What happens when you put talented directors, musicians, performers, and those trained in tech in the same room? You get the phenomenal theater experience of MO Show. Every year “The Musical Offering”, a company that offers voice and instrument lessons, and past directors select a board of high school students to take on the great responsibility of writing and composing an original musical. This year’s show, titled “The Quest For Camelot”, was directed and written by Leela Wittenberg Trubowitz, choreographed by Olivia Tankevicius, and composed by Lucienne Juhnke. These three worked tiredly to help ensure that this amazing show could perform in late January. Leela started writing, scheduling, and advertising the show over a year ago! MO Show is meant to share the creative talents of students by letting them put their minds together to create something so original. It is a great outlet for students to be themselves and create a safe environment for students to have fun and do what they love to do, whether that is singing, playing an instrument, or helping behind the scenes. Wittenberg Trubowitz said, “It was a lovely community. I saw something special there and I wanted to continue to cultivate that and keep it going.”
“The Quest For Camelot” explored the story of Mordred (Elliot Hoffner) returning home to Camelot after his father, who is the ruler, sent him on a quest to become a better king. After some time his father realizes their town is in desperate need of saving, so the king requests his brother and his pack of pirates to return Mordred back home. Of course, Mordred doesn’t take this journey by himself. He is helped by his friend—or so they say—Aglovale (Ava Kamae). They bump into a princess, Guinevere (Harper Nowlin), who also joins them on their quest. However, things start to go south when the trio becomes captured by pirates commanded by King Arthur, Mordred’s father. After catchy songs and some intense fight choreography, they finally return to Camelot. In the end, they realize that what they were searching for was right in front of them. Mordred and Aglovale fall in love, and so do two of the villains. It shows that even when searching for something that seems so far from home, it may be right in front of your eyes. The play also encapsulates the importance of community and the importance of relationships. In the current climate of the world, when the future might look daunting, this show holds as a reminder that you still have a community you can reach out to for help and support. Just like Mordred, you don’t need to go through jour- neys alone. While watching this show, I was blown away by the talent that was on the stage, especially since they only rehearsed once a week! Lauren Barnett who played the pirate Elaine said, “It was kind of tough… But everything turned out okay!”
If you are thinking about being a part of MO Show, whether directing, pit, cast, or crew you should do it! The space it cultivates is unique, an opportunity you won’t want to miss.
“It is such a rewarding experience and a low-stress and low-competitive environment,” states Wittenberg Trubowitz. Congratulations to the cast, crew, pit, tech team, and board for yet another great Mo Show!
