100 THINGS I NEVER SAID TO YOU and 100 LOVE LETTERS I NEVER SENT at Teaneck High School

100 THINGS I NEVER SAID TO YOU is a poetic exploration of death, loss, and grief through the lens of teenagers whose classmate has died, they share memories and say the things they never told “Julia” (who has died in a car accident) as they attempt to heal. We often expect people to express grief in certain ways, and may judge people when they do not meet those expectations. This play explores the full variety of responses to grief –shock, sadness, anger, guilt, and even humor. The companion piece, 100 LOVE LETTERS I NEVER SENT, is a collection of spoken aloud love letters describing the kaleidoscope of ways people can love one another. The letters vary in tone, from sweet to bitter to hilarious to outright confusing. The play is as expansive as love itself.

Director T.S. Murphy noted “These one acts could be done with 1 or 100 actors. I chose 10 to embody the rollercoaster of the emotions of love, loss, and exploring life as we know. I incorporated video projects to engage the audience in the narrative … it’s a devised theatre piece with the actors creating these non-scripted characters, creating various tableaus to illustrate their journey. I created prologues for each one act to ground the emotional content of each production and the landscape the characters are inhabiting.”

The two one acts are a unique collaboration between THS faculty, alumni, and students, directed byT.S. Murphy (faculty), assistant directed by Ari Hiller (alumni), with technical direction by Jamie Boyle (faculty), video projections by Leo Aristiumuno (faculty), costumes and make-up by Emily Smith (faculty), production manager is Tzippy Hiller (parent), and Jayden Richardson, Janelle Edwards, Nina Washington, Olivia Cancel (students) serving as the Stage Managers.

The ensemble cast includes THS seniors Nicole Beltre, Sofia Candelario, Esa Gadson, and Henry Hietikko-Parsons along with Hamish White, Sebastian Mendoza, Nathaniel White, Kealyn Victoria, Tova Roth, and Sydney Zarro. Anaiza Cruz and Alexander Perez are understudies/swing.