2 El Gato • Friday, November 15, 2019 • www.elgatonews.com News Drama department wows with the play Ax of Murder by Sophie Sullivan Janna Rigby, but the ideas came from suggestions aspect utilized through audience interaction. While Media Production Editor by the cast. “It’s a lot of the actors sort of wanting preparing for this, Thomas said that “the speed runs After last year’s productions comprised two trag- to do their own thing, and then it came together.” [were] the best part.” Speed runs are run-throughs edies and dramatized numerous deaths, the drama With a powerful onstage presence, junior Sofia of the show performed during rehearsals where department turned to a more lighthearted take on Thomas took the role of another lead character, the actors go through the play as quickly as they murder this year with the fall play Ax of Murder. Delia Mondaign. An actress in the fictional acting can. “It’s crazy, and everyone’s laughing, so it’s a Debuting Oct. 17 with three shows over the following company, Thomas’s character worked with the other lot of fun.” days, the play struck the perfect balance between actors to try and solve the murders while trying to Both Thomas and Srinivasan agreed that one of humor, horror, and hope as the talented cast and understand the script itself. One of Thomas’s favorite the most difficult weeks of rehearsal is tech week. crew ignited intrigue in the audience through parts of the play was the fourth-wall-breaking, an Thomas explained that “in Ax of Murder, there are the performance. a lot of sound and light cues. [During tech week] The play is set in the theater of a fictional acting the cast is done rehearsing, but now it’s time to company, where several actors decide to perform a polish our show while the crew does their job with photos coutesy K. Arnold play that its writer insists is haunted by the spirit spotlights or colored lighting or getting certain of an actor who died while reading the script. As props.” Luckily, the show’s extraordinary crew made BREAK A LEG: Roos entertain crowds with the unique play. members of the company begin to die under strange it look easy. circumstances related to the play, fear, disbelief, and Senior Elizabeth Carlson, the crew lead and the show come together. “It’s a lot of fun to be able suspicion grow among the actors and the company’s stage manager, acknowledged that “getting every- to work with the cast. The crew and cast were both crew. While the cast stuck mostly to the script, thing together in such a short amount of time is really, really nice.” around ten percent of the show was completely probably one of the most difficult parts of being The work and effort every member of the cast and ad-libbed. “That was the most fun part of the on crew. It’s maybe one or two weeks of having all crew put into the production did not go unnoticed, show, making it our own,” recalled senior Naren the cues set, but we have to get them all ready and and audiences left the auditorium satisfied each Srinivasan, who played Sergeant Mike, one of the get dress rehearsals all set. A lot of the time we’re night. In the words of Sergeant Mike, “Don’t anybody lead characters. He said that many of the final deci- staying there pretty late.” Despite this, Carlson says move” and “don’t nobody leave,” because the drama sions to add in parts were decided by drama teacher LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: Gray and Arnold take the stage. that it’s rewarding to be with her friends and watch department’s got a great year of shows lined up. Ronan Farrow draws huge crowd to SF for book event by Cooper Bowen and Maddie Dewhirst Farrow is a contributing writer for the New to watch Farrow speak, where he gave a com- National/World Editor and News Editor Yorker and previously worked as an anchor at prehensive behind-the-scenes look at the book The renowned reporter Ronan Farrow spoke MSNBC and an investigative correspondent for NBC. as well as his process of writing it. The doors in San Francisco on Wed., Oct. 21, about his Before going into journalism, Farrow worked at the opened at 6 PM, and the event began about half latest book, Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a State Department in Afghanistan and Pakistan. His an hour late at around 7:30. The line to enter Conspiracy to Protect Predators. The event took unique background has garnered much attention stretched around the block, and as ticket holders place at the Calvary Presbyterian Church in in the past, as he began college at 11 years old, entered, they were handed a copy of the book. Pacific Heights San Francisco where Clara Jef- was accepted into Yale Law School at 16, went on Standard tickets cost 50 dollars and VIP entrance fery, the editor-in-chief of the popular pub- to become a Rhode Scholar, and received a Ph.D. tickets cost 75 dollars. lication Mother Jones magazine, interviewed in political science from Oxford. Farrow won the The Curran San Francisco hosted the event as Farrow about the shocking revelations in his 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service after working a part of their Curran About Town series, as the book and its wide-reaching impact. to expose the sexual assault allegations against Curran Theater was undergoing renovations to Catch and Kill contains many revelations Harvey Weinstein. He later uncovered Jeffery accommodate Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, about the culture at NBC News and the lengths Epstein’s connections with MIT media lab as which began showing on Oct. 23. This series aims that Farrow had to go to in order to report well as sexual assault allegations against Brett to sponsor independent events and activities the story about Harvey Weinstein. It brings to Kavanaugh, who currently sits on the Supreme across San Francisco while The Curran Theatre is light the tactics that powerful men used Court, and allegations against both Leslie Moonves, unavailable as a venue this fall. to intimidate reporters investigating poten- the former CEO of CBS, and Eric Schneiderman, the Catch and Kill is available at catchandkill.com, tially damaging stories, especially those former New York attorney general. as well as Amazon and most independent book- about harassment and assault. Ironically, the title of At the event, Farrow and Jeffery discussed stores. Farrow’s first book, War on Peace: The End of the book itself refers to the practice by tabloids his recently-published book as well as the