"'Til Death to Us Part... A Wedding to Die For," produced at Monsignor Edward Pace High School, runs from November first until November third. The play takes place in 1989 on the very rainy wedding day of Jesse and Lana Russo. The audience quickly learns that somebody is sabotaging the special day, even kidnapping the groom and his little brother, Ferris. This sets the whole plot, which then unravels as each night brings forth a different suspect for the guests to guess who they think is ruining the wedding. The show was written by an alumni of Monsignor Edward Pace High School, Jamie Adelson, and was directed by teacher of the Academy of Theatrical Arts Cristina Pla-Guzman.

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The play was run solely by the students of the drama club - there was barely any assistance from the adults. The lights, house, sound, and costumes were all managed by the teens themselves. It gave the students a hands-on experience as to how an actual theatre production is run.

One of the features that made this show so special was the setup itself. Guests were welcomed into the auditorium as if they were going to a wedding reception. Tables were set up to resemble those you would see at a typical wedding. Depending on what ticket you bought, you would either receive pasta and cake or just the cake itself. The guests were also invited to tally who they thought was the person damaging the event and their motive behind it. In the end, two guests with the most creative answers would win a special prize. The play was definitely an interactive one with the actual cast inviting guests to dance with them. The end of the show even featured a giant combined audience-cast conga line!

One of the things I admire most about the drama club is their unity. The whole club always managed to come together, and even though everyone was tired and stressed out from a long day at school, they worked hard during three, four hour daily rehearsals to produce this wonderful masterpiece. There might have been arguments along the way, but at the end of the day, they created something they could be proud of. While students were clearly instrumental in the play's success, the drama club also have a great director who doesn't ever give up on them. She pushes them further and further each day to make sure they not only look good onstage, but also that they feel good about themselves after rehearsal. She ensures that they don't stay in their bubbles and that they take every opportunity to challenge themselves. This play simply couldn't have been pulled off without unity. It just proves that they have great things coming and that each play is a new challenge to tackle together. I expect many more shows like "'Til Death to Us Part... A Wedding to Die For" to come from the Monsignor Edward Pace Drama Club.

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Email: cplaguzman@pacehs.com