All in the family

Playwright Ben MacRae sees comedy all around him. And it doesn't just make him laugh, it inspires him to write.

"You'll think of something really funny and you think to yourself, 'I wish I had a way to use this,' " said MacRae, a senior at Naperville Central High School.

When he did commit his comic sensibilities to paper, his efforts resulted in "Hello Uncle," a full-length, two-act comedy debuting this weekend in Naperville Central's Little Theatre.

The story revolves around a young man's deliberate deception in pursuit of a hefty inheritance.

"He told his rich uncle that he has a family because (the uncle) put it in his will that his nephew will inherit all this money, but only if he's got a family," MacRae said.

Alas, nephew Kevin Connors has no family.

"He still lives with his college roommate," said MacRae, who is directing the show.

So Connors auditions actors to play the parts of his fictional family for the duration of his uncle's visit.

"It's very funny," said junior Tolu Taiwo, who, as the play's producer, selected the script.

"The show was so different from last year's show. It's quirky, funny and it drew my eye. It's very different from other holiday shows we have done."

Another distinguishing characteristic of this show is that it's also a food drive.

Audience members who bring a can of food to donate to the Loaves and Fishes Community Pantry will get a discounted ticket price of $4, said Tom Ulbrich, the show's faculty adviser. Tickets without a donation are $5.

Ulbrich said the show isn't the first student-written play produced at Naperville Central.

"It has gotten to be more and more of a tradition," he said. "I think the kids like the challenge."

Setting your sights on conjuring up a comedy is an ambitious goal, MacRae said.

First off, it has to be funny. MacRae said he tests his material out on people he trusts.

"Sometimes I'll show it to my parents or my family and see what they think," he said. "A lot of the times, I'll keep looking at the lines over and over again."

Hearing laughs from his cast and crew during rehearsal is reassuring, he said. And, he said, he's lucky to be working with such a talented bunch who bring so much to the show.

"For comedy, you need good writing and good portrayals," he said. "You also need fantastic timing."

If you go

What: "Hello Uncle," written and staged by Naperville Central High School students

When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Where: Naperville Central High School Little Theatre, 440 Aurora Ave., Naperville

Tickets: $5, $4 with canned food donation

Info: (630) 420-3885 or www.ncusd203.org/central

'Hello Uncle'

Cast

Kevin Connors: Cameron Petti

Roger: John Ludlam

Rita: Emily Walker

Lisa/Strange Lady: Katarzyna Bolutowski

Operator: Lucy Sinogeikina

Uncle Mick: Sean O'Connor

Mary: Kelsey Herbert

Zsa Zsa Jones: Elyse Doll

Sara Wochynski: Danielle Spence

Lily Harrison: Sarah Mongiat

Vinicent: Charlie Tschirhart

Brianna: Jackie Hoffman

Jillian: Haleigh Buchfink

Amber: Carolyn Foote

Production Staff

Exective producer: Tom Ulbrich

Producer: Tolu Taiwo

Assistant producer: Lauren Ruvola

Director: Ben MacRae

Assistant director: Jeff Schatz

Executive technical director: Nick France

Executive assistant technical director: Tom Walker

Stage manager: Patricia Zentner

Assistant stage manager: Emily Larkin

Sound design/operator: Kobus Labuschagne

Assistant sound design: Charlie Huth

Light design/operator: Jeff Mayer

Props heads: Dave Tarsha and Lauren Hughes

Costume heads: Sarah Zavoral and Katie Carpenter

Make-up heads: Miranda Dashut and Ellen Hoffman

House managers: Natalie Mueller and Shannon March

Publicity heads: Amy Kotowski, Cali Kasten and Sarah Braun

Show photographer: Lauren Reyes