Postmortem Cast & Crew Earn Rave Reviews!

"Shattered glass, shameful secrets, and Sherlock Holmes! Well, not the real Sherlock Holmes, but William Gillette is his biggest fan and imitator. Gillette uses Holmes’ clever tactics to uncover the true story of fellow actress’ sudden death, and saves himself in the process! The Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School put on a killer production this show, "Postmortem," loaded with suspense and traced with humor."

That's how one critic described Beth Tfiloh's most recent stage production!  On Tuesday, November 16th and Thursday, November 18th, the Beth Tfiloh High School Theatre program brought to the stage Ken Ludwig's "Postmortem."  The play, a murder mystery full of suspense and comedy, was skillfully executed by both the cast and crew.

For the Tuesday performance, over forty students from other area high schools attended the performance as members of the Cappies (Critics and Awards Program), a program through which high school theater and journalism students are trained as critics, attend shows at other schools, write reviews, and publish those reviews in local newspapers.  The students represented Liberty High School, Notre Dame Prep, Hereford High School, Baltimore Talent Development, and Catonsville High School.

And from all accounts the student critics thoroughly enjoyed the show.  Here are some excerpts from their reviews:


* In praise of the cast....

"In a show that thrives on suspense, the small cast of just seven never failed to deliver. Couple that with the actors and actress’ uncanny ability to bring a sense of naturalness and maturity to each of their individual parts, and you have a cast that is hard to forget. These talented young players both complimented and played off one another, delighting the audience with a combination of witty one-liners and touching monologues."

"Beth Tfiloh obviously takes pride in its theatre department, and for good reason.  "Postmortem" may, perhaps, be one of the most enjoyable high school plays of the year.  Case closed."

"In a theatrical season typically packed with romantic comedies and musicals, Beth Tfiloh’s production of “Postmortem!” provided a refreshing and substantial performance of a dramatic murder mystery. The performance was a novelty; not solely because of the atypical genre choice but because of the impeccable quality of the acting and technical elements of the production."


* In praise of the crew....

"If quality backstage work is a crime, the Beth Tfiloh tech team is most guilty.  The two-story Gillette Castle contains all the requisite bloodcurdling effects: a secret passageway, floating table, ghost image, and glass bottle and mirror bashed over the actors’ heads.  Realistic sound and light designs compliment the unique stagecraft.  Props created are era appropriate and include weaponry and blood bags to animate the fight scenes.  The special and technical effects led by Beth Tfiloh student crews scream professional quality."


"Though the acting of the complete cast was an unexaggerated "fantastic," behind-the-scenes action may have outshined the performances.  The revolving door, just minutes into the play, set the tone for truly outstanding tech work.  Sound effects and lighting created illusions of an approaching automobile and a threatening thunderstorm.  The soundtrack during blackouts (a nice alternative to a curtain) either enhanced the eerie, suspenseful mood or, with the Charleston, brought out the fun of the time period.  Gun shots and breaking bottles caused some audience members to literally jump out of their seats.  Make-up and costumes were most often very twenties-appropriate. Hard work and creativity shown through on the Beth Tfiloh stage."


If you missed the opportunity to witness "Postmortem" first-hand, then please feel free to puruse the picture gallery and/or download the complete set of Cappies Critics Reviews, all available on our website!


POSTMORTEM!
by Ken Ludwig

Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at 7 PM
Thursday, November 18, 2010 at 7 PM


CAST

William Gillette - Josh Margolis
Bobby - Noah Ferentz
Leo - Max Spitz
May - Ilana Lehmann
Louise - Ellie Goldenberg
Lilly - Atara Vogelstein
Marion - Sarah Cohen


TECH CREW

Stage Manager:
Eli Tettelbach

Floor Managers:
Evan Albert
Zoe Frid
Elliot Heller

Lighting Design:
Evan Albert

Sound:
Aaron Steppa
Jared Weiner

Light Board Operator:
Micaela Gelman

Special Effects Managers:
Aaron Kraft
Joey Nelson
Josh Fleischmann

Props and Effects:
Jack Kwatinetz
Asher Varon

Stage:
Elli Lucas
Jordan Loux
Jesse Halpern

Hair Design:
Ellie Goldenberg

Hair & Make-up:
Megan Levey
Adiva Berkowitz