By Gina O’Neill
Copy Editor
This year’s variety show aims to be completely unplugged – unlike past shows, this one intends to be fully live –and full of fresh faces; it’s appropriately named “PHS Live V-show.” Auditions for the show take place on Friday, Jan. 7, and dates for the show are at 7 p.m. on the following dates: Thursday, Feb. 24, Friday, Feb. 25 and Saturday, Feb. 26.
Audition packets are located in the choir room and are due on Friday, Dec. 17 for writers and actors, combo and assistant directors, but for the rest of the performing acts, they are due on the day of auditions.
The v-show makes it debut so late because it was difficult to find a weekend in which the theater was open, according to Jen Troiano, who coordinates the show and decides who makes the cut.
Troiano originally considered having the show before winter break, but because of the winter play and speech team conflicts, she knew that wasn’t an option.
Even the weekend Troiano and Kristin Burton, the other director of the show, chose presents a problem: the orchestra will be away on a trip, so they cannot audition for the v-show. According to Troiano, however, they “understand.”
Troiano and Burton have implemented changes to the show, such as a three-minute cut-off for acts and the fact that everyone in the act needs to be there and prepared .
“It’s so competitive — [everyone] needs to be ready to go,” Troiano said.
Along with these changes comes hope for Troiano that a variety of people and talents will audition to show their stuff on stage. She said that most people come in, sing and play their guitars, but she feels it would be interesting to have Irish dancers, ballerinas or people with other unique talents audition, as they have in the past.
Troiano and Burton usually choose 16 to 19 acts based on preparedness and “best interest” performances, so any not-so-conventional talents are welcome.
“Not everyone is a really good juggler,” Troiano said, naming one talent she’d like to see more of.
In addition to wanting more individual variety, Troiano and Burton will also be inviting more activity groups to audition. Troiano plans to talk to the poms and cheerleading coaches to ask if they would prepare an act, and Troiano and Burton would then go to one of their practices to observe.  Orchesis will be performing as well.
This year will also have a place for more acting troupes to perform skits so that the show has more of a “Saturday Night Live” feel to it.
The focus of this year’s variety show is to contain more variety, and Troiano feels the best part of the v-show is “bringing the whole Prospect together to share their acts.”
“It’s not just fine arts kids who come out to auditions,” Troiano said. “It’s good to meet those [new] kids.”