Pangea
at Piper High School

Reviewed on March 13, 2020

Jaime Happel
J.P. Taravella High School
Submitted for publication to Florida Theater On Stage

How would one define "the entire Earth?" Believe it or not, the Greeks actually have a singular word that does just that—"Pangaia." This word inspired both, meteorologist Alfred Wegener, and Piper High School's drama department to propose their own theories about a hypothetical supercontinent that they like to call, "Pangea."

"Pangea The Musical", featuring book, music, and lyrics by Lamar Hanna, is an original piece that made its debut at Piper High School. The new musical centers around the effects of "the great separation that tore apart the nation," and emphasizes the importance of embracing our unique qualities. The story follows a teenage boy, devoid of emotion, as he travels through foreign nations of a divided world and discovers the beauty of living authentically. The cast and crew clearly dedicated a lot of time to distinct world building, which not only helped communicate Hanna's artistic vision, but also guided the audience through their colorful interpretation of the fractured protocontinent.

Malik Williams portrayed the steampunk-inspired Warden of Pangea's future, Murasaki Gurin, kindly nicknamed Murry. With eccentric energy, Williams commanded the stage and displayed a commendable knack for procuring comedic moments during his performance. Connor Porter depicted #3, Murry's mundane teenage protégé from the dull nation of Grau. Porter's monotonous tone and gawky, semi-robotic physicality abetted the development of his character, which served as an effective foil to the other nations' more colorful citizens.

Daneeva Newland verified that she could live up to Princess Daffodil's royal status in groovy Giallo, as she showcased her spunky stage presence, eminent engagement and soulful vocals. A profoundly dynamic relationship was built between the Princess and a smooth outcast of cool Azul, named Midnight (Jordan Parsons). The two lovers' personalities were as similar as day and night, but Newland and Parsons still managed to sweetly exhibit their chemistry, prominently in their duet, "We Found Something". Soundtrack 1 (Micaela Predestin) typically supported the duo, enhancing each scene, through her skillful, live violin accompaniment.

The Piper Players breathed life into a never-before-seen show, originating characters that were unfamiliar to audience and cast alike—- a challenging and impressive feat in itself. Although the cast professionally persisted to perform despite the prevalent microphone issues throughout the production, at times, the intricate plot became difficult to understand. The stylized costumes made great use of color to effectively separate Pangea's eclectic characters into their respective "nations," each representative of distinctive cultures and time periods. The constantly changing sets further established the division among nations, and served as an intriguing background for the well-balanced stage pictures that were created; although, these changes often caused lengthy delays between scenes. Also, while sometimes lacking energy and vocal power, the ensemble consistently remained committed to their characters until they exited the stage completely.

The foolish and desperate belief that we need to be surrounded by others exactly like us unjustly separates the world we live in. In times of uncertainty, it's more important than ever to come together and celebrate those that are "not quite normal," rather than ostracize them. Everyone yearns for acceptance in life, and Piper High School's production of "Pangea The Musical" proves that "we'd go to the ends of the Earth to find what our hearts are longing for."

Rachel Goldberg
Cooper City High School
Submitted for publication to Florida Theater On Stage

In times of trouble, people stick to what they know. They isolate, blame, and cower from reality. Piper High School's production of "Pangea" is a wake-up call that unity is strength and division will only bring destruction.

Written by Lamar Hanna, "Pangea" is an original musical never before performed on stage. In a dystopian world, traveler Murry (Malik Williams) is concerned for his war-ravaged home. Societies have split, Pangea is in fragments. In each society, they uphold their own standards and norms. Murry hopes that by showing #3 (Connor Porter) that there are other people out there, all with different versions of "Normal", their world may be saved. On his journey, #3 documents the people he meets, and he begins to realize that breaking the norm just might bring everyone back together.

As Murry, Williams had bright energy as he advised #3 while also narrating the story. His character remained consistent as the story progressed, and he used an engaging tone. Porter's physicality was a great non-vocal nod to his character's background. Coming from the Grau nation, Porter was excellent in his stiffness and awkward interactions with other characters.

After traveling for a time, #3 and Murry come across Giallo, a world full of sunshine led by their Princess, Daffodil (Daneeva Newland) and her father. Newland's energy and acting choices added to her already notable performance. Newland's vocals were out of this world. Her beautiful tone and impressive range were showcased in her song "I Don't Need Someone Like You." Newland's stage presence was partnered by the suave Midnight (Jordan Parsons). Parsons' portrayal of the chill, man-of jazz from Azul included a smooth voice and pronounced character development. His relationship with Princess Daffodil was another commendable addition to the performance.

