Starting on Thursday, October 29th, the newest Black Box theater production will hit the stage. This two act show, titled “The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds,” will also play on Friday, October 30th, and then will take a short break before returning to the stage on November 5th and 6th. The shows will be held at 3pm and 7pm each day. All audience members will need to pay $5 at the door. The show will be directed by senior Maia Cataldo.

The play features a family of three women who struggle with their lives. This show centers around the science loving youngest member of the family, Tille. Other major characters include the oldest sister, Ruth, who is eccentric and has a form of epilepsy, and the girls’ mother, Beatrice, who is selfish and only wants to see her children succeed if she too can benefit from it in some way. According to Cataldo, this is the main conflict of the production.

The cast is made up of freshmen and sophomore girls in both the acting and technical sides of the production. Sophomore Madison Gallagher will play Beatrice, Ruth will be played jointly by sophomores Hollie Lane-Smith and Abby Wood, and Tille will be played by freshman Sarah Balian. The nanny will be played by sophomore Maya Kapur, and lastly, Janice Vickery will be played by freshman Alyssa Ramoutar. The assistant director and stage manager positions will be held by sophmores Devon Whitney and Sarah McKinley, respectively.

While the script itself is not of a deep personal connection to Cataldo, she connects to the members of the cast as it relates to past shows she has been in at WA.

“It is an all women’s show, and my freshman year, I was cast in an all women’s show. My director, her sophomore year, was cast in an all women’s show and so its kind of a line tradition and in that sense it means a lot to me […],” said Cataldo.

Cataldo has a wealth of experiences that qualify her for the position of director, as she played in shows as far back as elementary school, all the way through middle school, and in high school as well. She is currently the president of WATA (Westford Academy Theater Arts) and is planning to audition for other shows in the next couple of seasons. Additionally, Cataldo is currently taking a playwriting class at WA, and is doing her independent study, or an additional study into a topic such as theater, with Micheal Towers of the theater arts program.

“I live and breath for this department,” said Cataldo.

Cataldo believes that all students should go to the show to support the students who have worked so hard, likening it to how students attend sporting events to support their peers. She also noted that it is a family show and dramatizes family issues, but still will offer content that may have an effect on students.

Finally, Cataldo took the opportunity to speak about her thankfulness for the chance to direct a show at WA.

“It’s an honor. I have been coveting this role since my freshman year. […] This such an honor and such a big milestone and accomplishment. I’m just thanking my lucky stars everyday that I get to do it,” said Cataldo.