By Emma Seymour and Alana Koenig

As many of you know, the Harriton Theater Company’s production of “The Giver” was performed this past weekend. The show was a huge success due to the commitment and talent of the actors, directors, and crew members of the Harriton community.

“The Giver” is based on Lois Lowry’s young adult novel about a young boy, Jonas, in a conformist society set in the future. Jonas is assigned the vital job of the Receiver of Memory where he learns about the world’s past. Once given this information, he must make the decision of what is right or wrong for his community and himself.

Marcel Werder, a Harriton sophomore, received the role of Jonas, letting his immense acting skills shine. Along side him, Virginia Vass, a Harriton senior, did an inspiring job in her role as the Giver. Together, they left the audience in tears and brought the crowd to their feet.

Jonas’ family consisted of his blinded father, Dan Rapuano, his caring mother, Emily Goldenberg, and his innocent sister, Melanie Dorfman. These actors helped create the image of a futuristic society. Fiona, Megan Rapuano, and Asher, Jon Duska, played Jonas’ childhood friends. These characters played an important role in shaping Jonas’ decisions. Haley Selarnick, Andrea Salas, Jami Gross, and Olivia Pendergast played important roles as members of the community, which brought the show to its full potential.

This show presented huge challenges for all those involved, especially the backstage crew. The lighting team, headed by Asa Lipton, created the gorgeous effects of snow, war, and sunshine that left the audience breathless.

Both as heads of stage crew, Hannah Klugman and Alex Friend did a remarkable job bringing the dark Blackbox Theater to life. Their crew worked very hard to make the set perfect. Alana Koenig, Emma Seymour, and their costumes crew created realistic and futuristic costumes that made sure all characters looked identical, an essential part to the play.

Mr. Ginsberg and Julia James directed the production. Julia James is a senior and took on the huge task of student directing, putting in lots of time, effort and dedication. This show would have not been as remarkable without her.

Overall, the production went well and was enjoyed by all in the audience. With the close of another HTC production comes inquiries about the next show. The date is set for January 31st-February 2nd for the play, “The Mouse That Roared.” HTC wowed and amazed the audience during “The Giver” and cannot wait to continue to do so throughout the year.