Costa’s award winning Drama/Tech Department showcased this year’s fall production The Anatomy of Gray, with over 200 audience members in attendance on opening night. The play opened on Nov.
8 in the small theater, and was written by Jim Leonard Jr. in 2006.
Directed at Costa by drama teacher Jonathan Westerberg, The Anatomy of Gray is set in Indiana in the late 1800s, and explores themes of adolescence, loss, love, and healing. It revolves around June Muldoon, a teenage girl suffering from the recent loss of her father. She lives in the unfortunate town of Gray, where the entire community prays for a miracle to save them from boredom and rampant illness.
Senior Chloe Estrin portrays June in the production, and described her strong emotional connection to the character. “I never would’ve thought I’d be able to do a show like this so soon after my dad died, but somehow I’ve done it, and it’s the best thing I could’ve asked for,” Estrin said.
Miraculously, the night of a tornado, a doctor named Galen Gray, played by senior Aaron Henschel, flies into town on a hot air balloon and is a savior to the entire community. He assists townspeople with all
of their health concerns, and is initially outcasted but ultimately accepted by the community. However, when the local preacher grows ill due to an unknown plague, it begins to spread and an epidemic occurs.
According to Costa seniors Estrin and Henschel, this play takes students through a whirlwind of emotions, exploring the significance of grief, fear of the unknown, and power of love and healing.“It is such a fun, well-written play, and it’s a great one to end my Costa drama career on,” Henschel said. “Anyone who comes will surely laugh, but more importantly walk out with a more open-minded view of our world today.”
The department brought in over $3000 in box office sales on opening night alone. According to Westerberg, rehearsals for the play ran from Sep. 9 through Nov. 7, and a total of 19 cast members and
20 crew members contributed to the production. “The process, at least for me, has been very rewarding yet challenging,” Henschel said. “Galen Gray speaks with a lot of advanced vocabulary, which I’ve had to understand and memorize. I’ve also had to do a lot of internal character work for some of the more serious scenes in the show.”
Westerberg emphasized that the thematic messages and ideas conveyed in the play are extremely valuable for all people to understand, and are especially relevant in today’s society. The protagonist suffers from the loss of her father, and slowly witnesses the deaths of fellow townspeople
while continuously searching for the love of her life. She also has to overcome gender stereotypes and discrimination while trying to educate herself and become a doctor. “People will be moved and
entertained,” Westerberg said. “The play touches upon women’s rights, science and religion, and how communities can accept and reject outsiders.”
The show will close after 7 performances on Nov. 16 in the small theater, with general admission tickets at $16, and student entry tickets on sale for $13. Students should take advantage of their final opportunities to experience the play tonight or tomorrow. “The cast and crew are do-
ing really special work to share this story, and we have created a strong community in the pro-
cess,” senior and cast member Maggie Gerken said. “I can’t wait for everyone to see it.”
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