聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 The Arcola School Senior Drama put on their annual production which they had been working on for the Region One Drama Festival. The group hosted their school at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12, and welcomed the community to the MacMurray Theatre that evening.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This year the drama group decided upon the play 鈥淏uilding Blocks鈥� by Jeffrey Harr, which addresses societies鈥� gender stereotypes based on what a young boy and girl hear from their parents. These gender stereotypes are addressed and broken as the children begin to play together.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭here鈥檙 a gazillion-jillion things girls stink at. Like throwin鈥� a baseball, and runnin鈥� for vice pepsodent, and beatin鈥� people up. Sure can鈥檛 build nothin鈥�. Ev鈥檙ybody knows, girls were put on this Earth for one thing and one thing only: to spend a man鈥檚 money,鈥� the boy (Jay James) says to the audience. 鈥淲ell, that鈥檚 what my daddy says, anyway.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The boy eventually allows the girl to build with him, but they have a conflict: 鈥淭here鈥檙 a trillion-kajillion things boys are stupid about. Like shoppin鈥� for shoes, askin鈥� for directions, and 鈥榤emberin鈥� to put the toilet seat down. S鈥檔ot that hard to 鈥榤ember, unless you鈥檙e stupid. Men were put on this Earth for one reason and one reason only: to make women crazy,鈥� the girl (Shaleen Hengen) says to the audience. 鈥淲ell, that鈥檚 what my mommy says, anyway.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The two continue to squabble, worry about catching cooties, and eventually the boy tells her to leave his blocks alone.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The girl becomes visibly upset, crying. The boy apologizes and they begin to build together. As the boy builds a football stadium he is surprised that the girl knows about the NFL and is a Browns fan, just like him.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The pair bond and eventually wreck what they鈥檝e built with blocks, when their parents arrive. Both are divorced and as they begin to talk show interest in each other, to which the kids jump up and pull them away from each other. After all the kids just became friends, they don鈥檛 want to become siblings.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The production鈥檚 cast and crew did a wonderful job bringing the play to life. Jay brought his character to life with a childish accent, creating a higher pitched voice to sell the age of his character to the audience. His co-star in the play, Shaleen, did a great job as she portrayed the various emotions her character had to go through in such a short amount of time.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Arcola School performed their production on Friday, April 15, at the Region One Drama Fest where students did very well. Dacey Fleck received a tech certificate of merit for stage management, Dawson Cutler and Johnathon Ulsifer each received tech certificate of merit for props and set, while Shaleen Hengen earned an unsung hero award. Additionally all of the Arcola actors received acting certificates of merit: Shaleen Hengen, Kayla McLaren, Keegan Heidinger, and Jay James.
