ACE Goes to Long Wharf Theatre by Dana Cole

It was a cold, brittle morning when 15 students and ACE’s English teacher, Joanne Tolles, boarded a school bus bound for New Haven. The first part of the trip included a theatre workshop at the Long Wharf Theatre that Torrington High School and the ACE students attended. The focus of the workshop was to understand a little bit more about the play, while opening up your mind and loosening up. The kids participated in various activities, such as building a human maze with emotional obstacles that the kids had to get through. However, to most of the ACE students, the workshop was their least favorite part because there were too many students and not enough teachers that took away from the learning atmosphere.

After the workshop, the kids went to Ikea to shop and eat lunch. Then, it was time for the show. The play started at 2 p.m. and ran until 4 p.m. The play was called “The Price” and it was written by Arthur Miller, whose plays have been on Broadway in the past. The play was about 2 brothers that have been estranged after their father’s death and have been reunited by the demolition of their father’s old apartment, which is cluttered with tons of furniture packed into the rooms after the Great Depression.

One brother, Victor Franz, played by Marco Barricelli, was a police officer and struggling to keep him and his family’s head up. He took care of his father when his family lost everything while his brother, Walter Franz, played by Jeff McCarthy, went off to medical school. Walter became successful while Victor was stuck with dead-end jobs until his career as an officer. Now, Victor has to sell the old furniture to a man named Gregory Solomon, played by David Margulies.

Mr. Solomon was by far the favorite character of the students. Iesha Scott, who attended the play, said, “Gregory Solomon was my favorite character because he was very funny.” Gregory was colorful, loud and very old. In the play, he was supposed to be about 89 years old, with wisdom he shared with Victor and an all-knowing attitude.

Towards the end of the play, Walter walks through the door of the apartment after not seeing his brother or Victor’s wife, Esther, played by Kate Forbes, for 16 years. The moral of the play is that some relationships just can’t be healed by connections alone, there’s simply too much past in some matters.

This play was great for all ages. Joanne says, “The play was my favorite part because I think it’s unrated and one of the best things Arthur Miller has ever written.” Melissa Small, an ACE student that attended the trip, said: “What I liked most about the trip was spending time with our teacher Joanne because being outside of school with her changed my perception.” It can certainly be said that ACE trips bring students and teachers together, and this trip did just that.