Broadcasting a story full of finesse, fright and fun, Diamond Bar High School Drama Department’s production of “The House on Haunted Hill” combines humor with ghostly themes.
The events of the story take place in late 1950’s America, full of surprising twists and turns sprinkled with action. The play starts with an eccentric millionaire named Frederick Lauren, who selects five guests to stay the night at the haunted house, for a reward of $50,000, if they survive.
Before putting on a production, the directors read through several possible play options before deciding on a final one, always aiming to choose something different than previous years.
“I read through about 16 scripts, going through only 20 pages and then stopped. This play was the only one that I read the entire thing,” director Jared Kaitz said. “I don’t know anyone that has ever done it, and since I loved the movie from the 1950’s, I decided to modernize it.”
Performing the show’s complicated script required countless hours of rehearsing, staging, lighting and set preparation. In preparation for the play, both directors and student directors would plan the show’s stagings and scenes, Stagecraft constructing and decorating numerous designs while performers memorized their monologues.
“Our director and assistant director Mr. [Jared] Kaitz and Ms. Erin are always so helpful behind the scenes and doing everything for us,” senior Sydney Applebaum said. “Everyone in drama is so encouraging and helpful, and I honestly love growing up in this community and getting to develop my personality with these people.”
At this moment, junior Connor O’Brien, playing Frederick Lauren, emphasizes that drama has become a huge part of his life. He decided to audition for “The House on Haunted Hill” because he has been involved in every theater production since his freshman year. For him, a new year is another reason to get out there and perform something different.
“My love for drama and just performing as a whole ultimately came from my passion for exploring other perspectives,” O’Brien said. “I always thought that there are only a few things nobody can really change, and one of those is the other’s true viewpoints. We all look at the world through different lenses and being able to come onstage and see things even just a little differently is something personally fulfilling to me.”
Although embracing the aspects of a character and their importance is essential for a good production, acting is not the only thing that makes it a good one. Junior Co-director Reyna Yung has learned valuable lessons from handling the play behind the scenes.
“I think being a student director is learning to be more assertive during rehearsals. It’s telling people where to go at a certain time, a challenge that I definitely had to learn to overcome,” Yung said. “It’s an interesting role because you get to see the actors onstage but you also get to see different parts of the play, so it’s not specifically just directing.”
The performance itself provided stunning visuals full of toned lights and thunderous sounds. Each performer brought a different emotion to the play, providing suspense for the upcoming conflicts throughout the show. Little by little, the story unfolded with each scene.
“A key moment for me during the performance would be scene one,” junior Matt Wang said. “This is when we first enter the house and try to figure out why we were chosen by this mysterious millionaire. This scene was something we really struggled with during rehearsal—with all the cues and lines—but on opening night, it was one of the best takes we’ve ever had.