Eli Pardue
1/16/07
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

Student-Directed Play Review

Over all, I thought that all of the plays were very well done for two first time writer/directors, Henry Johnston and Elise Lockwood. The first short play was perhaps the most emotionally forceful and provocative. It displayed the (if brief) troubles and confusions in the life of a young woman with two fathers. The fore-stated setup is provocative enough, but it was made all the better with the outing of the main character as a lesbian. I was truly shocked and found it quite admirable that a sophomore in high school would have the audacity and bravery to write/direct such a play. I enjoyed the scene in which the romantic feelings that Tina Talercio’s character had for the main character came into view. Incorporating their relationship into “risk” helped portray that the relationship had more meaning to the two characters.

The second play, If Books Could Kill, was by far the most complex and difficult to comprehend. Honestly, the extent of my understanding of the concept the writer put forth is skin deep. To me, it was simply a play about a competition that a rude bookstore clerk forced a donator into in order to re-obtain her script. I assume with the very impressively long monologues that JP Mershon recited, there was more to it. It was nonetheless a great display of acting, especially by JP. I enjoyed it as I saw it, but have not retained any of the messages it conveyed.

The only piece written by Henry Johnston was excelent. I felt like one of the few in the audience who understood the “SHUT UP JIM” line (Homestead Manor). It was pure humor, and provided some much needed comic relief after the first two plays.

My favorite skit was the last. Acted by Daniel Hellman and Tony Minott, who played two alien scientists, it was about the most warped and hilarious rendition of the creation of Earth I have ever heard. The two scientists were working on an experiment-us. They had apparently created the Earth and were observing and controlling the environment the primitive inhabitants were living in. The creation of God (formerly Dog), Jesus (apparently an alien, silent librarian), Alexander the Great (alien military commander) and religion were all portrayed as last second ideas to prevent the two scientists from getting in trouble with their commander. Hilarious and utterly insulting to many.

I felt one thing that is my greatest criticism. It felt as if the intention of all of the plays was to irritate as many people as possible, rather than to entertain. The first one was entertaining and provocative but certain scenes were uncomfortable enough to the point of smothering the entertaining value. The last act was a playful attack on Christianity, which speaks enough for itself. I think that if more focus in the directing was put on the desire to entertain rather than to be provocative, the plays would have been a greater success.