Valparaiso High School - Valenian Yearbook (Valparaiso, IN)

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Antics face Fairy tale finish On the record sleeve of its 1966 recording of popular American bedtime stories, Won- der Record Company metaphorically de- fined “the fairy tale.’’ “In a way,” the inscription reads, “the fairy tale is a reflection of childhood — there are some hardships, but everything turns out for the best.” Though this definition was penned more than 20 years ago, the latter part was also applicable to the 1987 VHS production of April Antics, which was presented April 24 and 25. Beginning with auditions and surfac- ing again at the final performance. Co-direc- tor Alice Gambel said several predicaments hindered but didn’t halt the production. “At auditions, I found that many of the acts were unprepared or unorganized, so I had to use a thematic approach to fit them in so the show would run smoothly,” Gambel explained. “I geared the theme ‘Once Upon A Time’ toward youngsters for a change-of- pace,” she added. Poor grades also forced the removal of some actors from the show. “For the first time. I had to eliminate some people because of deficient grades — this was really unfortu- nate,” Gambel confessed. In spite of these preliminary problems, Gambel claimed that rehearsals ran smooth- ly. Under the direction of Gambel and Co-di- rector Daniel Pritchett, the 53-member cast spent three weeks practicing for the show that included a vareity of musical, instru- mental dance and dramatic scenes. With the theme “Once Upon A Time,” the show focused upon the nighttime dreams of a little girl named Lindsay who, from her bed, dreams of various characters who per- formed their respective acts. And it was this bed that gave Gambel her final headache at the Saturday night performance. In the middle of act two, when the wolf, played by sophomore Andrew Bray, was being shot, the bed suddenly cracked and fell to the floor. “At first, I laughed because it was so funny, but then I thought ‘I can’t believe it fell apart’ and ‘I hope it can be fixed,’” said Gambel. According to Gambel, Bray averted major disaster through some outstanding improvi- sational acting. “Fortunately, Andrew cov- ered very, very well when the bed broke,” Gambel chuckled. Noted American humorist James Thurber once wrote a story entitled “The Night The Bed Fell In.” In Thurber’s story, the charac- ters suffered greatly from this misfortune. In April Antics ’87, however, the bed did indeed fall in, but in true dramatic tradition, the show went on, and according to Gambel, “everything turned out just fine.” by Pete Yelkovac ‘‘ROMEX) AND JULIET,” performed by junior Marla Ruble, helps induce sleep among the sev- en dwarfs. Ruble portrayed the character. Snow White. 22 April Antics

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Time out Fun in the sun Rest, relaxation, sun and plenty of fun were on the minds of Valparaiso High School students as their vacationing plans for spring break unfolded. According to a random survey of 152 VHS students, plans for the one- week vacation were diverse. Southern states — particularly Florida — seemed to be the most popular destinations for VHS students. “During spring break, we went to Flori- da,” said junior John Newlin. “It was cloudy most of the time, but at the end of the week we had some nice weather.” While it may have been cloudy at times in Florida, students reported that the weath- er “out west” was better. “Spring break in Phoenix was the best! The weather was in the 90’s,” said senior Jessica Hofferth. School-related trips also influenced VHS students’ vacation plans. Under the guidance of English teacher Mrs. Judith Lebryk and F rench teacher Mrs. Carolyn Hardebeck, 35 students and faculty members toured England “to experience the English culture,” explained Lebryk. The group stayed in London, Stratford, Edinburg and York. In addition, students visited Oxford, Lake District and Cam- bridge. While English students traveled north, 56 junior and senior band members journeyed west to California. During their week-long stay, they marched at Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm, in addition to giving a concert at Londontown. Other highlights in- cluded tours of Universal Studios and Mari- na Del Ray, as well as a trip to the Crystal Cathedral to see the play “The Glory of Eas- ter.” Although many students claimed to have experienced “fun in the sun” over spring break, others were not so lucky. Some stu- dents stayed in town to work extra hours for their employers, and dedicated VHS ath- letes used the time to train. Sophomore Paul Sarafin explained, “During spring break, I went to the cleat house every day for two hours and worked out with the weights.” Whether they were working on their tans on an exotic beach in Florida or in their own back yards, students agreed that spring break really was a break from the pressures of school. by Karen Mutka and Stacy Stonebraker THOUGH OFTEN CONFUSED with the London Bridge,” the “Tower Bridge serves as a true London landmark. VHS students participating on this London trip saw the bridge and many other famous London landmarks. 21 Spring Break

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THOUGH NOT YOUR typical” babysitter, An- dromida, played by senior Krys Seligman, comforts Lindsay Eaton before bedtime with a story. The show focused upon Eaton ' s dreams. s is, ' IN THE FAIRY tale spirit of April Antics ' 87, sophomore John Meeker and senior Patty Bird perform their rendition of Zip A Dee Do Dah”. At the end of Act I, the audience was encour- aged to sing. WITH GREAT CONFIDENCE, junior Mindy Heinold belts out the song “If They Could See Me Now.” The show was interspersed with mu- sical routines. RELIEVED THAT SUPERMAN, portrayed by ju- nior Tom Fiegle, saved her from the grasps of a mugger, senior Karla Droege expresses her appreciation. 23 April Antics