Monacan High School - Legend Yearbook (Richmond, VA)

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We’re Nobodies. Lending some com- ic relief to some of the more serious multiples, the ‘‘Born Losers’ make the audience laugh. No More War!! Of the more serious multiples was a discussion of war. The students shout their cries of opposi- tion to nuclear war. Readers Theatre

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26 Readers Theatre An Evening of Storytelling Brims with Professionalism What is a multiple? How does one person act out a sto- ry with many characters? Can one merely utilize the voice in a dramatic interpretation or are body movements accept- able? These are a few of the questions that Monacan’s speech students and foren- sics team tried to answer with the March production of ‘An Evening Of Reader’s Theatre’”’ the evening’s entertainment was, overall, outstanding and brimmed with professionalism. All acts, both group and indi- vidual, deserve mention along with the “‘behind the scenes”’ lightmen and setting design- ers. The multiple acts, groups of five to ten persons presenting a central theme through a col- lection of poems, stories and songs, were written and di- rected by the students. Themes included nuclear war, runaways, and handicapped people. The multiple ‘‘Born Losers’’ lent comic relief be- tween the more serious groups and was extremely well received. The final multi- ple, ‘‘Moonshadows,”’ proved itself deserving of the many out of state honors which it has received this year. All of the multiple participants were unerringly professional and the hard work and long hours of practice put into their acts was evident. The individual and duo acts were also impressive. On the humorous side Chris Hughes’ Who Are You? Portraying two elderly people, Laura Leesburg and Richard Corbett bicker back and forth about who they are and who they think the other is. ‘Playground’ and Richard Corbett and Laura Leesburg’s “I’m Herbert’? were both suc- cessful and evoked waves of laughter. More serious sub- jects included Patrick William- son's ‘“‘Runaways”’ and Rich- ard Corbett’s. ‘‘In Cold Blood”’ Laurie Maxwell’s storytelling brought down the house. Her interpretation of children’s ac- tions as well as her voice changes were uncanny. The lights were very effec- tive at producing a variety of moods. Special effects such as stars and skulls added much to the performance. The set, a random array of white blocks and platforms, added concretness without distract- ing the audience’s attention from the acts. As a whole, the Reader’s Theatre was a great success. The work put into the total product was evident in the poise and confidence that all performers displayed. View- ing the unique talents of these Monacan students left the au- dience looking forward to a re- peat performance next year. However, the 1984 production will be a tough act to follow. Bringing It All Together. Hard work and long practices led to outstanding multiples in the Reader’s Theatre.

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Classic Tale Continuing the Act | Com- pany’s reputation for excel- lence, Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta H.M.S. Pinafore, was presented May 10, 11, and 12. It was a story of a lad, Rackstraw (played by Scott Bew) who loved a lady (Susan Mariner) who is much above his station. It is a classic tale of mixed up babies, social snobberies, and of course, a happy ending. Visually, this play was pos- sibly the most exciting in Mon- acan’s history. The elaborate and colorful costumes of both the leads and the chorus, not to mention the choreography, done by Bernard Toliver, made the play a joy to watch. Excel- lent performances were put in by Seniors Jim Cummings, Scott Bew, Todd Withers, Mary Renstorf, Susan Mariner and juniors Beth Parker, each of whom delighted the audi- ence with witty, and often hi- larious Characterizations. Credit must also be given to the crews that worked so hard to make H.M.S. Pinafore a success. Upholding the ideals of the Theatre Society, they did everything from applying make-up to hammering nails to lighting the set. Also, expec- tedly, Mr. Dennis Hood and Mr. Dwight Graham dovoted their time and talents to staging a superlative production by unit- ing the drama and the choral departments. Once again, the stage in the Monacan theatre was the site of an entertaining, first-class musical. The theatrical talent at Monacan joined forces to present an example of the tal- ent and teamwork that makes Monacan work. 28 H.M.S. Pinafore aptain And Daughter. As a pair of seasick relatives Jim Cummings and: Susan Mariner were not fit to sail, but -as Thespians they were perfect.