Wake-Up Call
at Chantilly High School

Reviewed on May 8, 2021

Jenalyn Dizon
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

Through personal poets, human-eating peaches, and oceans made of milk, it becomes nearly impossible to distinguish dreams vs. reality in Chantilly High School's Wake-Up Call.

Wake-Up Call was written in 2002 by Stephen Gregg, who authored other popular one act plays such as Twitch, Small Actors, and This Is a Test. Gregg has also received the International Thespian Society's Founders Award for his dedication to theatre education. In Wake-Up Call, Jim is a teenager just trying to do his poetry assignment when he's thrown into a loop of nightmares – in one, his mother is spouting nonsense about how the world works. In the other, his girlfriend is hatching a murderous plot against her mother. Jim can't make sense of what's what, and reality only warps further.

Aidan Ramee as Jim did a fantastic job portraying the utter disbelief of someone whose world is being turned on its head. Every time he awoke into a new reality, Ramee's facial expressions went from shocked to exhausted, depicting Jim as overwhelmed and drowning in confusion. Ramee embodied a character that was very genuine and relatable, taking the audience through the rollercoaster of emotions along with him. Emily McGinley played Jim's manic girlfriend, Rochelle. Ramee and McGinley had nice chemistry and were both able to switch their tone and energies on a dime as scenes grew from wholesome to explosive.

Lila York, as Jim's mother, was a joy to watch on stage. York brought captivating energy and fully committed to her character as reality began to shift. Notably, when singing Jim a "lullaby" that sounded more like a whale call, York embraced the weirdness and added a dash of comedy to the mix. Rana Omeish played Theresa, Rochelle's mother. Omeish performed with very strong emotions, particularly when she drank the poison from Rochelle. Her coughs and cries were strikingly intense, pulling the audience in through the screen and drawing empathy for both Teresa and Jim.

The technical aspects of a filmed show are fundamental to audience comprehension and overall experience, and the Chantilly technicians certainly did not disappoint. The cinematography by Sujay Khona was incredibly impressive – Khona shot close ups to highlight facial expressions and moving shots to embody the chaos onstage, all of which made it feel like the audience was immersed inside the story. Khona also edited the show with seamless cuts between shots that did not distract and kept up the fast paced, chaotic feel of the play.

The lighting, also done by Khona, featured bright blue, pink, and orange on the cyclorama, a refreshing spin on the typical white or black background. The eye-catching colors not only differentiated the setting but enforced the dream-like fantasy elements of the show. The set dressing by Kaitlin Molloy was simple but effective. Molloy utilized the same bed as the center of the show but altered details like the nightstand and bed sheets to fit each scene. Although the setting switched multiple times, it was still clear where the characters were.

Overall, Chantilly's cast and crew did a wonderful job capturing the unique excitement and frenzy of a warped reality in Wake-Up Call.

DJ Jang
Fairfax High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

A girlfriend-turned-murderer, a mom-turned-fairy godmother, one is chilling and the other fantastical. Yet the line between them blurs as all reality loses its meaning, battered by the incessant tides of this perpetual nightmare. This is Chantilly High School's production of Wake-Up Call by Stephen Gregg,

The play follows Jim, a loyal son and caring boyfriend who finds himself trapped in an endless cycle of dreams. As each successive reality becomes increasingly more warped than the last, Jim gradually progresses from panic to plain exhaustion, a lone victim amidst his mother, partner, and partner's mother, all concerned for his sanity. He rocks back and forth between his girlfriend's ongoing plot of fraud-driven matricide, and a conversation with his mother who is in the process of relinquishing her ties with the mortal plane.

Pure, unapologetic commitment formed the heart of the actors' performances. Lila York let loose an entire whale-mating-call-lullaby, one of many highlights from her wonderfully absurd performance as Jim's mother. Rana Omeish as Theresa Simmons delivered stomach-churning retches, her performance conveying the undeniable shock a mother would face upon being poisoned by her own daughter. Aidan Ramee as Jim, and Emily McGinley as Rochelle, brought excellent chemistry to their performance, which heightened the unbridled chaos that ensued as an innocent relationship somehow escalated into a matter of life or death. The actors never missed a beat, bringing all the energy necessary to carry the audience through the surreal, bewildering story.

Sujay Khona commanded the camera, filming in a variety of angles to highlight moments of intense emotion, while allowing others room to breathe. Kaitlin Molloy's simple yet effective set highlighted the subtle changes made throughout the play, such as different colored blankets that further raised questions as to which setting was truly "real." Kudos to Lila York who was responsible for the whale lullaby that was altogether jarring, bizarre, and hysterical.

Chantilly High School promised to take full advantage of their circumstances to tailor a unique film production. Owning up to the outlandish source material, not a second was spared in delivering a wholly farcical, unusual, and charming experience.

Leydi Cris Cobo Cordon
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Submitted for publication to FCPS Community News

Meet Jim. He's made the unfortunate mistake of falling asleep before finishing a poetry assignment. Now he's plagued with experiencing a series of events that blur the lines between reality and nightmare. Between confessions of love and divorce to plotting for murder, who can tell what semblance of Jim's world actually remains? Grab a cup of joe and try to piece the fragments of reality together in Chantilly High School's fantastic performance of Wake-Up Call.