As Princess Daffodil and Midnight rekindle their love, something starts to change. Both actors suddenly reveal green on their distinctively one-colored costumes. The combination of yellow and blue begins to spark hope for the future of Pangea. The cast altogether created well-balanced stage pictures, despite sometimes seeming a little confused. Although the ensemble lacked energy and facial expressions, they always left the stage in character. One standout performance was that of Soundtrack 1 (Micaela Predestin). Accompanying Midnight on the violin, Predestin showed not only talent but also great comedic timing. Her reactions through music conveyed her understanding of the plot without ever needing to speak.

The technical elements fit the musical well. Although set changes were extremely prolonged, each set clearly depicted the world in which each society lived. Costumes showcased personality and despite considerable mic issues, the music did not overpower the actors.

In the end, being normal is overrated. Unity is strength, and to have unity, people must accept others for who they are. This message, conveyed in Piper High School's "Pangea," emphasizes abnormality in the best way, as well as the sunshine in each and every one of us.

Matthew Dell-Hak
Coral Glades High School
Submitted for publication to Florida Theater On Stage

In a broken society where everything is ‘not quite normal', Piper High School shows how to ‘Keep It Cool' in a time of desperation.

The original work of ‘Pangea The Musical' was created by Lamar Hannah. ‘Pangea' follows the divide of nations and the people amongst them, emulating the splitting of continents. The story travels through the worlds and celebrates individuality, as well as showing the strength the bond of people can have in a society. The production showcases various time periods and different monochrome aesthetics to represent each community. The creative twist on traditional theater was a refreshing reminder of how unique the arts can be.

A tie between worlds, Murry, was played by commendable actor Malik Williams. While the show had a few issues in tuning the mood the audience was to feel, Williams always knew how to bring a brighter and more comedic light to the atmosphere. Playing side-by-side with Murry was the quirky #3 portrayed by Connor Porter. The actors' physicality brought for a more realistic performance even when the scenes were not correctly captured by the ensemble present. Overall, however, the duo made for a delightful adventurous pair that left for appealing character development.

The true backbone of the show would be that of Daneeva Newland in the role of Princess Daffodil. The talented young actress fulfilled her title with pride as the Princess strutted the stage and her vocals filled the room. Her energy made for the utmost memorable performance of the night and she must be praised for her creation of an organic multi-dimensional character. Accompanied by Jordan Parsons and Micaela Predestin (Midnight and Soundtrack #1), the trio always seemed to have a deep understanding of their characters and the dynamic they relayed onto each other. Predestin also deserves recognition for delivering an intriguing and memorable performance while substituting actual lines for the harmony of a violin.

While the audio seemed to have a few issues, such as feedback or complete cutting off of the mics, the actors did a commendable job at projecting and remaining rooted in character. The set was also an interesting take on each distinctive land, and while the transitions in between seemed a bit prolonged, the entire cast's unity was more than enough to bring you right back into the world of ‘Pangea'.

Congratulations to Piper High School for creating a thought-provoking production that reminds us of the current socio-economic foundation we all live on.

Kelly Taylor
American Heritage School
Submitted for publication to Florida Theater On Stage

Fusing factions of era's gone by, "Pangea," the new original musical, preaches to the world the importance of accepting uniqueness in a society obsessed with what is "normal." Full of insightful messages and colorful metaphors, the musical pulls rhythm flavors from a variety of seasoned tastes, bringing the jazz of the 1920's head to head with the groovy chic of the 1960's. Exploring division through a unique universe full of different peoples, the musical comes complete with the songs of war as much as peace.

Originally debuting at Piper High School on March 12 and 13 of 2020, "Pangea" was written and composed by Lamar Hanna and tells the tragic story of separation that tore apart the planet of Pangea. Alluding to the ancient continent which supposedly made home for all earthly dwelling people before the tectonic and cultural break up, the musical bound pieces of human past into the creation of new races based on the primary colors as well as the plain shape of gray. With the Azul nation hyper obsessed with poetry and the blues, and the Gielo nation hanging loose in their Go-Go boots and flower power, each race is devoted to a particular emotion, or lack of emotion, that all citizens are bound by birth to feel. But, when Murry, a warden of Pangea, pulls peoples of Pangea together in a trip around the continent, four friends born of different blood journey to discover who they are and who they are allowed to be in a world that offers them so little space to be anything but "normal."

