From left: Mackenzie Klem, Danny Hayward, Youlan Xiu, Jordan Davy, and Aly Marteney in The Yellow Boat.  (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)

The Bromfield Drama Society performed its rendition of The Yellow Boat, by David Saar, at the New England Drama Festival last Saturday, April 16. The Yellow Boat had already passed through the preliminary, semifinal, and final rounds of the Massachusetts Drama Festival, and, although Bromfield's performance did not place in the top three at the state finals, Bromfield was selected as one of two schools to represent Massachusetts at the festival. At this event, two schools from each of the six New England states convene with a noncompetitive spirit and enjoy watching plays with theater-lovers from all over New England.

The Yellow Boat, under the direction of Bromfield Drama Society Director Ted Zayka, focuses on a family that copes with the emotional, social, and physical agony of a young child struck down by AIDS. The play brings to life the gripping account of author David Saar and the loss of his son, Benjamin, to AIDS. The heart-wrenching story drives audience members to tears, as the life of a disease-stricken child unfolds in vivid colors, raw emotion, and endless courage.

Senior Brett Keating plays the father of the ailing child. "It's strange to act in the role of the father, because the father is the one who wrote the play," said Keating. "We all felt a sense of responsibility to bring genuineness to the roles, because all of these events really happened. We couldn't overplay or underplay any of the moments. They all had to be completely real."

"The Yellow Boat is basically a snapshot of life," said Zayka. "Sometimes I think that plays, books, movies, and music are guilty of trying to force someone to have a certain emotion. They try to make you laugh, or make you cry. The beauty of this play is that you believe it on stage. It doesn't seem like a high school show."

Assistant director Kate Shelton said, "[The Yellow Boat] affected each actor differently, and because of recent losses in our community, the themes definitely hit home for everyone."

Zayka points to the success of the play through the strong bonds of friendship among the cast members. "There is this amazing camaraderie that somehow you don't get anywhere else," said Zayka. "Theater creates this bond, in which there is no class distinction. You don't say 'freshmen, you don't sit with us.' Everyone is a little weird, but they are all weird together."

"We all get along really well," said Keating. "The cast and crew really care for each other, and it's a cool way to escape the traditional day, from school to practice to studying."

Freshman Danny Hayward, the youngest member of the cast, plays Eddy, the best friend of the dying child, Jennifer, who is played by senior Jordan Davy. "The whole experience has been great!" said Hayward. "I was so happy that the cast accepted me so easily, and it has been the most fun I've ever had in a play because of the cast. I know it's a cliché, but this cast truly has become my family."

Senior Youlan Xiu first began her involvement in the Drama Society as a set designer before moving herself onstage. As one of the seven cast members in The Yellow Boat, Xiu describes her relationship with other cast members as "intimate." According to Xiu, the cast members could play each role well because of the respect that exists among them.

The play demanded hours of rehearsal. "We put in a lot of hard work and it clearly paid off," said Hayward. "I'm very happy that we were able to present our show in front of the rest of New England!"

Shelton was the student director behind the organization of the play and played a key role in critiquing the work of actors and technical producers to create a final production that ran smoothly. "Of all my extracurricular activities, drama has definitely always come first" said Shelton. "It has dramatically (no pun intended) affected my high school career."

Although the actors gained a great amount of recognition for their work, the technical crew was also an essential piece of the story. "The tech kids are like the part of the iceberg under the water that no one sees" said Zayka. "The actors without the lights, the sounds, and the set could still probably tell a good story, but the technical part completes the play."

"The tech design crew was phenomenal because without them our show wouldn't have the beautiful setting, lights, and sound that we act with in every performance" said Keating.

"I'll be really sad the last time these students perform this show, because I'm reluctant to see it end," said Zayka. "To me, it's perfect, and I really couldn't ask for more. We are a family, and in a way, it's like, 'my god, where do I go from here?'"

Note: The Yellow Boat was performed for the Harvard community
at the Harvard Schools Trust's Dinner Theater Gala on April 9.  See photos