Banua 2024. Known as one of the most popular and long-awaited nights for Fenwick, it’s a tradition full of song, dance, laughter and excitement for audience members and performers alike! From sketches to larger band numbers, dances to intimate solo performances, Banua is a show full of variety for all sorts of walks of life. For many students, Banua is an integral part of the Fenwick community and is special to many. Mr. Caleb Faille, co-director and producer of Banua, puts it best by stating, “I think Banua is so special because it involves more than just the small BFG community. We are able to incorporate more students who don’t typically go on stage…It’s also really cool to discover new talent.” Mr. RJ Schelsinger, co-director of Banua, expands that by saying, “it’s in that last word, there: community. I think Banua is so cool because everyone comes together, people that wouldn’t necessarily be together otherwise. People that are in athletics, other different clubs, other different walks of life and interests that don’t have the time or the ability to be on stage performing otherwise but this gives them that opportunity.” But what makes Banua, Banua? From behind the scenes through the crew and the creative team, the sketch writers and the performer’s themselves, let’s take a look into the creative and amazing process behind it all. 

No show can truly come to fruition without a creative team. Consisting of teachers and moderators, mainly Mr. Caleb Faille and Mr. RJ Schlesinger, the show undergoes serious amounts of development in order for it to become what is on the Fenwick stage. In an interview with Mr. Faille and Mr. Schlesinger, the creative process goes as far back as spring of the year prior. During this time, they choose a theme. The theme for this year’s show is “On the Prairie”. Mr. Schlesinger described it as “it was mainly inspired by the students that auditioned. We had a lot of acoustic, country and a lot of things that fit that genre. So, to fit what students were giving us, we wanted to change the theme to reflect that…it reflects that coming together, community, in a peaceful, harmonious, and nature-filled place. The prairie has a lot of natural beauty, and our students are able to add to that with their talent.” But once a theme is put into place, next comes the audition process, sketches, and the construction. Auditions help Mr. Faille and Mr. Schlesinger get a sense of what to expect for the upcoming season. They look for acts with variety including dances, large band numbers and solos – vocal or instrumental. Once they determine acts, they start building a set, undergo tech week and the weekend of performances. When asked about the transition from the typical January/February schedule to May, both agreed that it was mainly due to student outreach. “Because there are so many students that like to come to Banua and more students involved in Banua, it made sense to end the year with it. It’s our biggest attendance and we also wanted an opportunity for our alumni to come back,” said Mr. Faille.

There are other variables to Banua beyond the creative team, however. These include our stage crew. Although small, they are quite mighty. Clara Kalas (‘24, sound stage), Kaz Stone (‘24, construction), and Bella Tesfaye (‘27, backstage) are just a few members of the team. The reality is that the stage crew is an important piece of the show. Without them, a show wouldn’t be able to function. Kalas describes it the best, stating “Crew is so important for Banua! Without Crew, there’s no real set, no lighting, stools, mics, and large instruments don’t go on and off stage. Crew makes sure that the show runs smoothly and the people who are performing are able to put forth their best self!”. As a member of sound, Kalas’ role is the most involved. “With so many people participating [in Banua] and so many different acts, a major part of running sound for the show is actually planning. We make up something called a mic plot which allows us to see what mics need to be turned on and off…and during tech is when we adjust things that don’t work. Sound crew is also in charge of handheld mics and getting them on/off stage.” Backstage is also another important part of Banua. Freshman, Bella Tesfaye said that being a backstage member “is one of the most fun things that I’ve chosen to do…Sometimes it can be chaotic, especially when people have mic switches or when we run projections. I have to listen to all the cues, and it requires a lot of focus.” Meanwhile, Kaz Stone, Senior and member of the construction crew, gave us a glimpse of what to expect for the set. “We’re going for a picnic set on the prairie, so each of the ‘stages’ will have their backing painted to look like a time of day. We’re using flowers to adorn the floor and backing along with picnic blankets, string lights and lanterns.”

But what about the sketches produced? With a team of mainly juniors and seniors, including Charlie Phillips (‘24) and Nina Caliendo (‘24), the sketch writing room (commonly known as the choir room) is filled with laughter after school. Phillips and Caliendo are fairly novice writers in the field as it is their first and second year joining, however they’ve found themselves in a promising and exciting position. Phillips described the role of sketch writers as “Essentially, we write the comedy sketches that are interspersed throughout the show. You have these acts but in between you have these fun, comedic sketches that poke fun at Fenwick over the past year – SNL style. Our job as sketch writers is to write/produce those”. Sketch Writers will spend about an hour after school, twice a week working on sketches. They will brainstorm ideas, write them out, see how it forms and finally determine whether it is audience appropriate. When asked what sketch should students be on the lookout for, Caliendo stated “to watch out for ‘Meet the Admins’. It’ll be played on both nights!”. 

Now, Banua isn’t Banua without its acts. Mia Hernández (‘25) and Rose Fagiolo (‘24) are both performers. Hernandez, who mostly plays guitar and is testing her hand at singing, will be performing with Banua Chorus along with a couple duets: “Jersey Giant” and “Count on Me”. Similarly, Fagiolo, who is also part of sketch writers, will be performing in Banua Chorus as well as some solo, duet and band numbers. Fagiolo stated that the best thing about performing for Banua, is “Seeing the variety of talent we have at Fenwick…Seeing people walk the hallway you would never guess that someone is a pro ballerina or an insanely talented musician, but Banua brings us Friars together! It’s also amazing for collaborating with new people and gaining friendships!” When asked about her personal creative process, Hernández states that “the process isn’t super overwhelming, but since I’m singing this year, it is a bit more nerve wracking. I just need to remind myself that I have so much support while I’m on stage and that even if I make a mistake, the reality is, no one will notice.”  

Each of these groups, no matter how big or small, play a huge role in the creation of Banua. Without even one pillar, the show would fall. Banua has such an important role in the Fenwick community. From the perspective of Mia Hernandez, the beauty of Banua is that “everyone is able to showcase their talents for not just the Fenwick community, but beyond. It also display’s Fenwick as a school with such well-rounded individuals.” Charlie Phillips described it as  “having everyone come together to create a variety show…It’s funny, it’s honest, it’s true and just very entertaining.” So, as we reach the coming May, keep that Friday May 10 and Saturday May 11 open! You never know what new talent will be on the rise!