Life Finds a Way
at Robinson Secondary School

Reviewed on February 26, 2021

Beverly D'Andrea
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

One may think that the consumption of hapless guests by vicious dinosaurs would be an urgent issue. But in Robinson Secondary School's modern day Jurassic Park it's a common occurrence. With her plastic smile and grotesquely over- enthusiastic demeanor, the loss of life in the newly reopened park is a matter of course for the CEO. And for the grubby park-hand it's just "the new (at times comical) normal". Sound familiar? Robinson Secondary School's witty satirization of the current pandemic climate unmasked (pun intended) many of the issues being grappled with nationally as the students tunneled deep into the habits of COVID-19 life.

The piece was developed with the goal of finding theatre from "non-traditional sources" and it definitely hit its mark. The piece is centered around the juxtaposition of two polar opposite views, a money-grubbing CEO and an average joe who seems perfectly at home in the deadly park. This contrast creates duality within the show, by first seeing the curated, sanitized account of the dangers and preventative measures the CEO tells us, then later experiencing the gritty, if humorous, reality the park worker shows us.

The CEO, called Dianna Soerre in reference to the prehistoric animal off which she makes her money, was played by Abigail Camp. Camp's, well, campness as the CEO was shown through her exaggeratedly happy facial expressions and large movements when discussing something particularly heartless, such as comparing the flying limbs of her employees to juggling pins. The dissonance between the horrendous words coming out of her mouth and the chipper way she said them was cleverly cultivated by Camp to show that the CEO's character had no moral character; she was willing to sacrifice lives to make money.

On the opposite end of the spectrum was the park staffer, called Tracy Cerato, who was played by Katherine "KP" Porter. Whether she was walking through the woods or narrating her experiences from under a blanket, Porter gave the character a haphazard edge that was infused with the innocence of a woman simply living her life in crazy times. The fun segments from Porter's section were full of physicality, with her face and body used to show the mayhem experienced by the park staff. Porter's sense of comedic timing was always velociraptor-keen, as she narrated the grisly events at the park with glee. Porter was able to capture the essence of a real life TikTokkers' quarantine videos in her performance so that her cackling over having to floss a guest out of a dino's teeth somehow became relatable.

To truly immerse an audience in the pandemic-onium (that's a stretch) of this virtual show the technical elements worked to subtly enhance the action. The sound cues (by Beau Baldassari) were played throughout the CEO's opening speech, so that amid assurances of order and safety the faint sounds of screams and roars hinted, with all the subtlety of a charging t-rex, at the lies being spewed. The sets (by Brooke Hanser, Harry Glicklin, and Katherine "KP" Porter) added to the reality of the TikTok videos through the use of green screens and real locations. Switching between the two gave more life to the scenes and added to the feeling that at some point the abundant absurdity became normal, such as ordering goat meat in bulk from Costco.

Through comedy, duality, and dinosaurs Robinson Secondary School created an astute look at our own world and proved that life does always find a way.

Isabella Jackson
Fairfax High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

What do TikTok, dinosaurs, and an iconic franchise have in common? A wonderfully crafted show from Robinson Secondary School.

Life Finds A Way was a satirical comedy that brought to light our current social issues while giving homage to the classic franchise that many know and love, Jurassic Park. With a small cast of only two (appearing on screen), the 2-part, 15-minute play, explored the perspective of a quippy CEO striving to keep her amusement park afloat, and a rather chaotic employee of Jurassic Park trying to survive the trials and tribulations of her job. The first part titled "Sure the Velociraptors are still on the loose…" began with our CEO Dianna Soerre, played by Abigail Camp, presenting her reopening plans for Jurassic Park despite the velociraptors running rampant.

