“Lucky sparks” took over North’s stage from Nov. 16-18.

Written by North director Kit Crawford, this was the first time an original play has been performed.

“It was written in large part for the challenge of coming up with something original that could be workshopped by the cast and myself.” Crawford said. “As I worked on it this summer, it morphed into its current rendition where a 1950s weekly TV show is performing Shakepeare and the lead interrupts.”

This play focused on  the expectation and reality of today’s society and the importance of a person’s  mindset. 

“We live in a world where who we think we are, what we believe in seems constantly challenged,” Crawford said. “How a person changes when their idealization of something is challenged.”

Because of the innovative format, the tech crew faced challenges getting ready for the show. 

“This show was more difficult for a few reasons,” student technical director senior Samantha  Wylie said. “We didn’t have a tech director, and the show was written by our director meaning we had no reference.  “We made the best of it though, [and] we got to design the set and pretty much complete creative freedom.”

Somce cast members found the unconventional format led to a different experience than how they usually would rehearse the show.                                                                                              

“I personally loved the improv nature of this production, as I believed it allowed for us actors to truly be in the moment of this production instead of constantly worrying about the right line to say” senior Rylie Ruggirello said.  “The majority of us have also been working with each other for years now, so we’re extremely familiar with how we work.”

The play took preparation and confidence. The cast put their hard work into rehearsals which led to an outstanding performance.

Friends, family and students came together to support the actors. 

“I went to the first day of the play and the performance was outstanding,” junior Laney Trepachko said. “The cast did a great job on stage, and  anyone in the audience can tell you all about the hard work and dedication that was put into every scene.”

After 12 years  Crawford’s tenure as play director comes to a close.  This is his last production for North theater.  

“As much as it’s time to let go of the many 12 to 14 hour days, I will greatly miss walking into that auditorium for rehearsals, a place I’ve come to call my second home,” Crawford said. “PNHS will always be a memory I cherish.”