The fall season has arrived and so has Joliet Central’s annual fall play. Directed by the drama department head Joseph Hoyt, The Stowaway is an experimental, sci-fi piece that comments on the political division present in modern day society. There were six different performances spread across a three-day span from October 9th-11th in the auditorium.
Joliet Central drama is no stranger to experimentation; having done non-traditional shows in the past such as Benchmark, which saw several small vignettes come together to form a larger show. This year though, the gimmick Hoyt employed was the use of two separate casts that would interchange based on the night.
Ayanna Jackson, one of the actors, had this to say about the interesting show structure, “I think the unpredictability makes me really excited.”
Along with the experimental structure, the sets were made up of projection screens that showcased videos of the actors as well as backgrounds of the space-like environment.
The play saw a character named Bright that has been sent to warn three space colonies of their impending doom due to the isolation they exhibit. The colonies refusal to communicate, unfortunately, mirrors the Us vs. Them mentality going on within the political space currently.
Overall, the play balanced comedy with hard-hitting social commentary that is especially relevant in our world today. The unique set and interesting use of actors made it an enjoyable experience. Moving forward, director Hoyt will be focusing on the IHSA Speech season which has just wrapped up auditions.