Wake-Up Call was cooked up by Stephen Gregg in 2002. This short one-act play began with Jim and Rochelle confessing their love for each other, before quickly escalating when Rochelle asks Jim to be her literal partner-in-crime, setting off a series of nightmares. The poetry assignment Jim neglected became a framing device for the story, not only appearing at both the start and end of the show, but with its elements scattered throughout each new nightmare Jim has.

Delicately tiptoeing the line between simplicity and personal flair, Sujay Khona's excellent cinematography skills anchored this production. All of the varying angles and shots enhanced the scenes and made them more visually interesting. For example, in one scene the camera starts with a closeup shot of Jim's face as he lies on the ground. Then we cut to the same shot, but facing the other direction to see things from Jim's point of view. Next, we see none other than Theresa's corpse a mere few inches from his face. These choices made that sequence much more suspenseful and really zoomed in on the action.

Aidan Ramee put on a spectacular performance as dream-riddled Jim. Jim was constantly being bounced across different realities and Ramee was able to evolve how Jim woke up each time. At the top of the show Ramee woke up in a daze, but as he continued to wake up he got progressively more irritated. At one point he even stuffed his face into a pillow while producing a deep rumbling noise to represent Jim reaching his boiling point. In contrast to that scathing sequence, the tender moment shared by Ramee's Jim and Emily McGinley's Rochelle when they confessed their love in gentle voices added some sugary sweetness that solidified where their relationship stood before their descent into chaos.

Lila York's performance as Mother was flavorful with notes of wackiness, whimsy, and wit. York leaned in heavily to all the abnormalities of her character, such as an intentionally robotic repetition of the word "very" or giving a strong performance of an original lullaby that was essentially a whale-call. Her commitment and boldness within each of those moments helped eliminate any doubt about the realness of her world.

Sujay Khona's lighting design for the cyclorama mirrored the play's progression, beginning with a deep, calm blue. Rochelle's murderous proposition- the inciting incident- sparked a transition into warm tones. The bright orange background became a deeper shade when Jim attempted to save Theresa, and hits its peak at a blazing shade of red. It then transitioned back through the spectrum of oranges as the falling actions occurred and became a dreamy turquoise-to-purple gradient before ending on a medium blue. Kaitlin Molloy's set design, which was centered around a bed, also used color effectively. The bedsheets were swapped out between Rochelle's red ones to Jim's dull gray, which showed how he didn't quite belong in these colorful nightmares.

The phrase "bedtime story" was certainly redefined by Chantilly High School's memorably spectacular performance of Wake-Up Call.

Alex Beach
Fairfax High School
Submitted for publication to Patch (Fairfax/Alexandria)

How far does loyalty take you in life? When Jim's girlfriend proposes murder and his mother becomes a fairy-like creature, he is forced to answer this question for himself. Accompanied by a "personal poet" who creepily recites verses about isolation, this unlikely trio visits Jim in his sleep. But as Jim continues to awake from each nightmare, his new existence becomes more and more distorted until he is completely unsure about what is imagination and what is reality.

Written in 2002 by Stephen Gregg, Wake-Up Call is a 33-minute one act play that explores themes of reality in the most unique way. Chantilly High School students presented their version of Wake-Up Call in their pre-recorded, socially distanced performance of this intriguing story.

Playing the role of Jim was Aidan Ramee, who perfectly embodied the charismatic, yet confused boy who was completely overwhelmed by his bizarre circumstances. His facial expressions were brilliantly conveyed, even through the online platform and thick, clear masks. Ramee's line delivery was consistent and the authentic relationships he established between himself and the other performers were both realistic and comical, in particular his relationship with Lila York. York, playing the role of Jim's Mother, brought tons of energy and enthusiasm to her role, lighting up the stage with her bright and bubbly personality. Her heightened physicality largely contributed to the portrayal of her character and made her a delight to watch.

Another standout performance came from Emily McGinley, playing the role of Rochelle Simmons, Jim's girlfriend. McGinley did a wonderful job of creating an element of surprise for viewers, giving no indication of her character's disturbing backstory at the beginning of the performance. It was absolutely thrilling to witness the sweet, loving girlfriend abruptly morph into a maniacal villain who admitted to the murder of both of her parents. Rana Omeish played the role of Rochelle's mother - Theresa Simmons - who died an agonizing death at the hands of her own daughter. Omeish's commitment to her role was extremely impressive, using her vocality and physicality in tandem to deliver a well-rounded performance.

The technical elements that were incorporated acted as the cherry on top of this performance, giving the production a complex, professional feel. Sujay Khona was solely responsible for the filming, editing, and lighting design of Wake-Up Call. His decision to film from a variety of camera angles and to capture close-ups of the actors enhanced the cinematography, beautifully taking advantage of this online platform. All of his lighting designs were very intentional and complemented the storyline of Jim's unraveling reality. Kaitlin Molloy oversaw the sound and set design of the production, ensuring clear, crisp audio and appropriate dressing of the set. Her decision to include hanging window frames behind the set added a layer of depth to the stage and allowed for interaction between actors and their environment.

