The Keys
at H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program

Reviewed on May 14, 2021

Katherine Reif
Stone Bridge High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

Imagine a typical zombie-apocalypse movie. Thrilling fight scenes, gruesome murders, characters wandering through abandoned buildings in search of help. Replace the zombies with evil haunted pianos, and you'd have "The Keys," a horror-comedy one-act radio play performed by H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program. The student-written and -directed piece by Lex Garcia told the story of Jeff (Philip Juras) and Kathy (Charlotte Moulton) as they tried to escape their school, fight off hungry haunted pianos, and work through the issues in their relationship.

Creativity and ingenuity oozed from the performance. With a tiny cast of four (Juras and Moulton, as well as the Narrator played by Mirek Jungr and cool janitor Mr. Rodriguez played by teacher Travis Reyes) and a socially distanced sound stage, the play took COVID-19 restrictions in stride and sailed over them as if they were never an issue in the first place. The writing kept both the horror and comedy aspects in balance so that it neither became too scary nor too goofy to take seriously. The dialogue was expertly written, giving each character a distinct manner of speaking that remained realistic for the character. This also spoke to how well the dialogue was written for the actors (or maybe the actors were just that good); from banal gossip to genuine terror, it always sounded natural and like something a real person would say.

The play was recorded in the style of old radio plays: the four actors stood in a semicircle, with a live studio audience. The sound editing (Cameron Davis and Lex Garcia as sound editors, Josue Rocha and teacher Dan Paris as sound engineers) was seamless and thought of every detail without overpowering the actors or losing the comedic atmosphere. The mix of digital sound effects and real Foley sound effects recorded by the students brought the school to life, and while there was no video to help the audience see what was happening, the masterful incorporation of sound effects made it unnecessary.

With evil pianos as the primary antagonist, music was a guarantee. The soundtrack was composed and recorded by H-B Woodlawn alum Calista Garcia, the sister of director Lex Garcia. The music she wrote was in touch with the mood of the featured scenes. While it was a constant throughout the play, weaving in and out of the soundscape, it never overpowered the actors or sound effects. The diegetic music of the pianos talking to each other sounded like an actual conversation, which was both terrifying and unexpectedly hilarious.

Evil pianos haunting a school was such an outlandish, funky idea that it worked. It was so "out there" that the horror aspects never got too scary but was not so kooky that it couldn't be taken seriously. It struck a good balance that many family-friendly horror projects have a hard time with. Overall, the cast and crew did a remarkable job of telling the story in a way that was both understandable and complex, with nuance and humor. The end result was similar to a campfire story: comedic but with a supernatural twist. The students deserved a big round of applause for continuing to produce such work in a time when an actual zombie apocalypse wouldn't be unexpected. By making the audience laugh at their own situation, they made the world a little bit brighter. Good work, all!

Hayley Asai
Quince Orchard High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

An after-hours entrapment in a school, surrounded by bloodthirsty and murderous pianos: the optimal setting to work out your relationship problems. This is more or less the summary of The Keys, produced by H-B Woodlawn. In the student-written piece by Lex Garcia, a struggling high school couple finds themselves stuck after school in a building infested with killer pianos. What ensues in this love letter to old-time radio shows is a fascinating fusion of horror and witty comedy.

The show, recorded live in front of an audience, contained a striking yet straightforward cast of four. The three students in the show were accompanied by the performance of a teacher. Due to the small cast, all of the performances were unforgettable and able to stand on their own. This included the Narrator, played by Mirek Jungr, who showcased remarkable flair for dramatic tension in his voice acting. Through the use of sheer skill, Jungr was able to manipulate the tone and draw rousing suspense from the story. In addition, his clear, crisp, and slightly morbid-sounding tone was perfectly suited for the intimate nature of a radio show. As a whole, Jungr demonstrated a commendable level of acting that inspired intense fear while reliably filling the role of the Narrator within the show.

Though the whole cast should be applauded for their efforts and prowess, Philip Juras and Charlotte Moulton, who played the high school couple of Jeff and Kathy respectively, mastered the art of portraying a couple while providing a sense of discontent with each other. Kathy, blunt and temperamental, was played with a harsh judgment in a way that demanded the disdain of the viewer. In sharp contrast, Jeff was played with passiveness and soft-spoken clarity on a level that provided evidence of impeccable acting skills. Juras and Moulton played off each other with a comfortable level of conversation, akin to longtime friends or a close couple. Their profound acting skills allowed for their insecurities to be wordlessly drawn out by each other, from Kathy's insecurity to Jeff's constant questioning and dependence upon Kathy.

Without a doubt, the genius behind the scenes of the production was Lex Garcia. Although his work was invisible to the audience, Garcia should be lauded for writing, directing, and working on the sound editing of the show. In the end, the show was written and performed in a way that made no compromises toward the medium. Garcia's passion and remarkable storytelling skills shone through in the poignant and hilarious script.

All things considered, the show would not have been nearly as captivating without the sound design. The music throughout the show was composed specifically for the recording and several of the Foley sounds were recorded live, from the water fountain to the lockers. The sound effects were perfectly timed and aided the sense of spatial awareness in the recording. On account of this, the entire student sound team, which included Garcia, Cameron Davis, and Josue Rocha, should be thanked.

A radio show about killer pianos and a struggling couple is certainly not the image most conjure in their heads when imagining quality high school theatre. However, all works of art should be judged on their own terms rather than based on the viewer's expectation. By that measure, H-B Woodlawn's show, The Keys, succeeded immeasurably. The production was a testament to how the power of a medium has an unfathomable effect on storytelling. Thrilling and profound, this show was an excellent match for lovers of unique theatre and was certain to entertain audiences.

