Several plays of high interest are being presented in early May at Falls Church high schools. Falls Church High School Spotlight Theater Company is staging, for example, “The Addams Family,” the musical mixing comedy and horror and based on the Chrales Addams New Yorker cartoons and the subsequent television series. In this musical incarnation, we are reacquainted with the familiar characters of Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Pugsley, and a teenage Wednesday. Wednesday, now a teenager, is in love! The object of her affection and his family pay a visit to the Addams, where there is a conflict between the Addams’ unconventional ways and the utter conventionality of the beau’s family. When asked why she chose “The Addams Family” musical, director and drama teacher Beth Becker told us: “We chose this musical because its theme—the quest for unconditional love—is enduring and so important right now.” It is Spotlight Theater Company’s first production to be staged in the renovated Falls Church High School auditorium.
Love is also the theme of Jane Austen’s first novel “Sense and Sensibility,” which is being presented in dramatized form at Trinity School at Meadow View. Falls Church’s Trinity School is devoted to a Humane Letters program focusing on the world’s classics, and Patty Whelpley, co-director of the play, tells Falls Church News-Press: “We chose ‘Sense and Sensibility’ because a large portion of our school read it as an extracurricular book club last year. The book fits well with our focus on classical literature.” The Austen characters of Elinor Dashwood, Marianne Dashwood, and John Willoughby are enacted respectively by students Francesca Cook, Lizzie Messeh, and Shane Monroe. Seth Luisi, playing the role of Edward Ferrars, says that he appreciates the way “Sense and Sensibility” explores “the interplay between reason, emotion, and human nature.”
“Set sail for laughter and romance!” announces George C. Marshall High School’s Statesmen Theatre announces, as it proudly presents “Anything Goes,” which it further describes as “a high-energy musical filled with toe-tapping tunes, madcap comedy, and whirlwind romance.” This 1934 classic Cole Porter work of the American musical theatre takes place aboard a ship sailing to England and features a cast of eccentric characters: singer Reno Sweeney, who is in love with broker Billy Crocker, who is in turn hopelessly in love with the heiress Hope. She, in turn, is preparing to marry Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. Gangster and public enemy “Moonface” and his moll add to the cast of comic characters. Director and choreographer Ahmad Matty informs us “Anything Goes” is exactly the kind of musical he adores, and he brings it to his theatre students with great enthusiasm. He has chosen “Anything Goes” as this production encourages his students to “dream big, work hard, and realize their dreams.”
One recent afternoon, this writer had an opportunity to catch a rehearsal of “Anything Goes” and was impressed by the vocal range of some of the lead players (notably, lead actress Saniya Desai as Reno) as they performed classic Cole Porter songs such as “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “You’re the Top,” and, of course, “Anything Goes.” The titular song involved much lively tap dancing! Sets were designed well, with classic boat steam-stacks in the back and a runway surrounding the orchestra pit. The orchestra, conducted by Paul Vesiland, recreated in upbeat fashion the swing style of the early 1930s.
Falls Church area schools are clearly presenting a great variety of dramatic fare to their students and audiences who will no doubt enjoy these productions. “The Addams Family” will be performed at Falls Church High School on May 2 and 3 at 7 p.m., May 4 at 3 p.m., May 10 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and May 11 at 3 p.m. Trinity School at Meadow View’s “Sense and Sensibility” will be staged at the Pozez Jewish Community Center (8900 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax, Virginia) on May 8 and 9, beginning at 7 p.m. The show dates for “Anything Goes,” to be performed at George C. Marshall High School, are: May 2, 8, 9, and 10 at 7:30 p.m. In addition, there is a matinee performance on May 10 at 2 p.m.
