Meadowbrook High School - Sceptre Yearbook (Richmond, VA)

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Versatility Barry Cook displays tal- ents in the rehearsal of The Brick and The Rose. Speak Out From the performance of The Brick and The Rose, Carol Kiger and Robbie Howe show the audi- ence that they have spent many hours rehearsing their lines for the show. DRAMATICS Ain’t Love Grand? Sandy Gilford looks starry-eyed as Mr. Smirnov (Paul Haynes) whispers sweet noth- ings to her in Chekov’s The Boar. ‘‘Please, mister, Please’’ Luke (Jim- my Bixby) pleads with Mr. Smirnov (Paul Haynes) to spare his life in The Boar. Dramatics 13

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“Come what may. Time and Hour runs through the roughest day,” saith Shake- speare, and rough days and long hours of rehearsal are just what the theatrical arts performers put forth for the productions of The Brick and the Rose a serious play, and The Boar, a comedy. The Brick and the Rose consisted of ten cast members and The Boar consisted of three cast members. Both of these plays were concluded in one act. The performers spent ap- proximately 270 hours prac- ticing and perfecting their characters. There were sev- eral lighting cues in The Brick and the Rose, that took hours to get just right. The productions were un- der the leadership of Mr. John Mingus. This is Mr. Mingus’ first year teaching at the school, however, he has been actively involved in dramatics for twenty years. When questioned about the production of, and the performance of the plays, Mr. Mingus said that he was “very pleased with the out- come of the shows and the Behind the Scenes participation of the students. “However,” he continued, “it takes a while for a group of people to change their ways when they’re used to a system from the past.” Paul Haynes, a performer in The Boar, commented on his new director, ““Mr. Min- gus knows his stuff. He runs everything he does in an pro- fessional manner.’’ Sandy Cox, another involved in the plays, said that “everything was worth the trouble: the long hours and the long re- hearsals.”” When curtain time arrive d on October 20 and 21, the performers were ready. They put on productions for both the students of the English classes, and the general pub- lic. Approximately 150 peo- ple attended the evening performances. As the last minute details fell into place and the last minute jitters diminished, the curtain arose to a recep- tive crowd. The Thespians presented, in the opinion of Mr. Mingus, ‘a very pleasing performance.” Seriously Sophomore Susan Hanks listens for her cue during a serious moment in The Brick and The Rose. 12 Dramatics I can feel it! The expression on Johnny West face shows the anger portrayed in The Brick and The Rose.

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Hurry now Mrs. Watson (Suzanne Oliver) looks at her child, in an un- sure, desperate moment of thought. Life or death Every June ina fictional town somewhere in the United States, the people gather and draw for a lottery. The dubi- ous honor for the “winner” of the lottery is to be sacri- ficed by stoning. This year, the play, adapted from the short story ‘The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, was performed for students at school and also for an evening audience. In addi- Fellows Old Man Warrner (Johnny West) Mr. Martin (Barry Cook), Joe Hutchison (Bryan Tunnell), the townsmen, gather to converse on the up-coming festivities. 14 Dramatics tion, the production served as an entry to the drama festi- val. Each performer played a major role in The Lottery be- cause the lives of the charac- ters of the town were so in- tertwined. The critical aspect for the cast was the crucial timing in delivery. All in all, the performers proved that they could han- dle any challenge, even “ex- periencing” the horror of premeditated death. Direction The cast l istens carefully to Mr. Mingus’ professional direc- tions for the play The Lottery. SiPegae hibtaae ee ‘ Sa — eee Gossip session The women of the town, Mrs. Dunban (Jenny Blaine), Miss Bessum (Carol Kiger), Mrs. Wat- son (Suzanne Oliver) seriously con- sider who will become the next “winner” of the lottery.