Fri., Oct. 23, 7pm; Sat., Oct. 24, 2pm & 7pm; and Sun., Oct. 25, 2pm

By Sarah Opdahl

New Fairfield High School (NFHS) is about to have a zany weekend filled with hilarity with a run of  Attack! Of the Killer Man from the Sun!. The play, which is lovingly billed as a “A Sci-Fi B-Movie Comedy,” was recently published by David Andrew Laws and follows would-be heroes who work to save humanity when potentially deadly solar flares threaten the planet. For the teen Rebel Players, of course, this sets the stage for a chance to lean into comedy in a fun new way.

NFHS Choral Director Andrew Gadwah is directing “Attack! Of the Killer Man from the Sun!,” a first for the lifelong theater participant and proponent. He shared, “Given my experience with theater in general, our school theater specifically, and the students here in New Fairfield, it seemed a natural step for me to take the helm of the fall play! It’s been a lot of work, and a bit of a learning curve, but I’m so proud of how it is all coming together.” To prepare for the new role, he said, “I spent a good amount of time last year reading and researching potential plays for this fall! Since this is my first time directing, I wanted something that would be a lot of fun for everyone involved — cast, crew, and even the audience.” Fortunately, he found the perfect fit in this show, which is basically, “a lot of silly fun for the actors, lots of fun costumes and props for our tech teams to work on, and the whole show is just a blast.”

Music directing the NFHS musicals for the past decade, Gadwah finds that he is enjoying and experiencing theater anew as the director. With a large contingent of theater and music students graduating earlier this year, he is working with many new actors who, it is hoped, will be in the department for years to come. He said, “It’s always fun to work with newer actors to help them understand the stage and to train their acting instincts. Especially with comedy, we’ve done a lot of work to help all of the jokes land — working on timing, inflection, movement, and everything else that helps the show be as funny as it can be. This show is so over-the-top sometimes, and it’s such a joy to see the student let loose and have such wacky fun with it.”

Gadwah is appreciating the multitude of ongoing backstage efforts, saying, “There’s a lot that goes into a show! Besides the amazing students in the cast, I have some really skilled and dedicated students working behind the scenes. My student props team, led by Molly Hacaj, designed and built many of the things you see us use in the show, including an alien spaceship and tissue paper “fireballs”.” He went on to praise, “My student costume team, led by Ammarah Basha, designed and sourced many of the costumes that the actors will be wearing. Grace DaSilva as my stage manager runs the show backstage, organizing all of the students on the running crew to perform all the set changes quickly and efficiently. Then there is sound, and lights — it’s really a tremendous team effort! For me as director, it has been very satisfying to oversee all those groups and projects and to bring the show into a collective whole.”

For the fall play, NFHS only has eight weeks to craft a show, ranging from auditions to opening night “so it feels like we have to hit the ground running, and keep up the pace the entire time! While the spring musicals are huge productions, we usually have the luxury of more time to put those together than we do with our fall productions. So for some of these students, working on the fall play for the first time has been a whirlwind. They have risen to the challenge admirably, learning their blocking and lines and doing all the behind-the-scenes work necessary in order to put on a successful show,” Gadwah shared. They took one brief break in rehearsal for a fantastic opportunity to Zoom with the author. Laws met with the cast and crew for an hour to speak about writing for theater and held a question and answer session on the play, its characters, and more.

“Our amazing set was designed by Kate Kovacs, who directed The Addams Family last year and is directing Oliver JR and Mamma Mia later this year,” Gadwah explained, going on to say, “We worked with a company, CT Stage and Theater Supply, who took the design and created the structure we now have on our stage. The wooden platforms are incredibly solid, and they are modular and interchangeable, so we can rearrange and use this set for many productions for years to come!” In addition to the set, many surprises await in the show, including great music, “Besides the scene change music cues, many of which were sourced by my student sound team, there may also be a sun-related pop song somewhere in the mix…” and there may be an “NFHS staff member cameo toward the end of the show… you’ll have to come and see for yourself!,” Gadwah plugged.

Leaning into the experience and opportunity, Gadwah stressed, “There’s nothing like live theater. In a world where so many of our interactions are digital, where algorithms feed us who knows what content, and where AI platforms steal from real artists to serve us cheap facsimiles, the connection you get when hundreds of people all come into a room together to experience a singular moment in time, re-created fresh every night so that each performance is truly unique and special, is such a valuable thing.” He said, “Storytelling and expression through art are fundamental parts of who we are as human beings. Human connection is our most precious resource, and theater serves it in spades. Whether you are on stage, backstage, or in the audience, theater feeds our souls and nourishes our community.”

Fortunately, for all of the above reasons, there are four chances to see this spectacular production. Performances are Friday, October 23 at 7pm; Saturday, October 24 at 2pm and 7pm; and Sunday October 25 at 2pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door, or at rebelplayers.booktix.org — regular price is $10 for students and senior citizens, and $15 for adults. For the opening night performance on Friday, October 23, there is a special DISCOUNT price of $5 only for EVERYONE! (Cash at the door only, there is no online ticket sale for Friday).

Take it from Gadwah, “Much like the titular man from the sun, this show is KILLER! It’s got comedy, action, aliens, scientists, and even a mysterious creature (what??? where???). Don’t miss this fabulous performance!”