LRHS drama club keys in on life's normalities and oddities

There is an anticipatory hum among audience members prior to high school concert or drama presentations, and the evening of Wednesday, January 16 was no exception in the gym-theater of Lind Junior High School.

The Lind-Ritzville High School drama feature at hand involved two unrelated plays: "Oddball" and "Wait Wait Bo Bait" – both by playwright Lindsay Price. An earlier interview with drama teacher and director Allison Nichols shed some light on what was to come. Both plays were "vignette" plays – which became apparent early in the evening. Each play was a series of not-necessarily-related scenes of one to three minutes, but around a common theme.

It makes sense: if one is working with high school drama students, it fits well for each one to enjoy a part on stage. There are fewer lines to memorize and each member of the class has an opportunity for active participation on-stage. And that is exactly what was seen throughout the evening's performances.

Ms. Nichols related that, due to squeezing the high school into the LRMS building for a year, there was virtually no time for drama students to rehearse on the stage. All of their learning and practice took place in the classroom-until the day of the play.

As a result, a lot of practice was needed, particularly in stage voices being loud enough without a microphone to be clearly heard by audience members. The short vignette scenes also require frequent and quick set changes (in the dark; the curtain doesn't get much exercise). Although each of the scene sets had minimal props, quick and efficient changes of the sets did not allow audience attention to wander. The cast had the opportunity to polish their effort during an afternoon presentation of the play to students at the school.

When the curtain finally parted to open the evening show, the audience was introduced to the theme of the first play: "Wait Wait." Each vignette of the Waiting theme revolved around common events in everyone's life.

Waiting for a long-occupied rest room. Waiting for the phone to ring in anticipation of a call. Waiting in the Principal's office for punishment to be meted out. Waiting nervously to make a presentation to a class. Waiting for a server to take an order in a café. Waiting in a bus stop...for Godot? Waiting to open Christmas gifts. Just waiting. Each scene (vignette) reflected waiting realities of normal life. For members of the audience, the frustration of waiting was muted by humor.

The second play, "Oddball," presented situations with unexpected or unusual oddities, or more entertaining, odd behavior in others. The overall theme was presented in a circus environment; the barker invited all to "Step right up" to enter the big tent for a show unlike any other-of oddballs.

Odd that a man holding a small box in his hand – would insist that it was "a ball." Odd that a woman seeking to compliment dining staff was ostracized for being complimentary. Odd how a man in a group complaining about their aches and pains was sure he was having a heart attack, but when "it moved," he shrieked that he must be pregnant (for the biggest laugh of the evening). How odd was the girl who was certain her dryer ate one sock because she had patronized a dry cleaner.

Humor was rampant in Oddball, but at the end when a female again encountered the holder of the small box ("a ball"), the entire cast from both plays appeared, with everyone holding a small box ("a ball"). It wasn't hard to miss that point: everyone is in the circus ring at some time or other, and we all have our oddities.

In closing, Director Allison Nichols announced the drama group will again present a play before the end of the school year. That play will probably be performed around May, but you will have to Wait Wait to learn the details.