broader Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence, courtesy tribune news service of paying for stories and then preventing implications of his work in investigative journal- is also widely available. their publication. ism. Hundreds of people crowded into the church (Sources: Catch and Kill, CurranSF, New Yorker) PICTURE PERFECT: Farrow poses for a photo at Time 100. Fires continue in California Wilcox High faces backlash by Jackie King this outcome through planned power shutdowns, by Alaina Fox After people requested information about the People Editor the Los Angeles Fire Department declared that the News Editor school’s response, Principal Kristin Gonzalez assured In late October, countless wildfires were ignited fire started due to “a tree branch that broke off Wilcox High School’s football team left the the district that “from a disciplinary standpoint, the throughout California and have continued into and subsequently landed in nearby power lines community reeling on Oct. 18, when Varsity play- school has taken the actions available given the facts November, leaving thousands of acres of land during high wind conditions...igniting a nearby ers shouted homophobic slurs at a male student of the case, which range from removal from athletics scorched. bush.” The Getty Fire was named after the Getty on the cheer team. Upon investigation, the Santa to suspension from school.” However, the specifics The Kincade Fire was one of the first to break Center, a famous art museum near the fire’s origin. Clara Police Department concluded a week later of the punishment remain unclear. out, occurring in Sonoma County. Although the It burned over 656 acres in only one day, forcing that the incident did not constitute criminal To encourage administration to enforce harsh original cause of the fire has not been confirmed, over 7,000 evacuations, while simultaneously behavior. However, they condemned intolerance consequences, someone started a change.org peti- a compulsory report shows the flames were encour- putting millions throughout Los Angeles at risk and expressed dedication to thoroughly inves- tion. The creator wrote that “this sickening incident aged to grow when a 230,000-volt transmission line due to the extremely unhealthy air quality the fire tigate such matters. The school thus became requires consequences, so it never happens to some- run by PG&E, broke down near the reported point of caused. On Oct. 29, officials declared an “Extreme responsible for determining a course of action to one again.” Many signers expressed their agreement origin on Oct. 23. This put the company’s equipment Red Flag Warning” due to winds of up to 70 mph punish the instigators, protect the victim, and in the comment section, describing the bullying as under suspicion for allegedly causing the fire. The and a drop in humidity to single digits, giving the promote unity between students. “absolutely unacceptable behavior,” “morally repre- large scale fire threatened approximately 90,000 fire perfect conditions to easily spread over the hensible,” and “just wrong.” Calling for suspension different structures, forcing widespread evacuation dry and flammable vegetation, conditions very or expulsion, community members loudly voiced throughout Sonoma County. The fire was not fully similar to the Kincade Fire. their disgust at the situation and their hope for a contained until almost two weeks later on Nov. East of Los Angeles, another fire, named the meaningful response from the school. 6, after destroying 374 buildings and causing 4 Easy Fire, left the Ronald Reagan Presidential Cheerleaders from various high schools and local non-fatal injuries. Burning a total of 77,758 acres, Library surrounded by flames. The fire began on independent competition teams rallied around the the Kincade Fire has been the largest fire so far in the morning of Oct. 30, as of Nov. 1 it burned a student. At Wilcox’s next game on Nov. 8, Homestead the 2019 wildfire season, and the largest ever in total of 1,860 acres of land and was only 80 per- student Liam Potolsky organized a group of over 30 Sonoma County. cent contained. An army of 500 goats from a firm, cheerleaders to support the target of the harassment. Another major fire was sparked in Los Angeles 805 Goats, aim to protect important buildings and The encouragement from teenagers throughout the due to a powerline malfunction, putting PG&E in the monuments that are in fire danger and were cred- Bay Area reflects the community’s refusal to toler- hot seat again. While the company tried to avoid ited for saving the historic library. The company courtesy wikimedia commons ate bigotry and its dedication to fostering unity. 805 Goats brought in their best workers, including (Sources: ABC7 News, The Mercury, East Bay Times, Vincent van Goat, Selena Goatmez, Goatzart, and SETTING THE SCENE: The Sun shines outside of Wilcox. LGBTQ Nation, Change.org) most prominently, Oreo, who munched on the flammable vegetation around the library back in The bullying began at a pep rally, but esca- May to decrease fire hazards. Library spokesman lated later in the day during a game against Melissa Giller claimed that “firefighters mentioned Milpitas High School. The boy’s fellow cheerleaders that they do believe the goats’ fire line helped responded by refusing to hold up the banner that them fight this fire,” proving to the world how football players typically run through following useful the goats can be. the halftime break. The victim of the harassment As of Nov. 4, the Getty, Kincade, and Easy fire left the game during halftime due to his family are all 100 percent contained, but they are still members’ concerns for his safety. continuing to burn fiercely. Although firemen Continuous threats following the game proved have stopped the flames from spreading, they are these fears reasonable. A football player received still continuing to fight in order to extinguish the threats after providing screenshots confirming fires completely. the use of slurs to law enforcement. The victim’s courtesy the Marine Corps (Sources: Mercury News, California Department father said of the incident, “it did open my eyes courtesy L. Potolsky of Forestry and Fire Protection, CNN, CBS, ABC, that he could be in jeopardy.” He said the family FIGHTING FLAMES: Firefighters braving blazes to save others. The Guardian) was “fearful for his safety – now more than ever.” FRIENDS FOREVER: The cheerleader (left) smiles with his friend.