MERIDEN — For the first time since the start of the pandemic, students at Maloney High School will be performing in the school’s theater next week. 

“Noises Off,” a comedy written by Michael Frayn, will be performed Dec. 9 to 11, with each show starting at 7 p.m. 

“A lot of these kids haven’t had the opportunity to (perform in the theater),” said David Pelletier, director of the play and the school’s director of choral music. “... It’s nice to be back home in our own theater.”

In order to follow COVID-19 protocols, all actors and audience members will be required to wear a mask inside the school building. 

“We’re just so happy to be performing again and I think that’s put a positive spin on that,” Pelletier said. 

Because it is not a musical, Pelletier said the rehearsal process is different.

“There’s no music in the rehearsals, there’s no choreography rehearsals,” Pelletier said. “It’s a play, a lot of these kids haven’t had the opportunity to do that since last year...”

Brian Cyr, technical director and fine arts coordinator for Meriden Public Schools, said students prepare for the fall show while other events and activities are going on in the theater. 

“Marching band season, school events that occur, the theater gets used a lot at Maloney,” Cyr said. “So a lot of it is trying to produce a show while you’re producing other things at the same time. We don’t have the luxury of closing the theater down for three months.” 

However, right now with the marching band season having ended and other events not taking place, the play is the sole focus of the theater. 

“We're lighting, the set crews are doing their final paint jobs and we’re good to go,” Cyr said. 

With it being the first show back in the school’s theater, Cyr said the students and adults involved are back doing “what (they) love the way (they) love to do it.” 

“Last year we had so much fun despite the craziness and the uncertainty of the pandemic,” Cyr said. “We had such a good time doing unique things in Meriden. We did a musical out in the front circle of our school outside. We did theater work over at Hubbard Park. We had, again, so much fun doing that, but it was a shame just that our theater was dark for the entire year so we’re really excited to get back.”