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THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, FEbrUAry 28, 2025 Page 19 ASKS | FROM PAGE 18 and fine arts at Saugus High School? A: I can only speak to the numbers that are within the world of Theatre. Drama Club has 60 active members. Saugus High School also has a Concert band, Jazz band, Chorus, Acapela Group (Tonal Chaos) and an Improv Troupe (Needs Improv’ment). Q: Briefly, please tell me about “Woyzeck (Re-Imagined),” how it was selected and why it was selected as the Saugus High entry. A: I first studied the play “Woyzeck” by Georg Büchner in my first class at Salem State University, Theatre History II, with a fantastic professor. I remember being in awe of the play and its fractal nature. Upon revisiting the play in grad school, I knew that I wanted to produce the play. The nature of the play really lends itself well to be chosen as a festival entry because it is edgy, daring, different, and it is noted as the one of the first plays of German expressionism. As the play is in the public domain, Assistant Director and good friend Kyle Gregory adapted the original text to fit within the confines of the METG guidelines. When conceptualizing our version, I met with Kyle and we chatted through every scene of the original text and re-imagined the world of the play to take place in a circus/freak show during World War I. “Woyzeck” is widely studied by theatre scholars globally, and this piece spoke to me upon revisiting the fragmented text. DramaFEST is an outlet to perform edgy, daring pieces that otherwise may not be a great fit due to their nature or lack of name recognition. This play is by far the most popular of Büchner’s German Expressionist plays, but a lot of that is due to its fragmented nature and the fact that Büchner died before it was finished and the text was published posthumously. When conceptualizing this piece, Kyle Gregory and I read through the text scene by scene and realized how this story still rings true today. Perhaps not to the extent to which this production has been adapted, but certainly, PTSD in soldiers and manipulation of the poor is very real in 2025. As we began to conceptualize our production, one scene stood out. In the original text, Scene 3 occurred in a circus with beasts and freaks. Then the idea came to have all of the happenings in the text, all manipulation of our leading player Woyzeck, all on display in freak show fashion, and the entire plot was dictated by a sinister carnival barker. Re-imagining the text allowed us to create a unified vision and a through-line for a play that may appear quite fragmented and disoriented otherwise. The hardest part of being a theatre teacher is choosing the titles of shows that we will produce. So many items need to be considered, cast size and technical needs being the most important to consider. Ultimately I chose this show because I knew I would be very invested in creating this piece. It allows us the opportunity to create some wonderful characters for the talented performers we have, and certainly lends itself well to many possibilities of design for scenery, lighting, props, sound, etc…. Q: How many Saugus High students auditioned for this play and how long ago did it start? A: Auditions for the play took place back in December shortly after we closed our November musical, but we did not begin rehearsing until we returned back in 2025 from Holiday break. We have been rehearsing for about seven weeks. The week before the event is known as Tech week. We will be welcoming all visiting schools throughout the week to prepare their scenic items and lighting in our theatre to be ready for Saturday’s festival. Q: Please tell me briefly what it entails for each of these students to participate in a production like this. About how many hours goes into preparing for a festival like this, from rehearsal to building the set and getting the costumes? A: All students who participate in DramaFEST are required to be at rehearsals/ meetings three to four times per week. Rehearsals are typically nine to 10 per week. The farther into a production we get the more hours we spend making sure it all happens! We are typically rehearsing simultaneously while sets are being built and painted. In order to be involved, students must commit to all rehearsals, calls and rounds of the competition. Q: How long has the team been rehearsing this play? How many rehearsals? Are you optimistic that the Saugus High students will be prepared on Saturday afternoon? A: I am always feeling optimistic and I am always proud of the work we are doing. I have learned alot from theatre over the last 30 years. A ~ Legal Notice ~ NOTICE OF ACTIVITY AND USE LIMITATION Disposal Site Name: Former Brenner Paper Box and Chemical Company Disposal Site Address: 31 Osprey Road, Saugus, MA RTN 3-31465 A release of oil and/or hazardous materials has occurred at this location, which is a disposal site as defined by M.G.L. c. 21E, § 2 and the Massachusetts Contingency Plan, 310 CMR 40.0000. On February 7, 2025, J. Cooper LLC recorded with the Essex Southern District Registry of Deeds a NOTICE OF ACTIVITY AND USE LIMITATION on a parcel of impacted land with an address 16-20 Osprey Road, Saugus, MA associated with the above disposal site, pursuant to 310 CMR 40.1070 through 40.1080. The NOTICE OF ACTIVITY AND USE LIMITATION will limit the following site activities and uses on the above property: Activities and Uses Inconsistent with Maintaining No Significant Risk Conditions. The following Activities and Uses are inconsistent with maintaining a Permanent Solution and a condition of No Significant Risk pursuant to· 310 CMR 40.0000, and, as such, may not occur on the Portion of the Property: (i) Except for any emergency, short term (less than one week) utility work, any subsurface activity including, but not limited to, soil excavation, utility work, construction and/or demolition which is likely to result in contact with, disturbance of, and/or handling of soil and/or groundwater at depths greater than 2.5 feet below existing grade without the prior preparation of a Groundwater Management Plan and/or Soil Management Plan, as applicable, prepared by an LSP and the preparation of a Health and Safety Plan. The Health and Safety Plan should be prepared by a Certified Industrial Hygienist or other qualified individual appropriately trained in worker protection procedures and requirements. Such plans shall be prepared in a manner consistent with the relevant obligations set forth in Paragraphs 3(ii), (iii), and (iv); (ii) Except for any emergency, short term (less than one week) utility work, relocation of soil from depths greater than 2.5 feet below ground surface and/or relocation of groundwater from the disposal site to outside the disposal site boundaries shown on Exhibit B without the prior development and implementation of a Groundwater Management Plan and/or Soil Management Plan, as applicable, prepared by an LSP. Such plans shall be prepared consistent with the relevant obligations set forth in Paragraphs 3(ii), (iii), and (iv); (iii) Use of the Portion of the Property as a school (with the exception of adult education), daycare, nursery, recreational area, and/or any other use at which a child’s presence is likely without prior evaluation by an LSP who renders an Opinion that such uses of the Portion of the Property are consistent with maintaining a condition of No Significant Risk; (iv) Use of the Portion of the Property for residential purposes without the prior evaluation by an LSP who renders an Opinion that such use of the Portion of the Property is consistent with maintaining a condition of No Significant Risk; (v) Use of the Portion of the Property for agricultural purposes without the prior evaluation by an LSP who renders an Opinion that such use of the Portion of the Property is consistent with maintaining a condition of No Significant Risk. Any person interested in obtaining additional information about the NOTICE OF ACTIVITY AND USE LIMITATION may contact Raymond Ball, L.S.P. EnChem Engineering, Inc. 119 Oakdale Road, Newton, MA 02461 phone 617-694-0451. The NOTICE OF ACTIVITY AND USE LIMITATION and the disposal site file can be can be viewed at MassDEP website using Release Tracking Number (RTN) 3-31465 at: http://public.dep.state.ma.us/SearchableSites2/Search.aspx or at MassDEP, Northeast Regional Office, 150 Presidential Way, Woburn, MA 01801; phone 1-978-694-3200. February 28, 2025 few things I have learned are that theatre is subjective and there is no such thing as a perfect live theatrical production. I know the students will be prepared and will give it 110% in whatever they are doing for ASKS | SEE PAGE 20

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