NewsUpper SchoolStudent LifeServiceFine Arts
Zelle drama gets face-lift
Aug 2, 2002 8:00 AM
By Stefan Eady - Faculty
People around Zelle during the summer have probably heard loud voices, heavy thuds, and innumerable footsteps, and smelled dizzying fumes. This is not another construction project but Marissa Ortega, Darlington Players’ director and Upper School faculty member, cleaning out the Zelle Drama Room. As with many projects, this simple tiding task rapidly expanded into something more complex –the purging of the entire drama area. The clean up developed into a massive overhaul that included the wood room, backstage halls, dressing rooms, closets, lighting booth, prop room, an attic, and even the old yearbook room.
Over the years, various student groups have been loose backstage with paints, tools, and props. Combine these three elements with teenage excitement and a touch of dramatic flair and graffiti, dents, spills, disorganization, and trash emerge en mass. Unfortunately in some instances, walls became billboards for lines, running jokes, and some traditions. Light bulbs burned out without being replaced and dressing rooms became storage space. The halls and Drama Room doubled as building space, and tripled as warehouses with the corpses of old flats and props lying in the ambulatories backstage.
Many plays have had a scene or two accented by a crash from someone wearily trying to navigate backstage. So Ortega finally had enough of the disarray and decided to clean it all up –especially as she realized that Darlington Players would probably be in this location for a few more years –until the completion of the new fine arts center encompassed in the master plan.
Ortega tackled this challenge alone. Hardly. One person could not clean out this area; in fact, Ortega had help from at least seven people led by and including Norris Allen, facilities operation manager. Sophomore Frank Stuckey and Roderick Hartage, facilities maintenance employees, carried out the props that had accumulated through the years (dating back to 1985). Ortega, a 1985 Darlington graduate, said that some of the props were from her shows! A coffin, a circus flat from Annie Get Your Gun, and rainbow colored plywood silhouettes, were among the piles of items removed from the area. Fifteen truckloads of stuff were hauled off. Once all was clear, the areas were swept and painted. Darlington Upper School students Matt Floyd, Jack Zampolin, Matt Bowen and Ted Thompson, all ARAMARK employees, helped with the facelift.
Since Zelle Drama Room has been spruced and reclaimed for the Darlington Players, the crew lost set construction space. Mark Manis ’72, father of senior Garrett Manis, is loaning Darlington Players warehouse space until a permanent space can be established.
“The complete overhaul has also been an excellent chance to survey the department for future needs,” Ortega explained. “We needed a face-lift and it’s exciting because we have a fresh new start for the year.” Ortega also said that there are ongoing discussions to see if Griffith House will take the room upkeep as an internal community service project.
Over the years, various student groups have been loose backstage with paints, tools, and props. Combine these three elements with teenage excitement and a touch of dramatic flair and graffiti, dents, spills, disorganization, and trash emerge en mass. Unfortunately in some instances, walls became billboards for lines, running jokes, and some traditions. Light bulbs burned out without being replaced and dressing rooms became storage space. The halls and Drama Room doubled as building space, and tripled as warehouses with the corpses of old flats and props lying in the ambulatories backstage.
Many plays have had a scene or two accented by a crash from someone wearily trying to navigate backstage. So Ortega finally had enough of the disarray and decided to clean it all up –especially as she realized that Darlington Players would probably be in this location for a few more years –until the completion of the new fine arts center encompassed in the master plan.
Ortega tackled this challenge alone. Hardly. One person could not clean out this area; in fact, Ortega had help from at least seven people led by and including Norris Allen, facilities operation manager. Sophomore Frank Stuckey and Roderick Hartage, facilities maintenance employees, carried out the props that had accumulated through the years (dating back to 1985). Ortega, a 1985 Darlington graduate, said that some of the props were from her shows! A coffin, a circus flat from Annie Get Your Gun, and rainbow colored plywood silhouettes, were among the piles of items removed from the area. Fifteen truckloads of stuff were hauled off. Once all was clear, the areas were swept and painted. Darlington Upper School students Matt Floyd, Jack Zampolin, Matt Bowen and Ted Thompson, all ARAMARK employees, helped with the facelift.
Since Zelle Drama Room has been spruced and reclaimed for the Darlington Players, the crew lost set construction space. Mark Manis ’72, father of senior Garrett Manis, is loaning Darlington Players warehouse space until a permanent space can be established.
“The complete overhaul has also been an excellent chance to survey the department for future needs,” Ortega explained. “We needed a face-lift and it’s exciting because we have a fresh new start for the year.” Ortega also said that there are ongoing discussions to see if Griffith House will take the room upkeep as an internal community service project.
