They have gone thrift-store shopping, drilled together a stable wooden set, and run around Kid’s World playground in video game character costumes for most of their summer. The cast members of “Shadows: An Original Musical” got to showcase all of their hard work and play in a musical on August 17 and 18 at Center Stage Theater.
Two Laguna seniors, Zoe Serbin and Clarissa Coburn, were both involved in “Shadows.” While Zoe experienced the highs and lows of co-writing, c0-directing, and co-producing a musical with fellow friend and senior Griffin Saxon, Clarissa became acquainted with the cast and experience the thrills of acting for the first time.
The inspiration for “Shadows” originated from a video game: Zoe and Griffin decided to write a musical about the characters from “Super Smash Bros.” Yet they chose to add their own spin on things by merging the worlds of the Mario Brothers, Samus from “Metroid” and Link and Zelda from “Legend of Zelda.”
“Shadows” was not their first collaboration. In eighth grade, the duo co-wrote a Star Wars musical that was performed at the Unitarian Society, which became the rehearsal space for “Shadows.” However, Zoe was not able to help direct the Star Wars musical, so “Shadows” became Zoe and Griffin’s first complete co-written stage project together.
“We promised to never write anything without the other person in the room. All of the scenes had a little of both of us in them, which is really cool to see. It also made the show more consistent,” Zoe said.
Once they finished writing, the two approached actors whom they had in mind for certain roles, such as alumna Cameron Platt ‘12 who played the fading Princess Daisy. Along with Clarissa and Zoe, Cameron was the third Laguna Blanca participant. Zoe herself ended up being in the show, playing the role of Princess Peach, after a cast member dropped out.
In addition to casting, Zoe and Griffin had to raise money for the show through sponsors. The lights, rehearsal space, costumes, sets, etc. were all paid by sponsor money.
“I was the one worrying about whether people would come to auditions and how we’d get money. Then, I saw it all come together in the first rehearsal when I heard people singing our songs for the first time,” Zoe said.
Once they got into rehearsals, Zoe still had plenty of work. “[She] played everyone in rehearsal when people were gone for other summer stuff,” Clarissa said.
Despite absences, the cast maintained a rigorous rehearsal schedule. They worked five hours a day, five days a week. Clarissa, who played a Goomba, recalls watching the musical evolve as cast members would add their own spins on scenes and while Zoe and Griffin would take out and rewrite entire songs. On opening day, Clarissa was nervous for her very first theater performance.
She may have had a terrible case of stage fright that day, but Clarissa regrets nothing.
“I decided to join because of Zoe and Griffin. And who can resist a play about Nintendo,” Clarissa said. She met and made many friends, despite constantly pointing out plot holes — “she would,” Zoe said.
Clarissa’s favorite moment of the production was when the whole cast went to Kid’s World to take pictures and advertise the musical.
“The little kids were excited to see Mario and Luigi. They stole our props and chased after Bowser,” Clarissa said.
Throughout the experience, both Zoe and Clarissa met many talented kids from the area, including SBCC freshman Diego Rodriguez who played Mario and made a cameo as Christopher Walken. Even he describes his experience with the show as “a joy to act in. [The cast was] such a great group of talented people to work with.”
The work of these actors is displayed on Facebook and YouTube on their page ShadowsTheMusical. After having been in this play together, you could say that the members of the cast created a lasting “link.”
