They say the show must go on, and that's something Manheim Central High School students are taking to heart. When the pandemic forced the shutdown of their fall play, "Robin Hood," in November, it was time to get creative.

"We attempted to offer several modes to view the performance, including a live and a streamed production," said Amber Friel, director. "However, those could not be fulfilled because of the pandemic and public safety guidelines. Our team was committed to giving these students a performance and leaned on many members of our school community to help us bring this dream to life."

Instead of a live performance, the school will offer a recorded version of "Robin Hood" that will be available to view at https://manheimcentralhighschool.anywhereseat.com/channel.php until 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 30.

The show brings the legend of Robin Hood to life with action, laughter, parody and more, Friel noted. It was important to find a way to showcase the efforts of the students involved in the production, she remarked, even when bringing a live audience into the auditorium wasn't possible.

"The students have worked hard to prepare for this show," she said. "They received sword fighting lessons from Doug Wallace, an actor at the PA Renaissance Faire, and they learned English accents."

COVID-19 restrictions made it difficult to rehearse and get the show ready, she noted, but the students persevered.

"There were multiple complications because of quarantining and attempting to put on live theater within the constraints of a pandemic," she explained, "but with technology, we were able to have students attend rehearsals safely."

The production was filmed by a Manheim Central High School teacher, Jon Charles, and a group of students from his video production class. It's the first time the school has offered a production of this kind, Friel said.

She encourages everyone to check out the free performance and added it wouldn't be possible without the support of many people.

"If it weren't for the hard work and dedication of these students and my staff," she stated, "this show could not go on."