A preview of the Fall Play, Anon(ymous)
Owen Zhang ’19, Sam Thompson ’19, and Kevin Hobbs ’20 getting into character
November 5, 2018
On Saturday, November 3rd, Kent School will be performing their fall play Anon(ymous) by Naomi Iizuka. Mr. Stewart, who has been directing fall plays and spring musicals for the past sixteen years, along with many up- per formers, including Owen Zhang ’19, Audrey Zhang ’19, Isabel Lieser ’19, Kevin Zhao ’20, and Zoe Benjamin ’20, are currently in preparation for their perfect fall performance.
The play was selected because Mr. Stewart deemed the group of actors to be well suited for the characters in the play. He further envisioned the possibilities for engaging collaborative work, as featured in a recent Kent School Instagram post. The actors created a depiction of waves with just sounds and motions.
Originally written ten years ago, Anon(ymous) is based on The Odyssey, but set in modern times, including relevant themes such as immigration. The story centers on the character Anon who travels around the world and constantly experiences moral epiphanies through his inter- actions with foreign individuals who either welcome him or cynically reject him. Anon, just like Odysseus, faces obstacles like Calista who try to attract his attention by satellite television.
Mr. Stewart hopes that “the audience will focus on how the moral epiphanies ultimately shape Anon into a different character at the end” and that students will learn about the treatment of immigrants. Stage manager Zoe Benjamin observed that “the play represents the imagination and the creativity of the entire cast as we share the story of a refugee who is lost–both figuratively and literally–and is just looking for love in a hateful world.”
The Kent School actors are hoping to extend their range of performances not only in our school, but also in other local communities. Kent students will have the opportunity to showcase their talents as a traveling band of actors. The show will be performed both in the acting studios, and in the Mattison Auditorium. The theatre club encourages all to check out the fall play in early November, as it will be shown for two weeks.
