More than 20 students with the Coronado School of the Arts (CoSA) traveled abroad this summer to put on an original play, Get Wrecked, at the world’s largest performing arts festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Fringe Festival brought together artists, media and audiences from more than 65 countries and spanned 25 days. The event — which sold more than 2.6 million tickets — is surpassed only by the Olympics and the World Cup in terms of global ticketed events.
CoSA was invited to perform at the event after a rigorous selection process, competing with other hopeful student performers from all over the country. CoSA was ranked number one out of 25 American schools selected.
“CoSA was delighted to be included in this world class event and the opportunity to perform in front of a live audience on a global stage,” said Shane Schmeichel, Director of Special Programs for the Coronado Unified School District. “Our student artists worked really hard to put on a high-caliber production and received rave reviews from audiences.”
Levi Kaplan, the former CoSA Technical Theatre Chair, wrote the 70-minute play expressly for the student actors who committed to the trip. The performance was dubbed an “original radio play inspired by the The Tempest,” and featured plucky interviews and Shakespeare-flavored flashbacks complete with young lovers, cross courtiers and a couple of guys from the streets of Verona.
The performers, most of whom study with CoSA’s Musical Theatre and Drama Conservatory, also included a violinist from the Instrumental Music Conservatory and three dancers from CoSA Conservatory of Classical and Contemporary Dance. They were supported by students from the Theatre Production, Design and Management; lighting design by Elliott Hildebrand and stage management from Maya Bell and Kamila Nunez.
The students spent hours rehearsing the play in the months leading up to the trip, which took place from July 27 to August 9. They performed the play four times at Venue 45, an original Fringe location celebrated in Fringe folklore and revered for its unique atmosphere.
The best part? The students got to interact with other performers along the world-renowned Royal Mile, the most famous street in Scotland.
“It was really cool walking down the Royal Mile, the energy is totally different…instead of big screens and billboards like you see in New York City, the actors are right there on the street, passing out flyers,” said Marley Van Tuyl, student actor. “Some of the theatres are really old and small, but it’s intimate and you feel really connected. The theatre we performed in is actually located over old catacombs.”
But CoSA students got to do more than rehearse lines…they got to enjoy some sight-seeing, too. This included a trip to Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in London. They also got to attend a production of “Kiss Me Kate.” They were treated to a tour of the Edinburgh Castle, a tour of the “ghostly underground,” and got to enjoy a night of traditional Scottish dance, as well as the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
CoSA looks forward to sharing more amazing performances with the community, including productions from the musical theatre, instrumental music and dance. Stay tuned for more information about the Addams Family musical, set to take the stage in late October, as well as the upcoming Instrumental Music Fall Performance.
