Every year, Jesuit Stage and Film (S&F) presents at least two productions per year, with at least one drama in the fall and one comedy in the spring. This semester, Lord of the Flies was chosen as the fall play, starring a cast from Jesuit, Ursuline, and Hockaday. Through three months of set construction, lots of fake blood, many snacks, and lots of practicing murders, Jesuit Stage and Film has once again accomplished another production. But what exactly does this entail?
The Cast
As usual, the play consisted of two casts, allowing both to see the play at a certain time, and for each cast to give the other feedback during rehearsal. Our cast included…
Ralph: Sam Carley ’25 & Jace Petrutsas ’25
Jack: Kevin Martinez ’25 & Alex Ramsey ’26
Piggy: Max Galante ’27 & Alex Smith ’25 (Hockaday)
Simon: Amelia Rowes ’25 (Ursuline) & Lucian Matula ’25Â
Roger: Emma Oscherwitz ’25 (Ursuline)Â
Sam: Kevin Nazareth ’26 & Pedro Rivera ’26
Eric: Kate Walsh ’25 (Ursuline) & Wills Blosser ’26
Maurice: Nicholas Bartel ’27 & Landon Brecheen ’26
Bill: Britt Rumpler ’27 & Kieran Webb ’26
Henry: Andrew Leon ’25 & Everett Bier ’27
Perceval: Evan Jue ’28 & Cameron Quintana ’28
Naval Officer: Charles Odegard ’25 & Parker Wale ’26
Hunter: Ismael Hussain ’26
Littlun #1: Lucas Hamilton ’27
Littlun #2: Brighton Portocalis ’27 (Ursuline)
If you ever see anyone here in class, or in the halls, don’t forget to give them your regards for the performance! For some, this was their very first Jesuit production.Â
The Plot
Lord of the Flies takes place in an alternate 1950s, in which the Cold War becomes a nuclear war, and in the midst of an evacuation, a group of schoolboys accidentally crash on a deserted island in their plane, beginning the story. First, we are introduced to Ralph, a typical high school boy from Upton School, and Piggy, a humble boy from Barnabus High. Then we meet Jack, a brash prefect who heads a choir, followed by Roger, who nobody knows and appears rather strange and sadistic.
At first, there is order and civilization as the students elect Ralph for leader, yet soon this turns into paranoia as rumors of a beast in the island’s woods spread. Soon, this becomes death as the children turn on each other, eventually resulting in Simon and Piggy being murdered in cold blood, and Ralph only being saved when a naval officer arrives on the island to rescue the school children, ending the play. Despite the macabre nature of the play and novel, it explores the darkest side of human nature, and what man may resort to when in isolation.
Speaking with the Director
I briefly spoke with the director of Jesuit Stage and Film, Mr. Patterson about the play…
“Why did you choose Lord of the Flies specifically for our fall production?”
“It seemed like a good choice that fit our school’s demographic, being a play of mostly boys, and it was a relatively well known play that’s read in schools, and the tragedy aspect seemed to perfectly fit what we wanted for this year’s drama.”
“What was your favorite part of making the show?”
“Apart from the obvious spending time with the cast and crew, probably my favorite part was doing all the new lighting and sound effects. For instance, this was our first time using fog machines in a play. It was also amazing to see what Mr. Von could do, as he helped with all these effects.”
Looking Further
With Lord of the Flies over, Jesuit Stage and Film now has plans for more plays in the Spring Semester, with the first one being a short play that adapts a Sherlock Holmes story,
to premiere in January. If you wish to take part in Jesuit Stage and Film, whether it be through plays or in student-directed short films and feature-length films, just stop by at the Theatre Commons during a community time meeting!
Stay tuned to The Roundup for more Jesuit Stage and Film coverage!
