Opening day of the highly anticipated “Hide and Seek” production was performed on Tuesday, February 2nd in the recently built Downey High School theater.
The ambience of the room set anxiousness for the audience in their seats as low lights were cut and the enthusiastic chatter was set to silence. The night’s entertainment began with a haunting start. Sounds that can scare just about death started to cover the theater in a chilling trance the production came in with mystery.
Frustration takes over the main character Jennifer Crawford, played by senior Elena Ortiz, from the problems of a foreign house away from the home of the city and a baby on the way. As you meet her husband Richard Crawford, played by senior Jose Zuniga, tension between them is evident and sets the mood for the play.
“I was nervous but right before I went on I was fine,” senior Jose Zuniga said, who plays a well casted Richard Crawford. “Leading up to the play to calm our nerves, Elena and I do this exercise where we look at each other and go “bre-bre-bre” to calm our nerves and to feel more uplifted about the play,” Zuniga said.
As new characters emerge such as Richard’s brother Tony Crawford, played by senior Ian Adams, and the creepy neighbor John Bart, played by senior Jesus Juarez, emotions begin to heat up and suspicion to the play’s big mystery begins to arise.
“I like the part because I’m used to doing lighter parts, and I felt this part was more for me,” said senior Ian Adams said about his light role.
While the thrills kept coming and the mystery of the play was unfolding, the tension arose to a suspenseful climax that can’t be explained in a movie or TV drama, but only in the overwhelming feeling of theater.
Junior and awed audience member Marco Tabory expressed his contextual criticism by saying, “I really enjoyed the play. It was executed well. All the spectacles and dialogues were well timed. It was the first ever live play I’ve been to, I’d have to say it was a great experience,” Tabory said. “Live theater is a different experience from the movies. For me, I had a better time at the play than the theater.”
As the production came to an end and all the mysteries of the play were unfolded, the audience was held in a state of never ending applause for the well-performed play and the well-executed performances of the actors.