Cappies Review: 'Life Finds A Way' At Robinson Secondary School

By Alex Beach of Fairfax High School

Jurassic Park reopens, a pandemic ravages the globe, and the world silently agrees to disregard the expertise of scientists and medical professionals; what could possibly go wrong? The students of Robinson Secondary School dive into this chaotic reality in their 15-minute one-act entitled "Life Finds a Way," whose name references a quote from the original 1993 film, "Jurassic Park." Pulling inspiration from a satirical article written by Carlos Greaves and a random assortment of tweets from a Jurassic Park fan account on Twitter, students were able to compile a fun and engaging script using only these resources and some improvisation.

The film was split into two scenes which each feature viewpoints from various characters. The first character that was highlighted was the CEO of InGen, Dianna Soerre, who officially announced the reopening of Jurassic Park, despite the fact dinosaurs continue to roam the preserve in hunt of their next meal. The latter half of the film followed park employee, Tracy Cerato, who comedically documented her adventures within the park through a compilation of 15-60 second videos on her unauthorized TikTok account.

Abigail Camp, playing the role of CEO Dianna Soerre, used subtle reactions and a professional appearance to her advantage, beautifully portraying her character. Her calm, confident tone perfectly contrasted both the selfish message her character relayed and her visible uneasiness within the dangerous environment. Katherine "KP" Porter, playing the role of Tracy Cerato, demonstrated wonderful delivery of her lines and kept a high level of energy, even through a screen. Her ability to engage the audience made for a spontaneous, absurd, and hilarious performance.

The reliable attention to detail that the technical team demonstrated made for a consistent and professional performance. Sound design by Beau Baldassari was perfectly utilized, incorporating dinosaur roars, human screams, and gunshots to contribute to the chaos. These sound cues were flawlessly paired with Camp's monologue, reemphasizing her character's superficial display of empathy in an attempt to exploit workers for money while providing an ironic contrast to her optimistic monologue. Harry Glicklin's well-thought-out costume selections further enhanced the experience, dressing Camp in animal print attire accompanied by jewelry that seemed to be made of fossils. Porter's character wore a classic staff uniform, and her face was embellished with realistic scratches and dirt, which can be credited to make-up designer Abigail Camp. Set designers Brooke Hanser, Harry Glicklin and Katherine "KP" Porter strategically used a green screen to their advantage, portraying a variety of fictional locations, among which included Diana Soerre's office, the dinosaurs' enclosures, and Cerato's home. Andrew Lawrence gave the production its final touches, including hysterical props such as the t-shirt that read "I survived a visit to Jurassic Park and all I got was this lousy t-shirt."

All in all, Robinson Secondary School was able to successfully convey a thrilling and original twist on a classic and beloved movie in only fifteen minutes. Their remarkable display of creativity just goes to show that even amidst the uncertainty of our own time, students of the arts are always able to persevere and create wonderful, memorable displays of theatrics.

"Life Finds a Way" can be found in two episodes at: https://youtu.be/porTgPo_x0A and https://youtu.be/w8Jr9z9Hf5w.