Following a successful fall run of the drama “The Learnéd Ladies”, Trinity Hall’s prestigious Queen’s Court Company is set to present their spring musical “Firebringer.” The new musical comedy follows a tribe of characters in the prehistoric era who discover fire. Students have been working tirelessly to prepare for the production, premiering at Brookdale Community College Performing Arts Center from Friday, March 8 through Sunday, March 10.
“Firebringer” tells the story of a group of cave people surviving during prehistoric times. The group is led by Jemilla, also known as The Peacemaker, played by Emily Ray Johns ‘25. Zazzalil, played by Greta Senft ‘24, tries to come up with new ideas that will help their tribe thrive. In doing so, she discovers fire, which has a great effect on her tribe and life in general. In addition to the entertaining components of the musical, Senft shares the relevance of the production’s message. She states, “The show focuses on the importance of climate change while marrying it with the perfect mix of quick-paced comedy and loveable characters.”
Director and theatre teacher Ellen Phillips is looking forward to seeing how the hilarity of the story translates to the stage. Phillips explains, “The unique thing is that it is a funny and sarcastic musical. It’s kind of like a giant SNL skit.” Another unique feature of the show is the use of special effects throughout. According to Phillips, “We figured out how to bring fire to the stage! It was a really great project with Grace Sullivan ‘24 and Katherine Calamusa ‘24, where we figured out how to make fire with water vapor and lights on the stage. It’s a cross-curricular experience, bringing together the arts and STEM. We haven’t had special effects with a lot of our shows but now we have fire, lighting, thunder, and torches, all of which have been very exciting to see come together.”
Members of the company have dedicated hours of rehearsal to prepare for the upcoming opening night, and they can’t wait to share their hard work with audiences. According to senior Maureen Donovan ‘24, who plays the role of Ducker, the musical is “QCC’s biggest and most ambitious cast yet, consisting of primarily females, to bring to the stage hilarious stone age antics”, making the show a sure crowd-pleaser.
The Queen’s Court Company’s “Firebringer” will be presented Friday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 9 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 10 at 2:30 p.m. at Brookdale Community College Performing Arts Center. Tickets can be purchased here. Playbill ads and shoutouts can be purchased here.