Camp's portrayal of a CEO was very realistic as she kept an even and sometimes condescending tone although she was presenting real issues to her board of investors. As the almost seven-minute monologue continued, clever lines that mentioned "masking your scent" and "staying in safe zones" quickly alerted audiences of the parallels between the comedy and COVID-19. Even when saying phrases like, "even though the velociraptors are still on the loose, we will be opening Jurassic Park back up to the public", Camp's eerily cheery tone was very comedic in contrast to what she was verbalizing. Though many would find it difficult to hold the attention of an audience with a monologue of that length, Camp seemed to do so effortlessly. The second half, "Jurassic Park Updates" explored a new and daring format, TikTok, to convey the perspective of a park staff member. Tracy Cerato, played by Katherine "KP" Porter, was an ecstatic and oblivious employee of Jurassic Park. She used TikTok to update park guests, talk about different shenanigans, and document her rather chaotic working experience. The combination of TikTok as a medium and Porter's invigorating performance was a perfect way for audiences to feel immersed in the universe this show created. Porter's portrayal of the lower-level worker was very impressive, as she made these dire situations seem realistic.

The technical aspects of the show must be mentioned, as they completely tied the piece together. Costumes by Harry Glicklin and makeup by Abigail Camp did a wonderful job of furthering the contrast of the characters. The CEO was very well dressed with professional makeup whereas the park employee - dressed in a Jurassic Park uniform - was often seen looking disheveled with dirt and cuts on her face. The well thought out sound design by Beau Baldassari and the green screen and filming work by Brooke Hanser, Harry Glicklin, and Katherine "KP" Porter furthered the comedic aspects of the piece. Additionally, there were notable details in every scene that made this show feel polished. Whether it was the fact that the employee's username was the password to the main gate, or that the CEO's name vaguely sounds like "dinosaur", all the details furthered the idea that Life Finds A Way was an extremely inspired show.

With a rehearsal and editing process that clocked in at only 6 days, Life Finds A Way is an impressive and hilarious piece from Robinson Secondary School. Between using multiple platforms, and having playful writing, this show used irony and pure comedy to reflect on how our society functions today. At only 15 minutes, this production left you wanting more and wondering what amazing things Robinson will produce next.

Stella Monner
James Madison High School
Submitted for publication to FCPS Community News

What do a park full of prehistoric creatures and a global pandemic have in common? Re-opening too early, following safety procedures, undeniable chaos? Robinson Secondary School's mockumentary comedy, Life Finds a Way, revealed exactly how much the two share.

This clever two-part satire presented the different perspectives of workers within the world of Jurassic Park. Part one featured a broadcast by the park's Chief Executive Officer, Dianna Soerre, as she updated the public on how the park was handling the recent escape of the Velociraptors. Through a plastered smile she explained that they were doing everything in their power to protect the workers, of course as she spoke, screams were echoing in the background. The tone changed in part two when we were introduced to park staff member Tracy Cerato. Through a wide range of TikToks, Cerato gave us a peek into the actual day-to-day life of a park employee. Drawing ideas from all over modern day social media and COVID restrictions, this student written show created an amusing parallel between a classic story and life in a pandemic.

Life Finds a Way could not have been pulled off without such an adept cast. Appearing in a cleverly sharp outfit, Abigail Camp opened the show as Jurassic Park's CEO, Dianna Soerre. Using masterful vocality, Camp cunningly personified a CEO in the midst of a PR disaster. Closing out the two-part performance was the incomparable Katherine "KP" Porter as Tracy Cerato, the TikTok-ing park employee. Using a variety of vlogs, live streams, and reaction videos, Porter added expertly executed remarks into this already quick-paced farce. The mixture of improv and witty one-liners perfectly suited Porter's comedic skill. Camp and Porter perfectly contrasted one another, creating undeniable humor in every line.

It was evident that no stone went unturned by the tech crew of this production as every detail was accounted for and used to immerse the viewer into the story. One of the most notable technical aspects was the unique use of green screen. The set crew (Brooke Hanser, Harry Glicklin, and Katherine "KP" Porter) brilliantly used this technology to transport the cast into an assortment of locations, from the inside of the T-rex paddock to the inner control room of the park. One scene in particular featured Porter's character Tracy Cerato running around a Costco trying to buy goat meat in bulk. Additionally, the costumes, created by Harry Glicklin, helped to define the contrast between Camp and Porter's characters. The Carol Baskin-like wardrobe, worn by Camp, helped to create another parallel between life in Jurassic Park and life in quarantine. As well as Porter's classic khaki park uniform, which helped to connect the show back to the original 1990s movie.

