Introduction

No, this column is not about Sayville scandal, gossip, or who dated whom. It’s about our high school drama club, plays, musicals, and memories.

I was at a BBQ recently and got to talking to June Billera Zegel (class of 1968) who’s a friend of my husband’s aunt Betsy Celander Zalaski (class of 1966). She told my daughter how I had acted in the plays, and that her son Jason Zegel (class of 1988) had directed me in a one-act play. She also told us an anecdote about her time in the Sayville plays. I hope she’ll share it here in the future; it was certainly surprising! And it got me thinking: why not have a section on Sayville Alumni about the plays? People could share their memories. I had photos, tickets, posters, and programs tucked away. I could share them on the site, and hopefully, others would follow. I reached out to Hal Brown, site administrator, and here we are!

My first experience of the Sayville Players was even before high school. My mother used to take us to the local school plays and musicals. I loved them, and couldn’t wait to be in the plays. I graduated from St. Lawrence the Martyr in Sayville, and when given a choice between continuing on to a Catholic high school or going to Sayville public schools, it was a no-brainer for me. I have three older sisters who are also Sayville alumni (Becky, Eva; and Laura), while two of my sisters chose to attend St. Joseph’s Academy instead.

Being in the plays and musicals was the best part of high school for me. People tend to think of drama geeks as loud and obnoxious, as the kind of kids who get up in the cafeteria and make a spectacle of themselves. But in reality, some actors can be painfully shy and it’s a form of hiding and a chance to become someone else. The drama club allowed us to escape and have fun. I was lucky enough to be in all but one of the plays and musicals and it was a great experience.

I read that Mr. Steven Hailey, our Sayville drama teacher, retired in 2017 after 39 years (see page 6 of Mr. Hailey’s link). I hope he enjoys his retirement.

I didn’t continue with drama beyond high school, though I miss it. As one of six kids, I knew I needed to have a career that could support me. Being a starving artist didn’t seem like a smart option! I stayed local for college and graduate school, started my career as a children’s librarian, and got married. My husband is a Sachem alum so we stayed where our roots were. Sadly for me, all five of my sisters have left Long Island. And as life can be cyclical, my daughter is now enjoying acting. She takes classes at Gateway Playhouse and had a part in her middle school musical. I hope she’ll have even happier memories than I have.

So take a look at the “All the Drama” section on the www.sayvillealumni.org page. If you’d like to send in your own memorabilia, scan and email it to Hal at [email protected] and be sure to include information like what play or musical it was, what year, and names of anyone who appears in the photos (if you can remember the names).

2. January 1988 – “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller

The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller about the Salem witch trials. The SHS January 1988 production was done as a theatre in the round. The small stage was created on the main stage, with the audience chairs encircling it. The audience was very close to the actors.

As part of the play, I was originally supposed to play the part of one of the girls “afflicted” by witchcraft. Writhing and screaming was part of the role. Sounds easy, but it goes against natural civilized behavior and feels awkward in practice!

I ended up playing the role of Mrs. Ann Putnam though after the original actor dropped out shortly before the opening. Maybe she got sick or lost her voice? I can’t remember her name or the reason. So I scrambled to learn those lines.

Because the audience was so physically close, I didn’t put in my contact lenses. That way the audience was blurry, and it helped me focus on acting instead of the audience!

If you have any photos or memories you’d like to add about the 1988 production of The Crucible, contact the site administrator [email protected]

3. 1988 – “Carnival” by Michael Stewart. Music & lyrics by Bob Merrill

1988 Carnival – Pictures

courtesy of Douglas Marino

4. 1988 – “One Act plays”

The Sayville High School annual one-act plays gave seniors the chance to try their hand at directing the underclassmen. It was a different experience for each of us, with different directors and actors for each one-act play.

There was always some tension when we tried out, hoping that a senior we admired would choose us for their scene. From serious to hilarious, the scenes and experiences ran the gamut.

I only have the program from the 1988 one-act plays to show for it. If you have any photos or an experience to add, send them to the site administrator [email protected]

5.  What was a senior high school play like back in 1913?  Come read about our students performing the comedy play “Galliger”!  Click to enlarge the new article…