Scary play ‘TRAP’ sprung by David Douglas High School Theater troupe

Get your tickets now for this unique show – loaded with suspenseful thrills and chills; it’s a play like none you’ve ever seen …

Here, as David Douglas High School Theater students rehearse their winter play Trap – in the spotlight, Norma Pike [played by student actor Lucy Stokes], the play’s central doomed figure, appears after the “incomprehensible event” takes place in front of astonished news reporters [played by student actors Justina Miller-Sanchez, Bella Pahomsky, and Ruby Wilson].

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

The winter dramatic play, now on stage in the Horner Performing Arts Center at David Douglas High School (DDHS), is called Trap.

“This play is something different from what we’ve ever done before,” DDHS Drama instructor, and the show’s faculty director, David Rosenbaum, told East Portland News before a dress rehearsal began.

Directing a scene in Trap, in truly spooky lighting, is the show’s faculty director, David Rosenbaum.

“We’ve done a lot of comedies, we’ve done a lot of dramas, but we’ve never done a horror/thriller show before this,” Rosenbaum said. “It’s a new and different experience for our student actors, and it’ll be a unique and novel show for our audiences.

“The play isn’t well-known because it was specifically written in 2017 to be performed by high school theater companies; it isn’t a Broadway show that was made into a movie and then a high school play,” explained Rosenbaum.

Wrongly convicted of murder, a handcuffed Jonathan Mollusk [played by student actor Griffin Bloomquist-Hulbert] is confronted by the father and two-armed henchmen [played by student actors (left to right) Vicky Juarez, Bruno Lopez, and Kaylan Caputo], after the disappearance of his son.

While in a mental institution, Angela Lure, a high school student – and the sole conscious survivor of the “incomprehensible event” – is interrogated by Lead Investigator Detective Gwendolyn Heche [played by student actor Anjali Evers], in an attempt to learn more about a mysterious occurrence.

About the story
Set in the fictional town of Menachap, California, a perplexing situation unfolds as every person in the audience of a high school play falls unconscious. Every one, except one person.

As investigators interview witnesses, emergency first-responders and friends, a theatre group brings the story of this bizarre occurrence to life in the style of a documentary. However, as the narrative’s threads interconnect into a threatening tangle, it becomes obvious that the tragic phenomenon hasn’t ended.

Trap is a “play within a play” that explores themes of terror, gossip, and collective madness.

Professor Marion Jay [played by student actor Bella Pahomsky], an expert on “pharonochs” – non-human creatures who disguise themselves as people, and feed on fear – suspects that she may be in danger.

Actors play multiple roles
The cast is an ensemble of 14 actors, each of whom play different roles as the story unfolds under the guidance of a student director. And the cast is ably supported by a Theater Technical crew of 25.

The spooky set begins at the front edge of the stage and extends down into what would be the orchestra pit area of their musicals, giving it the feel of a giant “black box theater” experience.

Kenosha R. Silberling-Johnson [played by student actor Sal Vergara] seems to be the only person who witnessed the initial mysterious event. In the woods, she’s surrounded by other students [played by Justina Miller-Sanchez, Jo Pair, Ruby Wilson, Lucy Stokes, and Braxton Warren] – or could they all be “pharonochs”?

See Trap on stage through March 15
At 7:30 p.m. on March 7 and 13, the curtain goes up on this popular one-act thriller. Or, take in a Family Matinee show at 2:30 p.m. on March 8th or 15th.

Note: This show is best suited for audiences aged 12 years and older. While not containing explicit gore or inappropriate language, the play revolves around a strange, unexplained event, and feels intense and very spooky.

Go see Trap for a unique theatrical experience.

Tickets: $12 for adults, $8 for students and seniors. Don’t miss out; get your tickets securely online: CLICK HERE. All performances are in the David Douglas Horner Performing Arts Center, located at Horner Performing Arts Center 1400 SE 130th Avenue, 97233.

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