While students and families are staying home during quarantine, that didn’t deter the Midnight Players from performing this spring. The Midnight Players were originally planning on performing “Matilda” before postponing their spring performance on March 14 due to coronavirus-related school closings. Currently, the Midnight Players are working on a “Midnight Madness” compilation that will feature students performing various songs, dances, original student skits, and “vines”(a 6 second comedic video). 

William Lewis, Drama Director, stated, “It is an ever growing number but it could be as high as 40 videos once editing is complete. The goal is an hour and a half but it depends on the videos. All of the Midnight Players will be participating in one way or another. Midnight Madness has been around for quite some time and we were hoping to have a live performance before the Pandemic. Once that became impossible however, I came up with the virtual Madness idea after seeing other theater companies doing it.”

The Midnight Players will not be hosting any live performances until quarantine restrictions have been lifted. Currently, Maryland is in Phase 1 of Governor Larry Hogan’s plan on reopening, meaning that most businesses can only operate at 50% capacity, such as clothing stores and art galleries as long as proper social distancing procedures are implemented. However, Hogan warned that should coronavirus cases begin to spike again, he will revert the reopening orders.

Lewis continues, “I do not plan on having a live performance until it is safe to do so. Until that happens I will continue to try to have virtual or other types of performances. Although I have contingencies even if this pandemic goes on for another 2 years.”

Despite being unable to meet after school to rehearse their performances, the Midnight Players have managed to keep in touch with one another through social media platforms such as Zoom or Messenger, having fun with one another through using different backgrounds.

Lewis expressed, “ Honestly, one of my favorite memories working with the Midnight Players is the final song everyone sang before the last day in the school. They sang the finale from Matilda and one of the lyrics is ‘just because you find that life’s not fair it doesn’t mean that you just have to grit and bare it’ and you could really feel the emotion from the students in that line. It was hauntingly beautiful. I would tell the seniors that they are tremendously talented, hardworking, kind, easy to work with, and part of the most amazing group of students I have ever had the good fortune of working with. Don’t ever give up on what you want, and don’t ever be afraid to ask for help.”