Jamie Donohoe’s drama students took the stage for three consecutive sell-out performances of Campo Night Live, December 7, 8 and 9.

Each performance was accompanied by Johnny Johnson’s jazz band and featured a guest host.  Thursday’s star was math instructor Petro Petreas.  English teacher Erin Cody hosted on Friday and math instructor Jennifer Frugaletti closed out the run on Saturday.

The now annual show is a Campolindo version of the popular Saturday Night Live sketch comedy show which airs on NBC. “Some [of the scenes we] stole from SNL (Saturday Night Live), some we’ve got from stage, one I wrote, and the monologues, we collaborated on,” said Donohoe.

The scenes included skits regarding a spelling bee, video-game soldiers, and an unprofessional news report.

“I look at scenes that we have and what teachers might fit in and then look at teachers that it would be fun for the kids to have them involved as well as staff members that it would be fun for them to push themselves in a new way. These are not seasoned actors that are up there, so it is good for them,” said Donohoe.

Student auditions for the production began in September and practice started in the beginning of October.

Donohoe explained that both students and teachers collaborated with each other during the production, “The teachers have been really open with how terrified they are and they have been allowing the students to see that, so them going through that process has had a really cool effect on the student actors. Seeing an adult who’s able to get up there and say I’m scared is pretty inspiring for them, and the student actors have really taken the adults under their wings and helped them along so as a collaborative process it’s been really fun.”

“They helped me with my lines. They have given me suggestions on how to find the right note when I am singing. They have helped me come up with ideas to help make it funnier, and they have just been very encouraging,” Frugaletti said.

According to Frugaletti, working with the students made her “see some kids in a way that I didn’t know them before. Kids that I thought… were very quiet and shy were very gregarious and extremely funny and quick.”

“Add on Johnney Johnson and the jazz kids. They very professionally have come in and are able to put in pieces of music where we need to to transition, so its been a wide range of people working together which has been really cool,” said Donohoe. 

“When Mr. Donohoe first had the idea for that show format, he called me up, …and I thought it was a great idea so we started right away,” Johnson said.

Starting a month before the show, the jazz students spent time preparing specific musical accompaniment. “We attend their first off-book rehearsal, so we can get an idea of what the content of those scenes look like so we can start designing the little intros and outros related music,” Johnson said.

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