On Saturday, March 3rd, the Matignon Drama Club performed their winter show, Making Nice, at the Massachusetts Drama Festival, put on annually by the Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild. Making Nice tells the story of a harsh, critical director who is tasked with making a success out of a play in which everything seems to be going wrong, and all with only 24 hours to spare before opening night. The horse costume is horrible, actors spontaneously fight each other, the lead has a bad case of the giggles, and no one is sure of their final entrance, but these problems pale in comparison to the arrival of two emotional safety workers, who warn the director that she had better make nice-or else. What follows is a last-ditch attempt by Barbara, the director, to convince the emotional safety duo that she can be nice. Comedy and chaos ensues, but the show must go on, and the day- and show-is saved by a lot of acting on the part of the cast, as well as the director and stage manager. Matignon competed in the preliminary round hosted by Winthrop High School against seven other schools. Of these schools, three schools moved on, including semifinalists Pope John High, with their show Lockdown, Swampscott High, with The Woman in White, and Winthrop High, which went on to become a state finalist with their show Faustus. While Matignon did not move on to the semifinal round, the cast and crew of Making Nice had a lot of fun putting on an entertaining show that earned two seniors, Angelina Kemmett and Maeve Rushe, All-Star Company Acting Awards for the role of Ellen the stage manager, and Barbara the director, respectively. Overall, the cast and crew of Making Nice would agree that, win or lose, this year’s Drama Fest was an exciting and worthwhile experience. Next up for Matignon Drama Club: the spring musical, Beauty and the Beast!
By Katie Coviello
Photos taken by Ashley Murphy
THE CAMBRIDGE MATIGNON MIRROR 