Witty, funny and a little bit of a heart-tugger, the musical ”110 in the Shade” was truly a Trinity Department of Theatre Arts masterpiece. With a cast and crew of only 32 students, nearly half the number participating in previous years’ plays, Trinity pulled off a classic which, as artistic director Dr. William P. Bradford II put it, “Any teacher would find worth the time to study in class.” The musical, produced by Mr. Walter Dowling, takes place during a drought in the 1920s in the dust bowl. While a small town worries about their farms and cattle, protagonist Lizzie Curry, a role split by actresses Ellie Chancellor, a senior at the Youth Performing Arts School, and Olivia Passafiume, a junior at Sacred Heart Academy, worries about finding a man to love and take care of her for the rest of her days. After an unsuccessful trip to find a man, Lizzie returns home expecting to die an old maid; however, eccentric stranger Bill Starbuck (Braden Lauer) visits. This will prove to be just what Lizzie and the town need. The cast and crew proved through hard work and determination a masterpiece can be performed. The songs featured in the musical were beautiful, showing the true talent of the actors. Old Maid cries real tears yet maintains enough composure to finish her song with clarity. The song “Little Red Hat,” performed by Joseph Domhoff and Molly Garrett/Gabrielle Scott, was one of the many bright moments in the emotional kaleidoscope of a production. Bradford tried a technique in which he gave roles to the people who were the least like the characters they play. Chancellor at first hated her character because she was so different from her; however, later in the process, she said, “I found things I could relate to personally.” Garrett, who played Snookie, said about her character: “I love Snookie! She is funny, the exact opposite from me.” In casting actors so different from their personalities, Bradford said the students had to play their characters and not themselves. The technical crew had an equally important and amazing part of this play, pulling off tricks and making individual sets for each scene. For the tech crew to make it rain on the stage at the end of the play was truly a great idea they took to the next level and an amazing finale to an amazing play. Scott said about the rain: “I always forget about it! It’s actually a surprise.” Chancellor described it as “so cold!” While the audience is dumbfounded by the fact it is raining indoors, Bradford explained the true symbolism of the rain. He said,”The point of the play is people have to hope for something.” While the entire town is hoping for rain, Lizzie is hoping for a husband. “Rain nourishes the earth.” Lizzie ends up being nourished in the end, too. “Starbuck is attractive but not the man for her. File (Sam Richardson) can give her the simple little things.” “110 in the Shade” is a cultural masterpiece that any high school student can relate to.”