The Old Man and the Old Moon (or OMOM as nicknamed by the cast), ASD’s fall musical, has officially wrapped! The challenge was on for the small, 18-person cast to produce a show that lived up to the caliber of past musicals, and according to multiple audience members, they certainly succeeded. 

Set design was one aspect of the musical that audience members thoroughly enjoyed. Some parents even stated it was the best set they’ve ever seen at ASD. Multiple wooden platforms and the incandescent light bulbs produced a simple, peaceful vibe that only added to the show’s storyline. 

Ms. Leah Bramley, director, stated, “My initial vision was lots of platforms that gave lots of choice in terms of blocking, lots of wood and really warm colors to give a nostalgic feel — and that is exactly what Mr. [Patrick] Schroeder and the tech team created. In fact, it is even better than I imagined. I love the set and it really is one of my favorite sets I have got to direct on!”

Another new addition to the show was puppetry, which appealed to many young children and matched the story’s temperament. The puppetry team used multiple techniques to produce creative, realistic shadow figures. For example, students crouched their backs in order to create a hilltop for puppets to walk across! 

Ms. Bramley was in charge of the puppets, and she was able to reuse materials from past objects. “I love puppets, so I was really excited to include them in a show. I had so much fun making them all.” In rehearsals, actors and puppet operators got equal amounts of rehearsal time, proving that creating a silhouetted story isn’t as easy as it seems.

The musical’s success didn’t just come from countless hours of onstage work. Behind the scenes, positive cast relationships were also important to consistently presenting the shows at the highest possible level. C. Wheatley (‘22), who plays the feisty, energetic Callahan, recalled that backstage life was “insane” due to its bustling energy.

“People are running, reapplying makeup, dancing, laughing,” Wheatley said. “It’s a big contrast from what’s happening onstage. It’s one of those places where the cast is able to bond and really get to know each other.”

L. Schmidt (’22), who played the authoritative Mathieson, agreed, stating that the bonding experiences “made the whole show ten times better, as we shared the fun and failures together on and off the stage.”

As the other half of the brother-sister acting and singing duo, K. Wheatley (‘19), playing the Old Man, stated, “I’m so proud of everyone that participated in this musical, big and small. This cast was a third the size of last year’s, but we still pulled through to have just as amazing as a show. …I’m excited to see where the theater program is going and wish I could stick around to be a part of it!”

The shared love of musical theater was inevitably the bond that held this small, tight-knit bunch together, but one question remains in the minds of the cast:

“What’s next year’s musical going to be?”