#IveGotABubble: CCHS Thespians uses unique promo activities to support their production of “Bubble Boy”
EntertainmentNews March 10, 2020 Admin
BY EMMA HUERTA
CCHS’s very own Thespians Troupe 0784 recently completed their final shows of “Bubble Boy,” a musical based on the namesake film in which a boy born without immunities is forced to live in a plastic bubble. Starting in December and leading up to their performances on March 5, 6 and 7, the Thespians utilized various new ways to advertise their work to the CCHS community.
One way of connecting to students was through the Thespians’ social media. In mid-January, CCHS Thespians created a TikTok account, broadening their reach on the teen-centered platform. Here, the Thespians posted 15-60 second funny videos featuring some of the cast members, and even went ‘viral’ with one such post, reaching over 200,000 views.
“When thinking of ways to publicize the show, for a bunch of us TikTok came to mind almost immediately.”
Thespians Sophomore Representative Emily Kaufman
“When thinking of ways to publicize the show, for a bunch of us TikTok came to mind almost immediately,” Thespians Sophomore Representative Emily Kaufman said. “…I knew [that] not only would it be a fun way to get the word out about our show, but to also produce fun content with the cast. After a while, I was able to catch on and understand which theater-related TikToks could get more views than others and tried to not only produce those videos to gain followers, but other ‘Bubble Boy’ related ones as well to promote the show.”
Troupe 0784 also has two Instagram accounts– one publishing general news and updates about the club (@troupe0784) and the other highlighting specific shows (@cchsproductions). The latter was the center of the “Bubble Boy” promotions, featuring action pictures and videos of the cast.
But, the behind-the-scenes clips shown on Troupe 0784’s Instagram were only a small part of their media. Using @cchsproductions, the Thespians also launched a school-wide campaign in February known as “#IveGotABubble,” in which students were asked to embrace their humane flaws, tying back to the musical’s central theme.
“We asked people on social media, as well as at the anti-bully rally, to complete the sentence ‘My bubble is…’ with something that they feel holds them back,” Thespians president Rylee Berger said. “We did this as one of the themes of ‘Bubble Boy’ is that everybody has a ‘bubble.’ We wanted to spread awareness about the show as well as to make the world a better place.”
The campaign did so well that it even reached various areas across the world, including the creator of “Bubble Boy,” Cinco Paul.
“We got submissions from different countries and states, and even got a response from the creator of ‘Bubble Boy,’” Berger said. “…[we] compiled the responses into a video that we played before our show. The day before we opened, we FaceTimed Paul and were able to talk to him about the show, which got us all excited.”
Outside of digital promotions, the “Bubble Boy” cast also pursued physical activities. On February 23, they put on a free picnic and performance event at Tamarind Park, encouraging locals to catch a glimpse and support their upcoming show.
“We decided [that] a sneak peak of the show would be a great incentive to get people to come to an event in the park,” Thespians treasurer Rachel Goldberg said. “Each cast member brought a shareable food item that our guests were welcome to, and then our cast performed numbers from the show. We also had bubble-themed activities for the little kids… This was a great way to actually connect with the people we were publicizing to.”
The diversity of CCHS Thespians’ promotional activities in support of “Bubble Boy” proved beneficial to their show’s outcome, causing a record turnout. It also benefited them competitively, showcasing to critics the passion and quality Troupe 0784 dedicates to their productions.
“So, our show ‘Bubble Boy’ was judged by a group of high school theater critics known as ‘The Cappies,’” Goldberg said. “We are not only eligible in performance categories, but also tech– for example, lights, sound and publicity… Not only is publicity important, but it was especially important to think outside the box for this show because we were being judged on our originality.”
Photo by Anabella Garcia
