On the Scene

"Richard III" has demanded longer hours from its cast and crew than most Harvard productions. The students say the show has become their life, overwhelming their academic and social lives.

"The long hours started much earlier than they do for normal plays," says cast member Ahana Kalappa '01, who plays the Marquis of Dorset.

The first read-through was in the first week of March, and rehearsals began the week before spring break. During the past two weeks, they have been at rehearsal, on-call from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. every night.

Thandi O. Parris '02, who plays Henry, Earl of Richmond and the Second Murderer, says her social relationships are either nonexistent or rapidly deteriorating because she doesn't see other people besides the Richard cast. But she accepts this because she "loves the cast and the theater experience."

"You deal with it," she says. "Everyone wants this production to be really good...we want to see the results."

Some of the actors say the play is more of a priority than their academics. Most say they can catch up on their classes after the curtain has closed for the last time.

"This is a job, more so than my schoolwork," McClelland says.