New Rogers City Theater set displays technical wizardry

Habitat for Humanity of Presque Isle has joined forces with the Rogers City Theater and the RCHS Drama Club to sponsor the comedy “Noises Off” in May. When “Noises Off” opens, the audience joins an acting company on the stage of their final rehearsal of the bedroom farce “Nothing On.” The second act opens one month later. The entire, massive set is rotated 180 degrees to give the audience a view of the action behind the scenes, which is complicated by backstage romance and bickering in the middle of their performance. For the third act, the set is turned around again. The touring production is in shambles and, after that revealing look backstage, the audience knows why.

The intricacy and precision of the script has to be reflected in the scene design. The set is almost like the tenth character in the play. It requires an extreme amount of attention in design for a set that will work for what the actors have to do. The physical comedy is choreographed as carefully and precisely

as a dance, especially during the second act, when the action has to be synchronized with the words spoken on the other side of the set during the live performance of this play within the play. The set itself is a beautiful piece of technical wizardry, a huge structure with platforms and steps that cannot get in the way of how the actors play the scene. That is why the expertise of director Bryan Mills, scenic designer Karl Heidemann, and Habitat for Humanity under the direction of master carpenter Don Dehring teamed up. Co-director/costume designers Mary and Lauren Hazlett have provided other community expertise.

Tickets are $5 for students and $8 for adults and can be purchased at the RCHS office, Rogers City Theater, and from Habitat for Humanity members. A large percentage of the proceeds of the production will go to Habitat for Humanity for its needs and projects. The performance dates for the play are May 13-14, and May 20, 21, and22 at the Rogers City Theater. Performance times for the production will be 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

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