The curtains part, revealing a stage lined with cast members dressed in black and a hospital scene featuring the main characters Constantine Wright, played by senior Michael Chang, and Piper Lomax, played by junior Lauren Quimson. This is the scene of one of DVHS Drama’s two annual productions: the play “I Heard You Were Dead” by Don Zolidis, which ran from Oct. 24-26.
Set in their junior year, the play tells the story of Constantine, a boy recovering from leukemia, and Piper, a girl in the midst of her parents’ divorce. The story begins at the start of the year and is divided into five parts, two parts each dedicated to Constantine and Piper, and the last to Constantine’s love interest: Chloe Jimenez, played by junior Natalie Aires. The play follows Constantine’s journey to win Chloe’s heart, as well as Piper’s struggles with her family as she attempts to become a published author.
Over the course of the story, the plotlines of both main characters continuously intertwine as the alternating parts and perspectives reveal more and more of their character arcs. The resulting contrasts provide more depth to each scene.
The play also makes the particularly interesting move of overlapping the chronology of each segment, presenting the same scenes from opposite perspectives. By offering the same scenes from a slightly different view, the audience is able to understand more nuance behind the characters’ relationships.
The play has a small cast, featuring only three central characters, a handful of named side characters, and an ensemble of the remaining cast members. That isn’t a detriment, though; rather, the tight-knit cast is precisely what makes the story work so well. Much of the play’s plot progression happens during moments of playful banter and conversation between Piper and Constantine.
With so few characters to utilize, the chemistry between the cast members was crucial to the success of the play. Quimson emphasized how the bond she developed with Chang was essential for portraying Piper’s relationship with Constantine: “I would always try to sit near Michael to talk to him more, and since it was such a small cast, we were all able to talk and bond with each other.”
Chang echoed this sentiment, noting that Quimson’s “bubbly, energetic” personality was a natural fit for the role of Piper and that “being natural and spending time together during rehearsals” allowed their performances to feel more genuine.
Along with the realistic character relationships, the actors do a phenomenal job of portraying the intense emotions felt by their characters. Their talents are most evident during the play’s emotional climaxes as both Piper and Constantine are given the chance to let out their grievances in explosive moments of pent-up angst.
Quimson, who plays Piper, shared her process for connecting with the character’s emotional story, explaining, “I channeled my past into her,” which helped her convey Piper’s vulnerability and growth on stage.
Adding to the play’s charm is its mix of dark humor and introspective moments. This humor — a refreshing contrast to the serious themes of illness and family conflict — brought a distinct energy to the performance, which Quimson highlighted as a key to engaging the audience.
She notes, “That dark comedy aspect helped engage the audience, creating a very unique viewing experience.” Unlike DVHS Drama’s other somber productions, such as last year’s “Radium Girls,” “I Heard You Were Dead” balanced its darker elements with humor that felt relatable, allowing the audience to connect with the story in a meaningful way.
Ultimately, DVHS drama does a wonderful job of coupling tasteful dark comedy and heartfelt messaging as they tuck this new flavor of production under their belt. Look forward to their next production in the musical “Addams Family,” with showings from February 6-8.
