Murder, marriage, theater’s newest production ‘Blood Wedding’ has it all. The cast and crew have been working for countless hours since mid-September to prepare for opening night on Thursday, Nov. 19th and are proud to unveil a new and innovative set in this play.

The new complex set design was created by junior Carson Binkley and is something that the audience should look forward to seeing.

“We have really branched out for this production in terms of the set,” theater teacher Katherine Brunberg said. “We built three different types of staircases from scratch. Set changes are made even more dynamic with the use of periaktos (3-sided rotating columns, each side painted for a different setting). We constructed eight periaktos is total.”

The set is one of the many things the crew has been working tirelessly to assemble.

“We spend about 3 hours per day after school rehearsing, and about 12-16 hours on the weekends on technical aspects,” senior Jessica Smith said. Smith is the productions Assistant Director and Publicity Designer, helping to give notes to the actors in regards to their performance and blocking. She also designs the posters, flyers and shirts for the production.

In addition to the new set, the music for the performance was composed by one of the actors, Anna Castillo. The music will be played during the complex set switches and will be performed by student musicians.

“We will have live musicians on stage the entire show, underscoring scenes and providing the transition music,” Brunberg said.

The original music and intricate scenes are just a few factors of the production that Brunberg looks forward to presenting.

“I am always the most excited to see all of the elements come together,” Brunberg said. “The production process tends to be very separate with costumes, set, lights, sound, makeup, props, musicians, and actors all working on perfecting their individual areas. The last couple of weeks of the production process are where everything is merged to create one beautiful, cohesive performance. We have already started that merging process, and I must say, it’s going to be awesome.”

Similarly, Smith is “most excited for opening night. This is my first time assistant directing a main stage production, and I can’t wait to see how it goes on the very first night we open.”

Tickets for the play can be bought for $8 during all lunches the week of the production or for $10 at the door. In addition to the Nov. 19 performance there are also shows on Friday, Nov. 18th at 7PM, and on Saturday Nov. 19th, both at 2PM and 7PM.

Brunberg described the play as a “whirlwind process” and guarantees several surprises throughout the show. She is impressed by all her students hard work and anticipates an impressive production.