At Niles North, we are fortunate to have incredible fine arts and music programs. One of the most respected and acclaimed of these programs is the Niles North Theatre, run by esteemed director Timothy Ortmann.  Niles North Theatre will once again be putting on their annual fall play this October, with this year’s production being Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom.

Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom is the story of suburban youth who become addicted to a new shooter video game in which you must kill hordes of zombies to win. It’s all fun and games until the two worlds merge, and reality is blurred.

Niles North’s fall play kicks off the theatre season which also includes a winter play and a spring play, as well as various other smaller productions through out the year. The fall play is important to the theatre program as it sets the tone for the rest of the year, though there has already been one production this year, Deathtrap, which was performed at the beginning of the school semester.

The actors and actresses in this year’s fall production include a diverse cast, and seniors such as Jacob Bernstein, Tommy Montgomery, and Uche Nwansi are sure to play a big part in making Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom a success.

Not only is being involved in the play a fun and interesting extracurricular, it also has benefits outside of the stage, as actors and actresses get a perspective that a non-theatre participant simply does not have.

“My favorite thing about being in the play is getting to see how your character contributes to the plot, and how your actions really affect how the play unfolds. It makes you think about how your actions shape your future and how you really have to think about what you do in life. Besides that, Neighborhood 3 is something that I think everyone can enjoy, and it’s a lot darker than a lot of the plays I’ve been in.” Stephen Decker, sophomore, who plays Tobias in Niles North’s performance of Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom, said.

Decker, an honor roll student who also plays baseball, also says that being involved with Niles North Theatre has made him more “well-rounded” and has allowed him to be friends with people he would not have met had it not been for participation in acting.  

But not only does the play benefit the students that are involved, but also the teachers that give their valuable time to assist in putting on the play.

“Connecting my classes and their work to the work that we do here in theatre and on the play has made me a better teacher and theatre instructor.” Megan Baskin, a teacher in both the English and Theatre departments here at Niles North, said.

[perfectpullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”Connecting my classes and their work to the work that we do here in theatre and on the play has made me a better teacher and theatre instructor.”[/perfectpullquote]

It seems that everyone involved with Niles North Theatre has nothing but positive things to say about the program and each member of the program, whether they be actors, crew members, or teachers, work diligently to ensure the that Niles North Theatre maintains its stellar reputation. With this reputaion, there is no doubt that Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom will be another success production.

Niles North Theatre will present Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom on October 13, 14, 15. There will be a free community performance at 10:00 a.m. on October 13.