Ink
at Annandale High School

Reviewed on November 13, 2020

McKenzie Phelan
Quince Orchard High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

During this pandemic, in-person hangouts, classes, and conversations have been replaced with video calls and virtual meetings. One would expect these new precedents to affect live theatre, but Annandale High School's student-written horror film Ink is proof that the performing arts can continue to thrive through the web. The short film followed five high school students working on a biology project via video conference. However, when Lily (Amanda Weaver) seemed to be strangely affected by the vintage fountain pen she bought as a gift for her friend Yuna (Han Le), the conference suddenly went horribly wrong.

The film boasted a cast of only five performers, but each and every one brought life to their characters. Notable performances included Miguel Orozco as Parker, the goofy class clown, and Weaver as Lily, a sweet girl in possession of a cursed object. Weaver's use of facial expressions and physical movement struck terror into the audience, and Orozco's comedic chops and sense of timing brought levity to grim moments. Even as his friend appeared to be possessed by a malicious spirit, he found ways to make puns about his dinner.

But the true hidden gem in this film is Le as Yuna, Lily's best friend and the intended recipient of the strange pen. Every aspect of her performance was incredibly genuine, and audiences found themselves immediately relating to and sympathizing with her. Her tangible panic in the final minutes of the film truly illustrated how high the stakes had grown, and her near-breakdown as she watched her best friend succumb to the mysterious shadow that had been haunting her is a masterclass in both physical and emotional acting.

The film's script (which was written by the performers) truly captured the lives of high school students, in a way that many professional screenwriters cannot. The dialogue flowed naturally, and was peppered with pop-culture references that served as subtle foreshadowing as to the true monstrosity the characters were facing. Special effects (provided by Weaver) were impressive, especially considering that since the performance was filmed in one take, the actors were forced to apply said effects themselves.

The shift to virtual theatre may be daunting to some, but the cast of Annandale High School's Ink prove that video calls may just be the next Broadway stage. With a well-written script and remarkable actors, this film was a deliciously creepy haunt that proved that wherever there are performers, theatre will thrive.

Hayden Polsky
Quince Orchard High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

In the time of the Coronavirus, theatre production has come to a screeching halt. From the bright lights of Broadway to the small community theatres and high schools scattered all around the country, this pandemic has made life for actors, directors, stage managers, singers, and theatre nerds alike extremely hard.

However, Annandale High School proved once and for all that it is possible for us to do what we love, even if it's through a computer screen. Their student-written production, Ink, a short horror film followed the dastardly deeds of a bewitched pen, was expertly and creatively written and beautifully performed. The show followed a group of friends working on a group project for school when Lily (played by the talented Amanda Weaver), presented a beautiful fountain pen as a gift for Yuna (brilliantly performed by Han Le). Things started to go sideways when the group started to notice Lily's strange, possessed behavior, as they tried to solve the mystery of the pen, and the shadowy figure that seemed to follow it (played by Annandale alumna Savannah Gravitt).

One of the hardest parts about putting on an online production is resisting the urge to pretend you are on a stage, with a live audience in front of you. Going into this show, I was worried the cast would pretend everything was normal. Immediately, I was proven wrong. The play's setting was an actual Zoom call between five friends trying to do a group project for school. The script masterfully worked with the setting of a Zoom call, and not around it.

Not being in a theatre doesn't stop Annandale High School from showing their technical abilities. For example, whenever that creepy shadow lurks in Lily's room, her LED lights turned a deep red, illuminating the sense of danger that was sure to come, and foreshadowing the red ink that exploded from the pen at the end of the show.

The script impressed yet again, with the simple way it is written. Most of the time, when a show is written about teenagers, it is written by adults who don't know how teenagers talk. Annandale High School took this opportunity to fix this error; not only was this play student-written, but it was written by the members of the cast! The writers expertly established a casual tone between the friends, which allowed the play to seem real, and not an adult pretending to be a teenager.

All that being said, a good script is nothing without good actors. Fortunately, this production had no shortage of good actors. Amanda Weaver presented her skills of putting on a fantastically possessed face. She was somehow able to maintain a balance of blank and creepy. And Han Le, playing the role of Yuna, showed her fantastic stage presence and her ability to seem nerdy and friendly at the same time until she shifted into a nervous, pleading breakdown that had the audience on the edges of their seats. The play also featured Mariam Sesay as Fatima, the studious one in the group, determined to find the origin of the pen, the brilliantly sassy Haleluya Worku as Brooke, and Miguel Orozco as Parker, who provided comic relief throughout the production. Orozco displayed excellent comedic timing, and the ability to always make a joke out of popular culture (anyone up for a game of Among Us?).

