[Multimedia] MSD Drama performs captivating play Fiddler on the Roof

Senior Kali Clougherty as Hodel dances with sophomore Ethan Kaufman who plays Perchik. Photo by Ryan Deitsch

Joyce Han, Business Manager
November 6, 2017

From Nov. 2 to Nov. 4, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Drama Club performed the classic musical “Fiddler on the Roof.” As the first play of the 2017-2018 school year, the seats were filled the opening night with the anticipating audience.

Junior Alex Wind plays Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof." Photo by Ryan Deitsch
Junior Alex Wind plays Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof.” Photo by Ryan Deitsch

The production consisted of 37 cast members and 42 crew members. Junior Alex Wind played the main character, Tevye, the father of four daughters whom the story predominantly follows, alongside junior Sawyer Garrity, who played Tevye’s wife, Golde. This production was Garrity’s first at MSD, despite her experience as a cast member in other shows outside of school. The cast performed all the traditional songs from the original play live while dancing along.

“Fiddler on the Roof” was one of the first popular and successful post-Holocaust portrayals. The play takes place in the early 1900s in Russia, when it was an empire and many traditional ideas were still kept.

One of the characters that helped create the comical atmosphere was sophomore Bailey Feuerman, who played Yente, the village matchmaker. Feuerman’s funny accent and lines created a lighter mood in the midst of hardship for the main characters, adding humor to the play as a whole.

Tevye is against many of his daughters’ partners due to being a strong supporter of the Jewish tradition against marrying non-Jews. The play displayed how the people of the time overcame a clashing of traditions and embraced an evolving society.

Drama students prepared for the production through many long after school hours which paid off by the large turnout in attendance.

“Rehearsal was usually every day after school from the bell till around 5 to 6 p.m. Once tech week began, it was daily until about 8:30,” freshman June Felman said. “The set that is usually hand-made from the MSD Drama Club was built by professionals this time, using some extra money.”

“Fiddler on the Roof” sets the stage for the rest of the school year for MSD drama, and students can anticipate more over-the-top productions by the drama department in the months to come.