Instantly striking with a domination that made her shine beyond the bright costume, Daneeva Newland, as Princess Daffodil, a resident of the sunny world based on the 60's, glowed with a vibrant energy that rang true from her comical expressions to her killer vocals. Herself a little ray of sunshine, Newland created a diverse character capable of feeling both the extreme highs of love as well as the biting lows of heartbreak and despair.

Slashing scenes with the sharp, whitty use of her violin, Micaela Predestin, who played Soundtrack 1, contributed to the story with the comedic insertion of her wordless presence into the forefront of attention. With perfect timing and incredible talent, the live musician added a little spice and sparkle to every scene she was in.

With pronounced differences and distinctions separating the characters of each world, the cast put forward a lot of work to build the diverse world of Pangea. Although some of the characters were underdeveloped and lacked a clear cut character arch, the students of Piper High School must be commended for their choices as a whole as they performed without a precedent or standard to look to as these characters were solely of their own creation. Taking on their roles for the first time in a brand new work and production, the level of difficulty was incredibly high even when the standard ceased to exist in the clean slate of the narrative.

Working based on period research to formulate this new world, the costumes managed by Amanda Kerr showcased a wide variety of times and places. Kerr's design solidified the diversity of Pangea as well as the ingrained differences through the strict adherence to solid colors which marked each society as "abnormal" to the others.

Challenged with a strong message and new material, Piper High School created a fresh face for this new musical.

Tai Beasley
Coral Glades High School
Submitted for publication to Florida Theater On Stage

Seven continents were once one, split apart by rumbling chaos from deep within: Pangea. Piper High School's tale, however, is far from this typical school definition. With futuristic travelers, glimpses into past worlds of monochromatic color, and the sassy harmony of a violin, "Pangea" reveals the importance of celebrating uniqueness, lest we become damned by the grayness of conformity.

Making its debut at Piper High School, "Pangea" is an original production by Lamar Hannah. The plot takes a lyrical interpretation of the occurrence of the breakup of continents, as its name suggests. #3, a futuristic character who is troubled by his uniqueness in a gray world, is visited by time traveler Murry, who takes him on a colorful journey to reveal the consequences of not accepting the differences of society. Strolling through the vibrancy of the past, each hued world contains an individual who shares in the feeling of aberrance, and leaves their societal confines to join the journey. When Murry takes the anomalies to Grau, a gray city in absolute war, it becomes clear that without learning from their past disaffection, their condemning future is only destined to repeat. With comedy, romance, and peculiar themes of civilization, Pangea brings a profound message of how creating unity through our nuances can prevent chaos of our worlds.

Lead actor Malik Williams (Murry), portrayed an energetic yet mysterious character with his inflection and physicality. His comedic timing was facilitated by his diction and pace of line delivery, in which other characters lacked. Jordan Parsons (Midnight) solidified the jazzy blue ambiance of his role with his smooth, buttery voice in "Keep it Cool", and in doing so, stood out from other weaker vocals of the cast. The booming voice of the King of Giallo, played by Justin Dixon, was a groovy and comedic addition.

Stage royalty, actress Daneeva Newland absolutely exceeded expectations in her zesty performance of Princess Daffodil. Her facial expressions and physicality were larger than life, and her intonation perfectly portrayed her energetic and bold character, of which other cast members were insufficient. However, it was Newland's stunning vocals that won my praise, excelling in melodic tone, rhythm, and strength in numbers such as "Are Ready For The Sunshine". Her romance with Midnight was successfully conveyed in their chemistry, and their beautiful voices paired well in "We Found Something". Pachelle McWaynson (Angry Scarlett), brought power and attitude in her physical presence and diction, and created a comedic chemistry in her contrast with timid #3 (Connor Porter). Micaela Predestin (Soundtrack 1), should be commended for her comedic and strong stage presence as a violinist, as she was able to emote without dialogue, using solely her instrument and expression.

The incorporation of instruments added a unique musical element to the production that complimented the plot well. The primary colors of the "past" societal groups contrasted with the gray "future" community, and greatly emphasized and enhanced by detailed set and costume elements. Scene changes, although higher in level of difficulty, were too long in duration and therefore took away from the performance, as did the loss of sound from the constant mic malfunctions. However, the cast continued through any errors and successfully conveyed their story.

Congratulations to Piper High School for their enlightening production of "Pangea", teaching us that without uniting as one and embracing our differences, life becomes devoid of color.