Teresa Ribeiro
Oakton High School
Submitted for publication to Patch (Fairfax/Alexandria)

"Like a regular play just without all that dumb visual stuff," The Keys from H-B Woodlawn was, undoubtedly, unlike anything before it. The student-written script was originally meant to be a screenplay but was adapted into a radio play to fit this year's circumstances. But don't be fooled: the show is, thankfully, nothing about the current state of the world. Instead, these students chose to focus on another equally intriguing issue: man-eating pianos. The silly humor contrasted by the scary premise, attention to the audio environment, and impressive voice acting made the show engaging and full of artistry.

The small cast allowed everyone to shine in this unique show. First, Kathy (Charlotte Moulton) and Jeff (Philip Juras) had a clear (and possibly failing) relationship. Their arguing and questioning of love in the midst of hungry piano ambushes gave a breath of reality and hilarity to the show. Juras skillfully portrayed an immature high school boyfriend, while Moulton never failed to put Jeff in his place with her sharp delivery of all her character's quips. She also was able to pull off the ever-important scream--expected of any scary story--with credibility and respect to any headphone users. Speaking of listening, every actor mastered playing off the sound design with perfection. Every beat taken and line said over background noise was thoughtful and effective. Last, but certainly not least, Mirek Jungr, the narrator, set the tone for the entire play. Without him, the story would not have been nearly as successful with its flow and reception.

In addition, the show benefited greatly from the use of various innovative technical elements. First, the background music helped establish the mood and build suspense in tandem with the writing, but it never overpowered the actors. Similarly, the writing (Lex Garcia) and sound design were packed full of imagery. The script relied on a "show not tell" approach and proved effective at putting the show into a visual environment without any visuals. Even more impressively, the students included sound effects they made themselves. Water fountains around the high school, glass, and even pool noodles were used to meet the various auditory needs of the show. Finally, all this was possible because of the clarity of all the audio in the show. Lex Garcia, Cameron Davis, Josue Rocha, and teacher Dan Paris ensured that every line was crisp and at an appropriate level for the situation of each scene. These elements all contributed to the show being an immersive experience, even in a not-so-realistic world.

The small but mighty cast, the in-depth technical work, and the personality that shined through from the entire cast and crew contributed to the successes of this show. All in all, it was full of talent, engaging, and very weird (in the best way). With all the serious topics being discussed and portrayed on stage in recent times, it was refreshing and creative of H-B Woodlawn's students to share this wacky thriller. You don't want to miss it!

Sophia Coulopoulos
Riverside High School
Submitted for publication to Insidenova - Sun Gazette

Some stories simply seem too abstract to be imagined by the human mind. A journey of self-reflection between a couple while simultaneously being hunted by several massive man-eating pianos with no help in sight -- who could possibly have imagined this concept? Well, Lex Garcia of H-B Woodlawn created this preposterous brainchild and turned it into a captivating and entertaining radio show performance. The student-written and -directed production was filled with brilliantly executed decision making and succeeded in balancing humor with horror in a truly preposterous and entertaining storyline.

Garcia's script writing was the foundation of the effectiveness and entertainment value of "The Keys." His decision to write his story around two strong and distinctive characters allowed the disconnection and tensions between them throughout the plot to grow, as Kathy's sassy and blunt nature directly clashed with Jeff's defensive nature. Further, the clashes of the couple were emphasized and heightened in the frightful and anxiety-ridden story they navigated. In addition, the variety in the pacing and ordering of the script highlighted the contrast of humor versus horror. The Narrator served an important role in gauging the intensity of horror or humor in each section of the production. Most impressively, the plot perfectly balanced the contrasting humor and horror. The most notable example of this was the ending of the production, where Jeff finally reached the fire alarm and succeeded in alerting authorities about the disastrous situation at hand, which was directly followed by a pun referencing "Piano Man" by Billy Joel. Every moment of contrast was perfectly balanced and added to the comedic value of the production.

Of course, Garcia's brilliant script writing would not be effective if it was not executed by actors who could capture the nature of his conflicting characters. Philip Juras and Charlotte Moulton perfectly portrayed not only the personalities of their individual characters, but also perfectly portrayed the relationship between them. Their chemistry continued to build as the plot progressed, as their bickering continued to grow in intensity. Whether they argued about rumors of their relationship or the claims of love, their frustration with each other manifested, and the growing tension between their characters could be felt stronger in every passing minute. In addition, Mirek Jungr's portrayal of the Narrator was foundational in the captivating nature of the entire production. His consistent vocal variation and pacing was enchanting, as his delivery made every sentence of description vividly imaginable. In combination with Jungr's performance, the innovative use of sound effects built upon the descriptive writing to create an incredibly detailed imagining of the story in the mind. The water fountain noises, opening of a locker, or smashing of a piano added emphasis when each action occurred in the narration, and in turn allowed a clearer mental image of the progression of action in the plot. More impressively, sound engineer Josue Rocha created many of these sound effects by hand.

The viewing of H-B Woodlawn's "The Keys" was a truly impressive experience. Even as an audio performance, each aspect of the production thrived without the presence of a visual aspect at all. Most impressively, the production was a prime showcase of student abilities and talents, as essentially the entire production was student created. Whether it be acting, script writing, or editing, every aspect of this production was spectacularly impressive for the students of H-B Woodlawn.