"Ink" is now available to view on the Annandale Theatre Company YouTube Channel. Its runtime is 17 minutes, and I guarantee that it will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

Cora Barr
Quince Orchard High School
Submitted for publication to FCPS Community News

It is difficult to produce a well-done horror film because "scary elements" are often overused or cliched. Annandale High School's recent student-written production of Ink brought an innovative and fresh approach to the genre of horror, and it was all done on a virtual platform.

The short film placed the audience in the middle of a virtual meeting between five high school students who need to collaborate on a presentation assigned to them by their anatomy teacher. One of the high schoolers isn't feeling well but gifted a vintage pen from a local thrift shop to her best friend, who was also on the call. A seemingly innocent gift created a traumatic and horrific event for the students as they discovered that the pen had hidden power.

Ink was a completely student-written production created by five talented writers, who served as both the cast and crew. The short film was almost entirely shot in one take, which is extremely impressive considering the many potential errors that could have occurred through virtual production. The film flowed very nicely, with no long pauses between lines. Some lines overlapped and were slightly inaudible, but it created a relatable and realistic feeling to the production because every person who has interacted in a virtual platform knows that mistimed audio is an inevitable part of the experience.

Parker (Miguel Orozco) was a class clown and sunglasses enthusiast who joins the virtual call mainly to make pasta puns rather than to provide help with the anatomy presentation. Orozco's portrayal of Parker provided excellent and hilarious comedic relief from the tension of the show. The audience couldn't help but giggle at his consistent interruptions.

When she joined the call, Lily (Amanda Weaver) was a kindhearted student who simply wanted to give a gift to her best friend and work on an anatomy presentation with her classmates. Weaver's execution of a confused, pained Lily as she was slowly taken over by an evil spirit was flawless. Weaver was able to effectively play a possessed high schooler through a wide range of emotions, from caring and compassionate to downright evil.

Weaver was also talented when it comes to technical elements. She was in charge of the ghoulish special effects that were presented towards the end of the film when tragedy struck. The scene was truly terrifying and the intensity of the moment was emphasized by the reactions of the other students on the call.

Yuna (Han Le), the receiver of the pen and Lily's best friend, was perhaps the girl who can't help but believe that she was responsible for the haunting event that occurred over the virtual call. Le's distressed Yuna was exhibited perfectly. Through Le's heavy breathing and stiff, shaky limbs, there was no doubt that Yuna was truly petrified.

Despite having to produce the film virtually and on a low budget, Annandale's incorporation of technical elements of theatre production was truly admirable. Suspense built as the actors turned their cameras on and off, and dark and color-changing lighting was used to create a creepy, unsettling mood throughout the film.

Ink had the audience checking inside their closets and under their beds for possible "shadow demons" after the production concluded, and the fact that the film was viewed on Friday the 13th did not ease their anxiety. If you are a fan of the horror genre, be sure to view Annandale High School's original short film Ink. But beware, it's "pasta-ble" that you will not be able to fall asleep afterward.

Elizabeth English
South County High School
Submitted for publication to FCPS Cappies Page

Relatability, suspense, and absolute horror are all words that could describe Annandale's wonderful production of Ink.

Written by Ink's very own cast, Mariam Sesay, Miguel Orozco, Haleluya Worku, Han Le, and Amanda Weaver, this production told the story of five students who came together on a normal afternoon to complete a project for their anatomy class. However, when a vintage pen was gifted to Yuna, something as simple as a Zoom call took a twisted turn.

The production overall had a familiar relatability to it. Especially now, during COVID-19, our whole world has converted to an online format, where Zoom calls are the norm and there are constant technical difficulties. Everyone is sitting at home either experiencing mic problems or cameras turning off. Ink did a fantastic job using these normally annoying aspects of the online world to their advantage. For example, the character of Lily (Amanda Weaver) did an amazing job manipulating her camera in an effective way to build tension and intrigue. Audience members were eager to know what would show up if the camera were to turn back on, contributing convincingly to the horror theme of this show.

