This year, due to COVID-19 regulations, the fall and winter productions had to be canceled. Both would normally take place during the Fall semester. Mr. Arndt, head of the theatre department at Saint Patrick, devised a creative way to make up for the two cancellations: The Kaleidoscope Project. “Art reflects our lives and our world around us, so The Kaleidoscope Project reflects the moment in which we find ourselves!” This year, the productions won’t be categorized in the same way as usual. Rather, students will be exploring video performances. 

The inspiration for this project came from the disconnected atmosphere we live in now. “Our reality is so fractured right now, and the beauty of our lives is going unnoticed,” said Mr. Arndt. Each group of performers is responsible for creating a piece that is five to eight minutes long and each segment will be put on by two to three students. The theatre department also put together two groups of technical and set design students for the performance. Each piece will be completely unique from the others, while all connecting to the Kaleidoscope theme. 

Viewers can expect to see a variety of different subjects appear in the production – musicians and improvisers, mixed in with parodies of popular films such as Star Wars and Blues Brothers, rounded out by “moments of truly dramatic honesty and truth.” Some students will perform extreme scenes of anger, others escapist comedy and still others how the pandemic has directly impacted them. Mr. Arndt’s goal is to show “the hope in the heart of these performances … hope that we will be able to make it through this pandemic.” 

With Saint Patrick’s reputation for exceptional shows, viewers can expect as engaging, thought -provoking, and enjoyable of a performance as ever. The performances are set to be ready October 30. More information may be found on the St. Pat’s Theatre Instagram page at: https://www.instagram.com/stpatstheatre/