The Theater Arts Program (TAP)’s latest show, “The Other Josh Cohen,” premiered Thursday, Oct. 21st.
“The whole musical is a comedy featuring rock music and each person in the ensemble plays a wide range of characters contributing to the story,” said senior Olivia Sheppard.
“‘The Other Josh Cohen’ is about a man who is always down on his luck. Nothing seems to go his way,” said junior Abigail Palmer, production stage manager for the show. “One day, he receives a check in the mail for a large amount of money from someone with the same last name as his. The story continues as he finds out how the check will change his life. Josh travels through this journey with the one-year-later version of himself, narrating the entire show.”
Simone DePaolo, resident choreographer of TAP, had her director debut with this production.
“We love working with her. Seeing a different creative side of her has been wonderful for everyone involved,” said Palmer.
Prop design played a huge role in the production of this show. The use of 60 props gave Prop Designer and Vice President of TAP, Sarah Lindskog, the chance to utilize her creativity.
“I have never been a designer before, but this was a very exciting way to learn how important a prop is in telling a story and bringing a show to life,” said Lindskog.
With so many props being used, the design team had to look in some unusual places.
“One specific prop for the opening scene was a ‘bike handlebar and basket.’ With no luck on the internet, my associate Stephan and I found a full bike in goodwill! We brought it to the back room and the next day it was in dismemberment” said Lindskog.
Although the show just premiered, TAP students have been working on this production for weeks.
“The Creative Team, actors, and designers started to work on the show back in early September. The crew came in mid-September,” said Lindskog.
Since the performance and rehearsals were inside, Covid-19 protocols had to be followed.
“Covid is still an obstacle when doing productions. We had to rehearse with masks on, which is unnatural for performers, as they use their entire face and bodies in order to tell a story,” said Palmer.
Actors were tested before their performances to ensure they were following both Sacred Heart and the Actor’s Equity Guild’s protocols.
“Our number one priority is keeping everyone involved safe,” said Palmer.
Despite the audience wearing masks, actors were able to tell their stories freely without masks.
“It was great to see a live performance again. It made me feel like things were somewhat back to normal,” said junior Morgan Fitzpatrick.
The chance for normalcy was all production crew and audience members wanted after the past year.
“Getting to know the freshmen was great because I wasn’t super involved last year due to Covid, so it’s nice to start off my senior year by jumping back into tech production,” said Sheppard.
Many students attended and enjoyed the show.
“The Other Josh Cohen was one of the best shows I’ve seen here at Sacred Heart,” said senior Christian Colon. “The songs were splendid and the comedy was hysterical.”