Yuna and Lily's relationship within the show really struck a chord with the audience. While the majority of the play's students didn't appear to have much of an established connection, Yuna and Lily's relationship really helped to build a strong sense of familiarity. Han Le did a great job at portraying Yuna and established that connection right away and transferred at the end of the show when she realized there was something wrong with Lily. Creating this connection helped the audience feel the level of concern for Lily's state as it started to escalate within Yuna, demonstrating that she had the most empathy and worry for Lily. Han Le brilliantly created big moments with screaming and utilized the space in her room, which really helped increase the horror aspect of the show and enhanced the feeling of high stakes.

Miguel Orozco also put on a wonderful performance as Parker. His performance provided a great deal of comedic relief amid the rest of the horror intensifying show. With his silly puns and relatable teenage boredom, Miguel left the audience at ease. Miguel's execution and timing of these small comedic moments really brought the cast together, displaying their obvious sense of camaraderie.

The technical elements of this show were impressive. The red lighting that appeared in Lily's room contrasted vividly with the characters' rooms, proposing a dark and eerie setting for the beginning of the show. Another interesting aspect of this show was the opening music and sound effects. The writers had the wonderful idea of using the sound of a creepy anatomy lesson through one of the character's computers. This really set the tone of the show right from the start and really made the audience eager to see what would happen next.

If you're looking for a relatable, comedic, and intense show that will have you on the edge of your seat be sure to check out Annandale High School's Ink!

Aren Iverson
South County High School
Submitted for publication to Patch (Fairfax/Alexandria)

To most of us, a pen is something we see every day. It's a tool for answering math problems, writing thank-you letters, or jotting a quick post-it note. But on Friday night, Annandale High School revealed a simple fountain pen as a conduit of true evil. "Ink", a completely virtual performance, had supposedly fearless audience members glancing twice at shadows in their room.

To give background on this show is impossible. "Ink" is an original work, imagined and inscribed by its actors, and is all the better for it. This show (written by Mariam Sesay, Miguel Orozco, Haleluya Worku, Han Le, and Amanda Weaver) followed five teenagers on an ordinary Zoom call that devolves into hysteria after a haunted pen takes control of two project-mates. This show had a vibrant cast of diverse teenagers, without the weight of young adult stereotypes. The characters talked and acted like real-life teens who had worries, problems, and lives, and the writers utilized pop-culture references to subtly set the time-period. The horror in this show was terrifying. The writers declined to write with overused horror tropes, instead favoring a psychological thriller where the audience visualizes their worst nightmare. When the blood hits the fan, the show ends. There is no closure. The audience had no clue what happened after the dreaded fountain pen was broken and an innocent girl died, or even who the killer was, leaving terror of the unknown and lingering suspense that will never truly end.

A performance that saturated "Ink" with much-needed comedy and light-heartedness was skillfully executed by Miguel Orozco as Parker. His masterful comedic timing when delivering punny one-liners and his overall sunglass-clad embodiment of goofiness sparkled in even the most dire of situations. Fatima (Mariam Sesay) had a very no-nonsense, exasperated tone as the Zoom call began, but Sesay's control and range of emotion allowed her character to deteriorate into pure panic as the suspense built. Two other actresses that must be mentioned both separately and together come from the best-friend, possible girlfriend, duo of Lily (Amanda Weaver) and Yuna (Han Le). Weaver's and Le's connection was portrayed in a beautifully haunting way, and there was genuine caring and love between the characters, which made the grotesque death of Lily piercing as Yuna screamed in agony.

As an ensemble, this cast was on-point. When they weren't talking, the actors were munching on snacks or playing video games, lending credibility to the premise that these were all just teenagers trying to finish an assignment. Additionally, the performers demonstrated control of "Zoom acting". Their leaning closer to and father away from the camera lenses drew the eye and attention.

The tech elements of "Ink" shone, even from behind the screen. As the opening credits played, a soundtrack of unsettling music blared, setting the stage for a production that challenged our perceptions of what online theatre could be. In the first scene, Fatima (Mariam Sesay) listened to a recorded lesson on blood and human anatomy. The use of this video to subtly foreshadow what was to come was a brilliant decision. The garnet red lighting in Lily's room (Amanda Weaver) manifested a sense of eeriness and trepidation, a feeling that was compounded when the shadow villain's black figure was illuminated against the red. This hue came back to haunt the show again in the demonic symbol that Yuna (Han Le) drew.

