This fall, DGS’s Drama Club is taking on an emotional production of “Rabbit Hole” with its annual fall play. The show, set to take the stage on Oct. 24-26 at 7 p.m. In the auditorium, dives into how a family deals with grief after the tragic loss of their four-year-old child in a car accident.
The play follows Becca and Howie, two parents who are struggling to cope with the death of their son, Danny. As grief continues to haunt them, their marriage faces challenges, and they must find ways to deal with the pain in their own ways.
Junior Charlotte Clinnin is playing her first lead character in high school. Clinnin feels very connected with her character, as she has experienced personal loss over the past couple of years. She hopes that by connecting with Becca’s pain in her performance, she is able to connect and resonate with the audience by displaying the troubles of grief.
“Being able to portray such a complex but loveable character that you are able to sympathize with is such a beautiful gift,” Clinnin said.
The title “Rabbit Hole” symbolizes the overwhelming and confusing experience of grief, kind of like falling into a Rabbit Hole where normal life is suddenly turned upside down. Through the raw emotions portrayed about a family’s pain, the play shows how healing is not easy for everyone and each person’s journey through grief is different.
“You’re tumbling down this Rabbit Hole of grief, every few seconds you can find your way out of it, but then you get sucked back into the grief. It’s a never-ending tunnel that eventually gets easier to deal with, but it never truly goes away,” Clinnin said.
Clinnin’s co-star, sophomore Joseph Conyer, is playing Howie and feels very lucky to be given the opportunity to play this role. Conyer believes that he has found his passion with acting and performing because he seems to never get tired of being up on the stage.
“There are many plays to be a part of here at DGS, and every one is an opportunity to grow upon my acting skills,” Conyer said.
Junior Carly Bleu, is also playing the role of Becca because the play is double casted. Which, means there are two actors playing the same role, and they alternate performances. She thinks it is important to portray different characters, and that other people should be given the chance to see things you don’t always see in the real world.
“Being part of the play builds community, everyone works with each other to put on the best show we can and I think it’s important to build that relationship with people,” Bleu said.
Director Tiffany Rubin chose “Rabbit Hole” for its challenging themes and the emotional characteristics it offers to the students. It was difficult at the start because the students had to tap into real adult problems, but as the rehearsal process went on the students adapted to these complex characters.
“Theater is an escape for the people that go to see it and also for the students that are creating the piece and for me. You get to create a world that doesn’t exist in real life and bring it to life,” Rubin said.
