Months before the lights dim and curtains rise, an extraordinary amount of work is already underway for Grasshopper 2024. The annual student talent show is set to amaze audiences on October 25 and 26 during Family Weekend, and while the performers may be under the spotlight, it’s the producers that make the show possible. From selecting the theme to managing logistics, the team has been working tirelessly to perfect every aspect of the production.
This year, Grasshopper’s audition process has undergone several changes to align with Core Blue. Co-Heads of ensembles, who are often part of the production team, are not allowed to judge their own groups, and a new auditioning rubric allows groups to understand the criteria. Kareem Lewis, Instructor in Dance and Theatre, and Robert Lazar, Instructor in Dance and Theatre, discussed the changes to the system.
“[The groups are] doing a 30-second first check-in, 30 seconds of the piece, and then they’re doing another audition. Usually [cuts are] done earlier, but we want to give people more time… It’s really quick to make cuts this early. If someone isn’t ready, we need to make sure people have time,” said Lazar.
After careful consideration, the production team has decided on the theme “The Elements.” Sebastian Lemberger ’25, one of the dance producers, described his excitement and anticipation for the show.
“My biggest hope for the theme is that it leads to some really cool transitions because the cool thing about doing a show where the theme lends itself to having different sections is that you have an opportunity to be very dynamic and change between different styles over the course of the show. Our hope is that we get a really nice sense of flow between the different elements and have the sense of all kinds of things coming together. I hope that is the effect that the show will have,” said Lemberger.
Changes have also been implemented to ensure that acts align with the theme. The team is hoping that the theme manifests itself through each performance by assigning each group an individual element. Lazar explained the unique organization method for the theme.
“The producers have asked people to list their theme when they audition, and last time we looked at the list, it was relatively balanced. But if we get to the point where we see one area is more heavy than the other we may need to ask groups to switch their element to something else, but it doesn’t seem to be an issue so far,” said Lazar.
Being the first show the producers have done so far, the team has made sure to plan everything out accordingly. Starting in early May, the team prepared for a range of obstacles, making changes as they went. This extensive preparation set them up for smooth sailing thus far. Dance Producer Michelle Chen ’25 talked about her hopes for the process and final product of this year’s show.
“I’m super excited for auditions. I’m just excited to see the wide variety of shows that we have. We have Irish step dance, maybe also sword fighting. So, I’m super excited to just see the different types of pieces we’ll have… This is definitely the biggest role I’ve had where I had to work super close with adults, and just see how the whole department is run, which I think is really cool… I think the biggest thing that we’ve had to learn how to do is juggle what the students’ needs are and what the faculty also need, and just trying to figure out an in-between between that.” said Chen.
