You could have heard a pin drop as the Devine High School One Act play set the solemn scene of Hiroshima, where the main character Sadako (Ariana Russell) suffered the long lasting effects of the atom bomb which fell ten years prior to this scene. Russell and the entire cast and crew did an excellent job of handling such difficult subject matter.
The audience enjoyed comical and playful banter in some of the opening scenes between Sadako (Russell) and Kenji (Jose Guardiola) as they raced “on the playground.”
When the story took a scary turn, doctors at the hospital (Jose and Amada Guardiola) did a good job of portraying the confusion and hysteria as the child Sadako was diagnosed with leukemia.
Jose Guardiola played three roles in the play, a difficult feat, and did a good job of transitioning from character to character.
The carefully orchestrated lighting by crew members Emilie Dudley and Paige Williamson, and sound effects by Charlize Benavidez and Paige Reyna did a great job of setting the solemn tone of the play.
Grandmother played by Abbey Paulson also did an excellent job portraying the grandmother’s spirit, the character which delivers the news that the little girl is passing away from the effects of the bomb.
In one of the most tender moments of the production, grandmother (Paulson) explains to the little girl that the atom bomb has made her very sick, even though it took years for her to become ill.
“But it’s been ten years since the bomb fell,” Sadako says, “How can that be grandmother?”
“The bomb continues to fall, Sadako,” grandmother said.
Stage manager Jillian Courtade, makeup artist Miguel Palma, stage assistant Josephine Taitano, costume construction by Madeline Steubing, alternate Gabby Romano, and director Patti Taitano also did an awesome job bringing this play to life.