Colored lights shine onto a vibrant set, illuminating enormous playing blocks and castle rooms. Whimsical music fills the air as the actors depict an absurd, comical battle between King Charlemagne’s army and the Visigoths. The characters break the fourth wall, conversing and joking with the audience.

Pippin, Whitman Drama’s 2025 winter musical, ran from Thursday, Feb. 20 to Saturday, Feb. 22. The show centers around 18-year-old Pippin as he grapples with transitioning into adulthood and seeking fulfillment.

Senior Kathryn Edmonds, who starred as Pippin in the show, has been a part of Whitman Drama since her freshman year. She said Pippin was so entertaining because of its musicality and interactive nature.

“Pippin is just such a fun show,” Edmonds said. “It’s very similar structure-wise to Cabaret, which is what we did last year. All the dancing is fun; I get to do a lot of inquisitive looks in the audience.”

Throughout the performance, the characters dance, sing and talk to the audience as Pippin tries to feel accomplished. He goes from being a boy to a soldier, to the king and then to a farm in the countryside, where he falls in love with the woman running the farm.

Despite performing in numerous school productions, Pippin offered Edmonds a new challenge. With a much more interactive show, she said she has developed new acting techniques to adjust to the show’s unique parameters.

“It’s the first show that I’ve done where we can really talk to the audience,” Edmonds said. “We break the fourth wall a lot, which is really fun, but I almost never leave the stage, which is brand new for me. It’s really mentally taxing for every single show.”

Pippin originally opened on Broadway in 1972. In 2018, Whitman Drama produced Pippin as that year’s fall play before adapting it again for this year’s winter musical. Senior Valentina Leyva attended the show and said she appreciated the hard work of everyone involved and particularly enjoyed the ending. 

“I thought the show was really cool, especially the ending because it was so unexpected,” Leyva said. “I thought that the props, the special effects and the big cake at the end were all really cool, and I think the cast did really well.”

Organizing the musical was a nearly three-month-long process, beginning with cast and pit orchestra auditions and tech crew interviews and auditions. After the cast, pit orchestra and tech crew directors announced the members of their respective sections, the groups practiced individually before coming together to unify the different aspects of the show.

Assistant producer and junior Sofia de Castro Neves has worked on Whitman Drama productions for two years. She said her favorite part of productions is the people and the community they create.

“The plays bring people together,” de Castro Neves said. “I really love them, and I always try to get as many people as possible to go see them. They’re really great.”

In addition to actors and tech crews, the pit orchestra is integral to the musical. Stationed below the stage, the musicians play live music to supplement the visuals on stage. Senior Marlo Minshew played in the pit orchestra for the third time this year and said she appreciates the opportunity to perform live music for shows. 

“This is music that is played on Broadway, so the music is really lively and upbeat,” Minshew said. “It’s really fun to play, and it sounds really great. Some schools play with rehearsal tracks, so I think we’re really lucky to be able to have a live orchestra.”

Participating in Whitman Drama productions comes with numerous challenges, as it can be highly time-consuming, Edmonds said. Tech week and production week — colloquially known as “hell week” — are the two weeks leading up to opening night in which rehearsal schedules become incredibly intensive. Tech week happens the week before the show and involves sound, costume, lights, run crew and the cast working together to ensure a smooth production. “Hell week” is the week of the show, where all aspects of the production run through the entire show every day after school. Although the process is fun, it can be exhausting having to stay at school for extended periods every day, Edmonds said. 

Edmonds said she appreciates the community of Whitman Drama and the meaningful memories it creates.

“Whitman Drama as a whole is such a wonderful community,” Edmonds said. “It’s a place where even if you feel like you don’t have anybody, somebody will always be there to help you and support you.”