The arts are a huge part of the Harriton community, and there are many clubs that have exciting performances throughout the year. This fall, HTC (Harriton Theater Company) is putting on the famed Shakespeare play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This is known as the most fun and popular Shakespeare comedy, and is a must see! However, I don’t need to be the one to convince readers. Let’s hear all about the HTC performance from 2 of the play’s leads, Marcel Werder and Dani Ochroch.

The Harriton Banner: How many years have you been in HTC?

Marcel: Since the fall of freshman year.

Dani: I’ve been doing HTC for four years, since the fall of my freshman year.

HB: How many shows have you been in?

Marcel: I’ve been a part of all of the shows we’ve done, so this is my tenth, but I wasn’t in the cast for one of them– I was in the Costumes department instead.

Dani: I’ve been in 10 HTC shows (including Midsummer).

HB: What was your favorite HTC play? Regular play?

Marcel: It’s really hard to choose, but I would probably say my favorite HTC show was either Once On This Island or The Drowsy Chaperone. Outside of HTC, Sweeney Todd was really awesome to be in, But Legally Blonde was just so much fun. C’mon, it’s hard to beat that.

Dani: My favorite show was Chemical Bonding.

HB: What was your favorite role (in HTC or other)?

Marcel: Hmm, my favorite role was probably Man In Chair from The Drowsy Chaperone. The part lets you have so much fun with it, and there were also very obscure dynamics about the character that were interesting to explore.

Dani: My favorite role I’ve been in HTC would be either Kitty or Dani (Chemical Bonding).

HB: When did you start singing/acting?

Marcel: I started going to a performing arts summer camp called French Woods when I was 9, so that’s where I was really first introduced to it!

Dani: I started taking acting classes when I was 7, and started seriously acting and going on auditions when I was 8.

HB: What other extracurriculars are you involved in?

Marcel: I’m in the Vocal Jazz and A Cappella (Pitch Please) groups, as well as Student Council.

Dani: I’m involved in Jared’s Box, NHS, and I do a lot of work for the Make-A-Wish program.

HB: What is your role in the play?

Marcel: I’m playing Lysander, who is an Athenian man in love with this girl Hermia, who is not allowed to marry him, so they decide to run away together. But then, accidently, he gets a spell put on him by a fairy, which makes him fall in love with a different girl, Helena. And then all that plays out through the course of the play. It’s pretty crazy.

Dani: My role in the play is Hermia, who is one of the four Lovers. Hermia is in love with Lysander, but her father wants her to marry Demetrius (who is in love with her but whom she doesn’t love), so Hermia and Lysander run away together at the beginning of the play.

HB: What is the play about?

Marcel: A Midsummer Night’s Dream takes place in Athens, and all of the events exist in relation to the wedding of Duke Theseus and Hippolyta. There is a “love-square” type thing between four young Athenian lovers; there are fairies, and there is a group of “Mechanicals” (manual labor/working class type) that are working tirelessly to put on a play to present at the upcoming wedding. The different groups all intertwine and complicated relationships develop, resulting in a lot of convoluted shenanigans’ taking place. It’s a really fun comedy and is going to be amazing, so everyone should come see it!!! There’s even a woman in love with a donkey! I mean, you can’t miss that.

Dani: The play is basically about how the human world and the fairy world interact and how this causes chaos in the lives of the humans and the fairies.

HB: What are you excited for in this year of HTC (also your senior year)?

Marcel: This year is going to be a really great one for HTC! We have a new director, and because of that, there are a lot of exciting approaches and ideas that we are going to be able to implement for this year’s shows, which can also be continued in the future; everyone is really looking forward to it! In regards to senior year in general, it’s definitely stressful, but it’s really great being a senior!

Dani: I’m super excited for this year in HTC because we have a new director and we’re going in all sorts of new directions. It’s going to be a fresh start and a great year, and I’m really excited about the direction the company’s going in!

HB: Anything else you want to mention?

Marcel: Come see the show!!! You really won’t regret it!

Also – stay awesome.

Well, that pretty much says it all. Come out and see A Midsummer Night’s Dream on the 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd of November. It will be a memorable show with great actors and concessions! Hope to see you there!