Ghouls Night Out
By Aiden Rubenstein
Staff Reporter
Premiered on November 13th, 2020, was Spanish River’s very own, “Ghouls Night Out”. This musical was directed by Patrick Watkins, as well as student directors Leah Davidowitz and Morgan Rotman. The cast of the girls includes Rylee Galilei, as Alice, Kayli Klemente as Lydia, Japya Lipstein as Bonnie, Morgan Rotman as Carrie, Leah Davidowitz as Lizzie, Haley Cohen as Aubrey, and Valeria Illan ash Wednesday. The cast of the disciples includes William Folchetti as the Demon, Adam Davis as Batboy, Toni Mari Sales as the Witch, Ty Podolak ad Frankenstein’s monster, Kate Doherty as the Doll, Jhailia Diaz as the Vampire Girl, Thomas Maher as the Zombie, Juliette Cutler as the Clown, Maria Viloria as the Skeleton, and Mia Vitale as the Werewolf. Many students also participated by assisting with costumes, makeup, and props, as well as in editing categories.
Ghouls Night starts off with a “Queen of Death” and her disciples who live in hell. Their goal is to get sweet, innocent girls, in this case a group of friends ready to go to a party, to come through the gate and become more of the Queen's disciples. Later on, we learn that the Queen once had an unfortunate time at a party, hence why she targeted party girls. In the beginning, the disciples find tempting ways to get the girls to come willingly. They were tasked with this mission and promised their freedom by the Queen if they were to succeed. After their success, the Queen went against her word, and wouldn’t free them. In response to this, the disciples break free the girls who the Queen captured, and together, they planned an escape. They eventually thought of a plan, and broke free, in which they all returned to Earth, and thought it was only a dream.
One thing that really surprised me about the play was how well it was put together, mainly in relation to Covid. Ghouls Night Out was done online, meaning that rehearsals were online too. This could create problems such as not having access to costumes, access to a stage, or for some not having access to a good microphone or WiFi. One very cool thing was the use of green screens for backgrounds, due to the fact that the play could not be performed in person. It was very interesting to see realistic looking and just generally good background, which is something that I wouldn’t expect from a play that was online.
Another thing I really enjoyed about the play, in relation to COVID-19, is how relatable it really was. For example, one of the songs mentioned the girls were stuck in a boring house, and another mentioned how the girls were stuck and wanted to go out and party. Both songs are perfect examples of how many kids feel during COVID-19, due to quarantine, which makes it a perfect choice for a high school play. The songs were also just generally good, and were very enjoyable to listen to. Regarding the songs, I also really liked how each song really fit the character who was singing it, whether it was because it matched their voice, or because it fit the character in the play.
All in all, the play was very enjoyable to watch. It was very entertaining and attention grabbing the whole time, which made it suspenseful in a way. One thing I especially liked was how it was easier in a way to watch online. With a short attention span, usually long plays or movies can be difficult to attend, as overtime it gets harder to pay attention. However, watching it online allowed me to take breaks in between, but still not miss a single moment. Ghouls Night Out was put together amazingly, and I can’t wait to see what the Theatre Department puts together next!