Robinson Secondary School's production of Life Finds a Way created a beyond a doubt funny, dinosaur themed, spoof about life in a pandemic. There is no question that when it comes to creating a scintillating satire, Robinson Secondary Jurassi-can!

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

Jurassic Park reopens, a pandemic ravages the globe, and the world silently agrees to disregard the expertise of scientists and medical professionals; what could possibly go wrong? The students of Robinson Secondary School dive into this chaotic reality in their 15-minute one-act entitled Life Finds a Way, whose name references a quote from the original 1993 film, Jurassic Park. Pulling inspiration from a satirical article written by Carlos Greaves and a random assortment of tweets from a Jurassic Park fan account on Twitter, students were able to compile a fun and engaging script using only these resources and some improvisation.

The film was split into two scenes which each feature viewpoints from various characters. The first character that was highlighted was the CEO of InGen, Dianna Soerre, who officially announced the reopening of Jurassic Park, despite the fact dinosaurs continue to roam the preserve in hunt of their next meal. The latter half of the film followed park employee, Tracy Cerato, who comedically documented her adventures within the park through a compilation of 15-60 second videos on her unauthorized TikTok account.

Abigail Camp, playing the role of CEO Dianna Soerre, used subtle reactions and a professional appearance to her advantage, beautifully portraying her character. Her calm, confident tone perfectly contrasted both the selfish message her character relayed and her visible uneasiness within the dangerous environment. Katherine "KP" Porter, playing the role of Tracy Cerato, demonstrated wonderful delivery of her lines and kept a high level of energy, even through a screen. Her ability to engage the audience made for a spontaneous, absurd, and hilarious performance.

The reliable attention to detail that the technical team demonstrated made for a consistent and professional performance. Sound design by Beau Baldassari was perfectly utilized, incorporating dinosaur roars, human screams, and gunshots to contribute to the chaos. These sound cues were flawlessly paired with Camp's monologue, reemphasizing her character's superficial display of empathy in an attempt to exploit workers for money while providing an ironic contrast to her optimistic monologue. Harry Glicklin's well thought-out costume selections further enhanced the experience, dressing Camp in animal print attire accompanied by jewelry that seemed to be made of fossils. Porter's character wore a classic staff uniform, and her face was embellished with realistic scratches and dirt, which can be credited to make-up designer Abigail Camp. Set designers Brooke Hanser, Harry Glicklin and Katherine "KP" Porter strategically used a green screen to their advantage, portraying a variety of fictional locations, among which included Diana Soerre's office, the dinosaurs' enclosures, and Cerato's home. Andrew Lawrence gave the production its final touches, including hysterical props such as the t-shirt that read "I survived a visit to Jurassic Park and all I got was this lousy t-shirt".

All in all, Robinson Secondary School was able to successfully convey a thrilling and original twist on a classic and beloved movie in only fifteen minutes. Their remarkable display of creativity just goes to show that even amidst the uncertainty of our own time, students of the arts are always able persevere and create wonderful, memorable displays of theatrics.

Susan Weinhardt
James Madison High School
Submitted for publication to Connection

In a time where live theatre is just as rare as seeing a velociraptor roaming about, creativity and inspiration can be scarce, but not for Robinson Secondary School. Their production of Life Finds a Way was a fresh take on a world we know and love, Jurassic Park, and how it is relevant in 2021.

The structure of the play differed from the traditional act by act format in that they made it in two parts. In the first part, the CEO of Jurassic Park addressed the investors' board of InGen with an update on the reopening of the park after the escape of countless dinosaurs caused it to close for two months. The second section was from the perspective of a low-level employee at the park running an unofficial TikTok account for the park.

Despite how short this production was, it was incredibly detail oriented. Part one was satirical and humorously compared reopening Jurassic Park with reopening the US during the COVID-19 pandemic, while the second half showed the reality of the situation in the park. There was a brilliant contrast between the rich CEO who only cared about money and success and the sacrificed employee who needed the job to live but could care less about the park's reputation.

