During quarantine, members of South Salem High School’s Thespian Troupe #577 collaborated to write and produce an original play. Titled Icarus: A Story Retold, it’s a modern retelling of the Greek myth Icarus and was recorded over Zoom. It is free to watch here.
The original myth of Icarus follows famed Athenian inventor Daedalus and his son, Icarus, as they attempt to escape imprisonment in a labyrinth on King Minos of Crete’s island. Using one of Daedalus’ inventions, a pair of wings made from wax and feathers, they fly away. However, despite warnings from Daedalus, Icarus famously flies too near to the sun and his wings melt, plummeting him into the sea, where he drowns.
In their retelling, Icarus’s inventor father, Daedalus, is reimagined as a lawyer named Vincent who is transported to an island and must maneuver a labyrinth. According to South High Thespians, Vincent’s journey through the labyrinth represents a “personal quest for purpose.”
Amy Amato ‘23, Lexy Bolsinger ‘23 and Sam Welborn ‘23 collaborated to write the script in a little over a month. They wrote individually and met weekly to keep track of progress before handing creative control off to the director Amelia Smith ‘21 and cast members, including Gavin Hughes ‘21, Amoreena Kapan-Parvin ’21, Malia Cleveland ‘21, Izzy Hock ‘22 and Charlotte Torgerson ‘21. Actors began to record the production only a few days after roles were cast.
“COVID both helped and hindered the production,” Hock shared. “Icarus gave me the chance to produce theater from home and it had less commitment than a usual production, but we could only do so many takes and we had to negotiate our own sets and props […] I didn’t have time to fully memorize any of my lines or mannerisms, so I felt very off-kilter during the recording stage.”
Cleveland also felt challenged by the new medium, recalling that acting on a screen made her more aware of her acting choices.
“This can be great on one hand, because you’re forcing yourself to see your acting choices and find an easier and quicker way to change them.” she said. “However, it can be a little nerve-wracking, as a very self-conscious individual, to see myself on a screen.”
Despite a rushed rehearsal schedule and creative limits, South’s thespian troupe is happy with the end result.
“Icarus is special because it’s created entirely through student effort! Kids at our school wrote the plot, directed the actors, and performed in the show,” Hock said. “I’m very grateful I had the experience. I don’t think I would’ve had the chance to work so closely with my fellow cast members if not for COVID.”
South Thespians chose to give it a rating of PG-13 due to “mild language or situations.” It runs for 30 minutes.
