Remember that book you probably read in 9th grade, about those boys getting stranded on an island? Left without adult guidance, the children take it upon themselves to establish control, causing chaos and destruction in the process. That book, Lord of The Flies, was brought to life by the Franklin High School Theatre Company for the Massachusetts High School Drama Festival. The actors had to follow a strict set of rules in order to meet the eligibility requirements and not be disqualified. For instance, the play couldn’t run for more than 40 minutes, all backdrops had to be set up in less than 5 minutes, and microphones were prohibited. For more information on the festival’s guidelines, click here. 

Mr. Grossman, FHS Theatre teacher, chose the play because it “provides such a great perspective for students and adults who have read the book and gives them an opportunity to see it demonstrated in a completely different way.” Many actors were happy with this choice. Having read the book Freshman year, Colin Joyce, who brilliantly portrays one of the lead roles of Piggy, was “happy to know the source material of what [he] was performing.”

One of the challenges that comes with a show like Lord of The Flies is that it is a 120 minute show with 3 acts. It is also prohibited to cut an entire act, so condensing everything is no easy task. Mr.Grossman strategically cut the play so that it “provided a fair and equal storytelling of various characters in the show.”

Although shortened, the play kept the most critical scenes from the book. Namely, the school boys’ establishing leadership, the distinguishable comparison of Jack and Ralph’s camp and personalities, and the children’s rescue were all included.

The show started off with Mr. Grossman introducing the extensive set of rules and giving a brief synopsis of what to expect (spoiler alert, all expectations were exceeded). Caelyn Towne, the production manager, initiated the set-up process (which could only be 5 minutes, per the Festival rules.) The set included realistic trees, cliffs, rocks, etc, and took only 2 minutes and 31 seconds from start to finish. Not only was the set created solely by students (other than the exception of Mr. Fitzgerald for, you know, safety reasons) but it was extremely lifelike and detailed, pulling the audience in further into LOTF’s world. 

The biggest surprise of the show was the authentic British accents that all of the actors took on. Mr Grossman explains that “teaching American students how to speak in another dialect is like asking a newborn to walk.” It requires time and practice. Joyce recalls when Mr. Grossman prepared a day of dialect to practice various British accents, depending on certain regions of Great Britain.

“It’s kind of like learning lines. You learn how to do it as you go,” said Joyce.

The first show was performed on March 3rd in 36 minutes and 45 seconds. Did you miss it? The Franklin High School Theatre Company will be performing Lord of The Flies once again on Friday, March 17th. There will be new surprises throughout the performance, such as the addition of a new scene in the beginning. Even if you attended on March 3rd, this show will be a completely different experience that you won’t want to miss!