This year’s theater debut, MV Studios’ take on Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility was a rousing success! This adaptation had dozens of small Mount Vernon-ized facets like music selection and color design that without being pointed out, an audience member might not recognize as deviations from the original play. Since the beginning of the school year, over 25 students accompanied by parents and teachers have participated in “Tech Tuesdays” every Tuesday afternoon to dedicate their time to prop-building. The crew painted each prop with a light and dry color scheme to deliberately draw more attention to the jewel-toned costumes. The floor was painted a dark malachite-style green that was perfect for distinguishing between indoor and outdoor spaces with special lighting directions. The music selection was tongue-in-cheek and uncanny without distracting from the play. Though the design took an enormous amount of time, the cast was able to nail down a play that was full of moving props, scenery projections, and fluid scenes.
William Nix, Class of 2023 played four different roles in this Fall Upper School Mainstage Play – Edwards Ferrars, Edward’s brother Robert Ferrars, Lady Middleton, and a Gossip. Even though he enjoyed all of his roles, William thought his role as Robert Ferrars was freeing and fun. “Robert only talked about cottages. He was obsessed with cottages. I’m not kidding, that’s all he talked about. I thought it was hilarious. But during every rehearsal and through each performance, I could feel myself purposely acting more and more ridiculous and it was getting great laughs out of the audience.”



What’s up next for this group of thespians? A Senior Theatre Project in late January which will be a comic adaptation of The 39 Steps, a parody of Alfred Hitchcock films. With a cast of four seasoned senior actors: Addie Vogt, Natalie Fiacco, William Nix, and Miller Woodall preparing to play dozens of characters each along with a large crew for support, this production is sure to be a must-watch. It would be a crime to miss it…

Thank you to the fantastic Director and Production Designer Clark Taylor, Production and Technical Director Spencer Stephens, UC Visual and Performing Art Director Caroline Sandrew, Director of Maker, Design, and Engineer Jim Tiffin, and Tyler Dale for his help during Tech Tuesdays for supporting each actor and crew member in facilitating this incredible performance.
Check out pictures from the play and the MV Studios Instagram for a peek into the production process.
Click through the program below for the rest of the cast and crew.