Lighting the Flame: Making of “Firebringer”
The lights go down.
Spotlights up.
The stage is set.
An actress is sitting in the front of the stage.
Music swells through the auditorium.
The music comes to a halting stop with a single word,
Fire.
“Firebringer” is the story of…as guessed…fire.
“It’s basically the discovery of humans finding fire and everything that goes along with that. As most of us know, humans can’t be given anything nice because we will probably destroy stuff. It’s the story of people. How did we get here? You are going to be surprised because it’s not the way most people think. We got fire!” director Ms. Kissling said.
Photo Credit: Daniella Wise
Accompanied by the rest of the tribe, Zazzalil goes on a journey to discover herself and bring the world one of its most important tools. While discovering the meaning of family and experiencing bonds that change, this comedic musical captivates audiences until the final standing ovation.
The original musical was set for 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 virus, the director had to reschedule the production. Many of the current actors were part of the original cast from two years ago.
“I had seen the sophomores turn into juniors, and now seniors, and they haven't put on a musical,” Kissling said. “They were all excited when they were told we were putting one on this year.”
Photo Credit: Daniella Wise
The students feel more confident about acting this year as they have had time to find their acting style and get better at acting overall. Lead actress Lorelai Kissling said she was disappointed by the rescheduling, but it helped her fully come into her role.
“When I first started ‘Firebringer’ in 2020, I was 14 and now I’m 17 and have a lot more theatre experience,” Lorelai said. “I feel that now that I’m older the character is becoming more refined and thought out.”
The first, and probably the most important, role in this musical is the director, Ms. Kissling. She oversees casting, actors, puppeteers, and techs. Her cast includes a dance captain, vocal coach, around 13 actors, and a tech crew.
Many people in the cast have dual jobs. Dance captain Skylar Sculley is also the choreographer, and she performs in the production.
“I have been dancing since I was 3 years old. Growing up my second home was onstage,” Sculley said.
Photo Credit: Daniella Wise
Lorelai Kissling, one of the stage managers, is also acting in the lead role.
“Being a stage manager has changed my view a lot as an actor,” Lorelai said. “Sometimes when you’re just an actor it doesn’t feel like the technical parts are hard but when you’re actually doing the work you realize how important it is.”
During rehearsals, the techs are busy making props, scenery, and costumes. The actors have a schedule to keep so that they can work on what needs to be cleaned up. They always stretch before acting to prevent injuries, which is led by the dance captain. They then start working on scenes and songs and refine the rough edges. All the actors must memorize lines, staging, blocking (movements onstage that are not dances), choreography, and singing the songs.
Photo Credit: Daniella Wise
“It’s hilarious, it is a show that has high-level brainy humor, as well as gross humor, so it’s got a little bit of everything for everyone. It’s not all funny. It’s not all sad. It has a lot of really cool characters that will come out on stage,” Kissling said.
The musical premiers on April 28, with additional performances on April 29 - 30.
Additional reporting by:
Ainsley Short
Makayla Blanton
Olivia Lapinski