In only half an hour, Chantilly High School students were able to engross viewers in a thrilling and comedic one act. Their commitment and ability to overcome the challenges of this year in addition to the themes of the play reinforced the idea that reality is simply what you make of it.

Keya Umesh
Langley High School
Submitted for publication to Connection

Dreams are an out of body experience, aren't they? Some transport you to another world whilst others create stress about the millions of projects due tomorrow. Sometimes it's hard to determine whether you're dreaming or if it's reality. The play "Wake Up Call", written by Stephen Gregg, emphasizes this confusion between reality and fantasy and highlights the nuances of this nightmarish state.

Chantilly High School's production of this play followed Jim, a teenager who finally mustered up the courage to confess his love to his girlfriend, Rochelle. After successfully doing so, Rochelle asked for his help to poison her mother. Taken aback, Jim woke up and realized it was just a dream. Jim then received heartbreaking news from his mother but had no time to come to terms with it because he woke up again. Switching back and forth between a dream-like state and reality, Jim struggled to determine which situation was his reality and which was his imagination.

All actors in this production gave extremely riveting performances that brought Jim's dreams to life. The relationships between each character were explored in-depth and created the illusion of watching a genuine conversation between people with a complicated history. The combination of the lighting, sets, and energy of the actors created a cohesive play, and the enthusiasm of each cast and crew member was clearly evident.

Even through a screen, Jim's (Aidan Ramee) slow descent into madness played off Rochelle's (Emily McGinley) mysterious intentions and displayed the intricate sides to both characters. Jim and Rochelle's dark characters had a complex relationship that complimented each other's individual motives and stories. Additionally, as soon as the Mother (Lila York) stepped on screen, her flamboyant energy shone through and made it virtually impossible to look away.

The sets and lighting, executed by Kaitlin Molloy and Sujay Khona respectively, enhanced the dream-like aspect of the production. Utilizing different lighting colors, Khona provided clear visual cues to contrast Jim's dreams and his reality. Molloy's use of everyday items created a grounded feeling to the story, and the details used between Jim's dreams and his reality provided another visual cue to differentiate the two. Khona's filming complimented the drama unraveling on the screen and added an immersive layer to the production. When a character had an epiphany or began to fall apart internally, the camera was placed in a position that enhanced and made apparent how each character was feeling in the moment.

Although the world may feel like a nightmare at times, stories like "Wake Up Call" remind us that there's always an end to the nightmare. A better dream is always waiting. You might just have to wake up a couple of times to find it.

Lindsay Muangman
Langley High School
Submitted for publication to Fairfax County Times

The definition of the word reality is "the world or the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them", but how can one decipher what truly exists when everything seems so nightmarishly real? Chantilly High School's production of "Wake-Up Call" explores the question of "what is reality?" all while following a boy as he spirals into a close to insane-like state after being thrust into his many possible universes.

Written in 2002 by playwright Stephen Gregg, this dramatic-comedy follows seventeen-year-old Jim as he navigates through a very perplexing situation. When he openly admits that he loves his girlfriend Rochelle for the first time, he is left completely gob smacked when her response back is an invitation for him to help murder her mother. This confusing confession only gets weirder until Jim is finally woken up by the sound of his mother banging on his bedroom door. After one of the strangest conversations between mother and son takes place and going to sleep more confused than ever, Jim is back with his girlfriend who explains that his shock caused him to faint. What is real? What is fake? How will he ever be able to figure it out when the twists to each reality seem endless?

Aidan Ramee, who played Jim, perfectly encapsulated the pure shock and horror Jim had to face when forced into each reality. Ramee also captured the essence of someone quickly spiraling into a state close to insanity as his confusion towards what is real and what isn't reached an absolute climax. He was also able to effortlessly portray Jim's inner conflict for loving his girlfriend while strongly disagreeing with her plans to murder. Rochelle, played by Emily McGinley, portrayed a girl who had murderous ambitions with an almost enthralling flair. McGinley was able to maintain a calm yet erratic demeanor as she explained her violent tendencies and past endeavors in a completely entrancing manner.

The minimal set, with pieces found by Kaitlin Molloy, was perfectly designed to add to each scene without drawing attention from the actors. Each scene was set in the same spot- with a bed, a door, and a window always featured- but small changes present in each reality, like the color switch of the bedsheets, allowed for a more seamless way to distinguish a shift in which reality Jim was in.

The lighting, designed by Sujay Khona, subtly switched colors to emphasize drama and help the actors paint a picture of the scene in the absence of a large, elaborate set. Actors could always be heard with complete clarity despite the presence of face masks thanks to Kaitlin Molloy's effective sound design. All the technical components worked in harmony, courtesy of both Molloy and Khona's note-worthy directorial skills.

Whether you are familiar with the feeling or not, Chantilly's production of "Wake Up Call" expertly illustrates the panic of living through a nightmare that never ends. The captivating atmosphere created by the eclectic characters, engaging lighting, and other incredible nuances is sure to leave audiences "calling" for more!