A solo guitar performance of “Crosses” by José González. A musical scene featuring a cheerleader whose life is falling apart. A rendition of the HadesTown classic “When the Chips Are Down.” A retelling of the Greek myth of Eurydice and Orpheus. All of this and more was performed at a single, hour-long show: the Senior “Shortcase.”
On Friday January 10th, the Senior “Shortcase” put on two shows in the Bishop’s Taylor Performing Arts Center (TPAC). The show combines two long-standing school traditions: the Senior Showcase, where members of the Bishop’s Singers choir get to perform solo and small group songs, and Shorts, where seniors in Acting Workshop select and direct scenes with younger actors. This year, two performances were combined — the show went back and forth between songs and scenes. The singing side was also changed to only include Bishop’s Singers seniors, while the rest of the choir performed earlier in the week in the chapel.
Because of the liberty all the performers had, the “Shortcase” was an impressively varied show. On the choir side, there was a mix of genres, styles, and number of singers. One of the most memorable performances was of “Send Me A Song,” a bittersweet, soft song with a quiet piano accompaniment. It was sung by Bishop’s Singers seniors who had performed the song together in ninth grade. This included Sofia Hayden (‘25), Lainie Beamer (‘25), Riley Brunson (‘25), as well as solos from Sophia Bao (‘25) and Joyce Wu (‘25).
“We always talked about performing [“Send Me A Song”] again — so it’s really cool that we are doing it,” Sofia said. “It brings me joy that four years later they wanted to sing a song together as seniors from their freshman year,” Choir Director Dr. Christine Micu added.
Another choir standout was “Crosses” by José González, which was performed by Gary Hu (‘25). With only his voice and an acoustic guitar sitting in the middle of a dark stage, it was both a beautiful and a powerful performance. Dr. Micu also mentioned that this was one of her favorites.
On the Acting Workshop side, there were a total of five scenes. All the scenes explored different themes and had widely different tones. One of the more light-hearted ones was a musical scene from the movie Bring It On. It was directed by Acting Workshop seniors Lainie Beamer (‘25) and Riley Brunson (‘25). It follows cheerleading captain Campbell (played by Sophie Gratry (‘27)), who after being forced to leave school away from her friends and boyfriend, realizes “other odd things are happening around her,” Zara Zierhut (‘27), who plays Campbell’s friend Skylar, explained.
The scene was hilarious, and has a “campy feel” to it, as Zara said. Malaika Khanna (‘27) also added that it “emphasizes friendships and loss.” The scene starts with Campbell’s friends Skylar and Kylar (played by Zara and Malaika respectively), who both can’t replace her as team captain because Skylar failed home ec and Kylar got mono. Later in the scene, Campbell and her boyfriend Steven (played by James O’Brien (‘26)) start holding hands and singing “Happy kitties, sleepy puppies, baby duckies, sparkly ponies” to calm Campbell down. “I always end up covering my mouth to stifle a laugh because of how well the two pull it off,” Zara said.
On the complete other side of the spectrum were Scene 1 and Scene 3 from a retelling of the Greek myth Eurydice, directed by Mira Singh (‘25). In the Scene 1, Eurydice (played by Zara) and Orpheus (played by Naveen Hernandez ‘26)) are depicted in love. In Scene 3, Eurydice steps away from her wedding with Orpheus and has a conversation with “A Nasty Interesting Man,” (also played by Naveen), who happened to be Hades in disguise.
“I chose these two particular scenes, one directly following the other, to cast the play under a new perspective,” Mira explained. “Initially, it may seem as though Eurydice and Orpheus are young and innocent in their relationship – however, when you dig deeper into the nature of their encounters, you may start to see it slightly imperfectly.” More specifically, the two are not as compatible or healthy as they appear to be. “Although they are madly in love, Orpheus seems to be much more innocent and unaware about how his love for music can be quite manipulative,” as Naveen said.
There were a total of ten performances, ranging from more serious plays like Eurydice, to classics like the Greatest Showman’s “Rewrite the Stars,” to a quiet, contemplative scene from The Case of the Crushed Petunias, and to an emotional duet of “I Will Never Leave You.” But regardless of the group or the number, all the participants agreed on how emotional and meaningful the experience was for them.
Part of this strong emotion came from the fact that singers and actors truly took center stage, both in performing and orchestrating the performances. “The important goal is that the students choose and prepare music on their own, without me handing them music and telling them what to sing,” Dr. Micu explained. “While I will guide them through the process, they get minimal coaching from me and must do the majority of the preparation on their own.” Theater Director Dr. Kristen Tregar described her role for the actors similarly. “My role for Shorts is really that of a dramaturg,” she said. “I’m there to help the directors think through what is and is not working in their scenes, to answer questions…and to offer feedback to the directors to make sure that their artistic vision is coming to fruition.”
The directorial and leadership roles students’ took in the Showcase were part of what made the show so memorable. “The work that each senior has put into this show is something that is truly made apparent when you see these performances,” Mira said. “It definitely is a special thing to watch, getting to see all these years of learning and growth integrated into these performances.”
Many performers also reflected on their years dedicated to these groups. “The people in choir are some of the most incredible, fun, people to be around,” Sofia said. “The memories we create learning a piece and performing it at a concert are some I will never forget.” Sashi Chuckravanen (‘25) also mentioned that though she “only joined choir last January,” she is “in awe of the talented musicians I’ve been able to sing with, and the friends I’ve made.” She added, “Bishop’s Singers welcomed me in the middle of junior year and I’ve always felt like a part of the family.”
The Senior “Shortcase” was a testament to all the memories and hard work of the seniors in Acting Workshop and Bishop’s Singers from over the years. The thoughtfulness and passion in each and every number reflected everyone’s talent and dedication. It was a night to remember for the audience and performers alike.
