7th period Theatre II put on the play The Quest for Quasi: How Red Got Her Hunch Back by Darlene Gonzalez. In this one-act play, Red Riding Hood is on a game show eerily familiar to “The Dating Game”.The play starts with Red asking the contestants a few questions; then she chooses the bachelor, who turns out to be Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame! Red is sure that Quasi is the man for her, but the Wicked Witch of the West captures Quasi. Red must find and give the Wicked Witch three items of power in exchange for Quasi. The play follows Red’s challenging journey to find the three magical items in order to rescue her beloved in The Quest for Quasi.
The shows began at 7 o’clock on Thursday, May 21st. The evening started with the 7th period Theatre II class’s performance of Quest for Quasi. When the show started and the audience caught its first glimpse of sophomore Sonny Panzica as Quasi, a ripple of laughter could be heard. Sonny’s portrayal of Quasi was extremely humorous yet maintained a feeling of sincerity. Red was played by freshman Amber English, whose portrayal of Red as a sweet yet strong character mixed really well with Sonny’s humor.
On Red and Quasi’s first date, to the romantic McDonalds, Quasi is captured by the Wicked Witch of the West and only Red can stop her; so Red’s quest begins: she must find the items which the Wicked Witch desires, or else…no more Quasi.
The whole cast did really well: from the three fairy godmothers, Prince Charming and the Wicked Witch to Captian Hook, Tinkerbell and Smee, hilarity really poured from this play. In the end, Red was able to save her beloved Quasi and the whole cast lived happily ever after; well, all but the Wicked Witch, of course.
After a curtain call and applause from the audience, the second play began; the 6th period Theatre II class performed Romeo and Winifred: A Tragical Comedy in Two and a Half Acts by Charlie Lovett. The premise of this production is simple: two feuding families, the Capulets and Montagues, that own rival department stores in NYC, have kids that fall in love; namely, Romeo and Winifred. The play is all about the two lovers, from their not-so-leisurely courtship and hasty marriage to the “tragical” end of the play.
The play began with a brief reminder of Shakespeare’s style and a quick explanation of the play. Afterward, the lights went down and the audience viewed commercials from “Crazy Capulets’” and “Montagues’” department stores. The 7th period Theatre II class made and filmed the commercials beforehand.
Once the lights came back on, the audience witnessed the Capulets and Montagues engaging in an insult competition. Mr. O’Roark participated in the play, playing everyone from Capulet AND Montague to a slightly crazed Friar. Winifred was played by senior Emily Bookheimer; I played Romeo. All members of the cast, however, played at least two characters. We made it work, though, and we had fun in the process.The whole evening was a huge success; and there was a large audience to support the cast. When everything was said and done, Theatre II put on a fantastic final show!