The performance started out with the CEO of the park, Dianna Soerre (Abigail Camp), who was all consumed with impressing the investors and making money, despite safety concerns with opening the park. Her character build-up was entertaining to watch because of her lack of empathy and unbothered attitude. Camp's physicality and the way she kept a straight face while there were constant velociraptor roars in the background elevated the satire.

In the second half of Life Finds a Way, the point of view switches to an employee at Jurassic Park and wrangler of the dinosaurs, Tracy Cerato (Katherine "KP" Porter), who seemed to be oblivious of most things around her. One of the best parts of this innovative story was the use of TikTok and all its classic features like comments and the green screen effect, which was a welcome addition to the prerecorded storytelling. Porter used these features to her advantage, even though no one attended her live stream.

The set team (Brooke Hanser, Harry Glicklin, Katherine "KP" Porter) created different settings like Costco, the woods, and virtual backgrounds, which added an interesting touch and kept the video engaging. The editing throughout, from the clever camera cutoffs to the intro card for the InGen investor meeting, made for a simple but elevated final product. Also, the sound effects (Beau Baldassari) created velociraptor roars and gunshots that were placed perfectly and helped with the comedic timing.

Even though there was a small cast, this show had the same energy and humor, if not more, of a large show. The challenges of virtual theatre are ever present, but not as far as the dinosaur wranglers are concerned. Be sure to visit Jurassic Park in the middle of a deadly pandemic and remember that "keeping visitors safe is their number one priority!"

Julia O'Beirne
James Madison High School
Submitted for publication to Fairfax County Times

Socially distanced trips to Costco, way too much time spent on Tik Tok, novelty tee shirts, dismembered body parts: Robinson's production of Life Finds a Way truly mirrors the quarantine experience of the average viewer. This production, a combination of pieces from all over the internet, was an insightful and often hilarious satire of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The show opened with a monologue from InGen's CEO, Dianna Soerre (played by Abigail Camp), as she announced that, despite the dinosaurs still being loose, the park will be reopening to guests. She quickly made it clear that the profits were worth the risk to (others') human lives, while managing to avoid saying so directly. The second half followed park staff member Tracy Cerato (played by Katherine "KP" Porter) as she documented park life through TikTok. Several of these short videos descended into chaos, while others simply showed a regular employee trying to carry on with "business as usual", as she was instructed to do, despite the perilous pandemonium raging on around her.

The show satirized current events to a ridiculous degree but stayed believable throughout thanks to the acting skill of Camp and Porter. While their situations were extreme, their characters felt real and relatable. Camp immediately established herself as a profit-driven businesswoman with no consideration for ethics or human life, an attitude that has been seen widely through many companies' responses to the pandemic. While the crisis of the pandemic was dramatized by its Jurassic representation, Camp's acting was not. Her typical CEO fake sincerity was contrasted by the extremity of the events she described, further driving home the message of the ridiculousness of our actual reality. Porter, as park employee Tracy Cerato, was immediately likable and recognizable. She labored through daily life, deadly dinosaur attacks and the struggles of getting up on time were both treated with the same level of inconvenience for her. Porter's comedic timing was excellent, and was helped by the pacing of the segments, which she also edited. It was unclear which clips were scripted and which were improvised, which speaks to Porter's abilities as an actress. She fully inhabited her character and delivered this outrageous narrative through the familiar format of TikTok.

The characterization for these roles was well supported by the show's technical elements. Dianna appeared in a neat outfit and tidy hair and makeup, well-lit and with an appropriate and unobtrusive background. Tracy, on the other hand, appeared in various stages of dishevelment, with all manner of scrapes and smudges. The state of her costume and makeup for each scene mirrored the tone; she was better put together at the beginning and during calmer times but more and more out of sorts as the chaos at the park intensified. The costumes, hair, makeup, and backgrounds of each character reinforced the work that the actors were doing without taking away from the performance.

Overall, Robinson's Life Finds a Way was unexpectedly topical and incredibly funny. Though nontraditional in format, the characters were relatable, and the storyline was compelling. It was clear that the cast and crew put a great amount of effort into the show, and they achieved a fantastic performance as a result.