The Hotchkiss Dramatic Association (HDA) presented this year’s first main stage production, Pippin, music and lyrics by Steven Schwartz, from November 7-9.
Pippin tells the fictional story of Charlemagne’s firstborn son, Pippin, played by Jack McCarthy ’26, as he searches for meaning and fulfillment. The narrative is presented as a show within a show, performed by a troupe of actors in the style of early medieval theatre.
Thirty-five students collaborated to bring Pippin to life in just under two months. “We started by learning the music for the show and then added choreography. The final step of the process was adding the technical elements: live musicians, props, lights, microphones, costumes,” said Ms. MK Lawson, instructor in theatre and the director of Pippin. “It’s a lot of work!”
Rehearsals for musicals are typically split between scene work and choreography, but this production posed a unique challenge, since the lead actor appeared in every scene of the play, requiring the team to work one scene at a time.
For Olivia Kwon ’26, who played Catherine, Pippin’s love interest, another obstacle to overcome was singing before such a large audience. “There were many moments I felt unconfident with the higher notes I had to hit. Thankfully, Ms. Lawson and Mr. Dan Koch, our musical director, worked closely with me to boost my confidence and technique,” said Kwon.
When Pippin meets Catherine’s son, Theo, played by Hermione Wu ’27, their unlikely friendship leads to some of the funniest moments in the show. The audience erupted in laughter at Pippin’s many futile attempts to comfort a stubborn Theo after his pet duck’s death. Wu said, “It’s not my first cross-gender role, but playing Theo challenged me to capture the physicality of a young boy and to convey his connection with Pippin and Catherine.”
Pippin’s story was narrated by the charming and mysterious Leading Player, played by Carla Oudin ’26. She said, “The Leading Player is supposed to feed off the audience, so it pushed me to step outside my comfort zone and truly have fun while performing.”
To capture the spirit of Pippin’s journey, the show included several action-packed scenes featuring dances, stunts, and fight choreography. “My favorite song to perform was ‘Glory.’ Stage fighting is like grown-up kids playing pirates, so performing the scene was a dream,” said Lily Siris ’26.
The play also included domestic and romantic scenes, including the duet “Love Song,” which marked a pivotal moment in Pippin and Catherine’s relationship. Kwon said, “Not only is it a beautiful, romantic duet, but Jack and I had great onstage chemistry, so it was easy to act truthfully in the moment and get lost in the song’s charm.”
Tyler Rosenblum ’26, who starred as Amos in last year’s Chicago, took on a vastly different role in Pippin as the heartless and commanding King Charles. “I knew I had to be bold and confident in my acting to do the role justice, and it has helped me expand my range as an actor,” Rosenblum said.
The play coincided with Taft Day, and a number of theatre students from Taft, who had closed their own production of Pippin just one week earlier, stayed to attend the production. “It felt very exciting to connect with another school’s theatre program and represent Hotchkiss on stage,” said Ryan Lee ’28, who played Lewis, Fastrada’s son.
The HDA Board and Ms. Lawson decided on this year’s theme, “Innocence Lost.” Looking ahead to the Winter season production of Frankenstein and Spring production of Romeo & Juliet, Ms. Lawson said, “We wanted to explore stories about young people’s disillusionment as they begin to figure out the world for themselves and navigate life without the guidance they need. I think everyone will really enjoy seeing how the three shows connect back to our theme.”
