensure the audience’s safety.

   “I think the drive-ins were a great idea since they were a safe way to put on our fall shows during the pandemic,” said theater student, Abrielle Brown. “I had a lot of fun attending the drive-ins, and it was amazing to see all of our hard work come together up on the big screen!”

      There were only 36 spots available per night to allow for the cars to properly social distance. Along with social distancing everyone was required to wear masks when not in their cars. 

    “I think the Norwin Theatre Company did a great job at  following proper Covid-19 guidelinesl,” said Maddie Buscemi. “All the cars were spaced out 6+ feet and everyone walking outside was wearing masks.”

     There was an opening number at the beginning of the show along with student interviews played in between the shows. Theatre students had the opportunity to learn and film a dance choreographed by Erin Shrader, which was then compiled together as a group number that opened the show. The videos of the dance were posted on YouTube so that everyone could learn and film the dance from the safety of their own home if they so choose. 

     “I really enjoyed having the opportunity to be a part of the opening number of the Norwin Theatre Company fall feature drive-in,” said Giana Williams. “It helped me to feel safe because we were able to all combine videos we made on our own which helped prevent exposure to Covid-19. I also thought it was really cool to see how all of the individual videos came together to make one big group number!”

    The NTC officers, President Sarah Hartner, VP Elizabeth Zapanta, Secretary Carlin Jacobs, and Treasurer Stephanie Cairns, worked the nights of the drive-ins directing cars to their reserved spots along with passing out flyers and collecting donations. 

     “One of the big things we did as officers on the nights of the drive-ins was direct all of the cars to their assigned spots,” said Elizabeth Zapanta. “With our walkie talkies and maps we managed to park everyone with few issues! Other than that, we were responsible for behind the scenes work and collecting donations.”

     The Norwin Theatre Company also surprised their seniors with senior banners hung on the band tower.

     “These banners made all the hard work so worth it in the end,” said Abbie Thompson. “It’s nice to be able to see that your dedication over the last 4 years of high-school has all paid off, even if in a pandemic.”

     “To me the banners came as a great surprise,” said Jaycee Greenwald. “I think that these past few months have been all about working and coming together. Such a successful drive-in wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the involvement of every single person. The banners were a great way to recognize the amount of time and work that all the seniors have put in, whether it be over the past four years or fall features alone, and on behalf of the class of 2021 we want to say thank you for absolutely everything!”

LINK to all of the shows and interviews:  

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9c1AZTq549bG5PAQy8vWVnReVOAj8Yxu