"Ink" by Annandale High School was a genius show designed and executed to pose the question ‘do we ever really know what is coming?'.

Eleanor Green
Quince Orchard High School
Submitted for publication to Connection

Are you looking for a suspenseful, spooky show that will have everyone on the edge of their seat? Annandale High School's online production of Ink tells the story of five classmates meeting online to work on a school project. Lily, one of the classmates, isn't feeling too well but she still shows up and gives an old-fashioned pen as a gift to Yuna, one of the other students. Throughout the meeting, things go awry and suspense builds up. No one knows what is wrong with Lily as she begins behaving stranger and stranger.

Some very talented student actors and student writers brought this show to life. Miguel Orozco, who played Parker, did a great job of distinctly developing his character and bringing some comic relief to balance out the suspenseful show. Han Le, who played Yuna, fully committed to the character by breaking down at the end of the show in panic and distress which really demonstrated the depth of the character to the audience. Amanda Weaver, who played Lily, and was also in charge of special effects, successfully built up suspense and fear throughout the show with her character choices and used a blood effect at the climax of the story that left the audience shocked and chilled to the bone.

The whole cast worked together to set an eerie and mysterious mood by playing a creepy video about the human heart in the background and through their use of lighting. Although characters were sometimes hard to see because of dim lighting, this contributed to a spookier tone overall. Regardless, the cast succeeded in keeping the audience on edge throughout the show.

Ink was presented in a way that mimicked a real-life video call closely. From time to time characters would forget they were muted, which made the production seem more real. Also, the writers of the show used the ability to turn off certain student's cameras to their advantage in building suspense and escalating the story line.

It can be very difficult to write and put together a production completely online, however, Annandale High School overcame this challenge and produced an outstanding performance for everyone to enjoy. Overall, Annandale High School's online production of Ink was well written, well executed, and captivating to theatre lovers and horror lovers alike.

Hayley Asai
Quince Orchard High School
Submitted for publication to Fairfax County Times

A skillful, persistent group of Annandale High School students, on a mission to bring their work online, armed with a script, some astounding special effects, and strong acting chops took a risk and uploaded their 17 minute horror play to YouTube.

The play, Ink, began with five students completing a group project over a Zoom call. After one of the students gifted a pen to another student, things began to go awry and the casual manner of the group unraveled. The story progressed toward a chill-inducing conclusion that tests the composure of the group. The play was a collaboration between five students who wrote and acted in the play.

As a whole, the cast came together to perform a work of chilling raw horror. Throughout the whole show, the production retained its organic feeling while it simultaneously reeled in the viewer with strong suspense. The talented actors were all able to create masterful characters. Annandale High School also provided the welcome addition of a diverse cast and an LGBTQ+ relationship.

The moment Han Le first entered as Yuna, her subtle, convincing acting painted her character as nothing more than a concerned student. But as the story progressed, more of her depth was revealed to fortify Yuna's deep relationship with her girlfriend. By the end of the show, Han Le was able to masterfully craft a heart-wrenching ending as the audience witnessed her collapse to her knees after heaving grief-stricken sobs. Alongside Yuna was her girlfriend, Lily, played by Amanda Weaver, who gave a frightening take on her character. Weaver's nuance and comprehension for horror acting shined through as she was able to convincingly portray being possessed.

Mariam Sesay provided the perfect balance between logic and apprehension as her character, Fatima. Her acting prowess was apparent as she drew a strong and unique contrast between herself and the other characters while still portraying a high school student. Side-by-side of Fatima was Miguel Orozco's character, Parker, who brought a fusion of pun-based humor and lightheartedness to a heavier story. There is an endearing charm when Parker cracks a pasta-related pun. Brooke, played by Haleluya Worku, peppered in a joyful amount of sass.

The writing displayed a command over the power of a narrative and admirable understanding of the horror genre. The writers excelled by forging a stellar story and succeeded in avoiding pitfalls that many studio horror films fall victim to. Although the plot had some pacing issues in the beginning, the play picked up in rhythm to effectively deliver a gripping storyline with emotional resonance. The lights that cast an ominous red hue over Lily's room were thematically appropriate and provided a strong contrast compared to the rest of the student's rooms. Special praise should also be included for Amanda Weaver, who executed the unnerving blood special effects.

Despite the absence of live theatre, Annandale High School presented a thrilling horror production that delivered a nerve-wracking experience with an edge-of-your-seat level of suspense.