Wheaton North cast brings Italian fairy tale to life

Rework an Italian fairy tale into a slapstick comedy about a prince who gets sent on a quest for three giant oranges and you have the perfect play for an audience of teenagers.

At least that's what Wheaton North High School teacher Elizabeth Schmitz thought when she first read the script for Hillary DePiano's "The Love of Three Oranges."

So it was an easy decision for Schmitz to choose the three-act play to begin Wheaton North's theater season. The show's three-night run opens Wednesday, Oct. 21, and continues Oct. 22 and 24. There is no Oct. 23 show.

"The play essentially talks about the importance of laughter," said Schmitz, who codirects the production with fellow teacher Karen Saad.

Based on an Italian fairy tale, the modern version of the "The Love of Three Oranges" tells the story of Prince Tartaglia, a sad, depressed hypochondriac who really isn't up to the job of ruling. Then an evil witch and her henchmen hatch a plan to send the prince on a quest for three giant oranges. But once Prince Tartaglia leaves the sheltered world of the castle, he finds friendship, love and, most of all, laughter.

While Wheaton North's production includes many modern-day allusions, its form of slapstick comedy is traced back as far as 16th century Italy. The directors say they believe the story's central subject of happiness and laughter "is particularly refreshing in these present times."

The hope is that audience members will be smiling after watching the two-hour play.

"It's entertainment," Schmitz said. "We want them to come out feeling like they've enjoyed their time and have sort of an upbeat attitude. When you hear a happy story, you are happy afterwords. So that's our whole aim here."

Bringing "The Love of Three Oranges" to life requires one of the largest casts and design teams in Wheaton North's fall play history. More than 60 students - including 21 actors - have spent weeks learning lines, constructing sets, preparing props and costumes and coordinating the lights and sound.

Set designers had a challenge because the entire play is performed in front of a gigantic storybook prop. There's also various platforms painted to look like piles of books.

Schmitz said the massive storybook actually opens and has pages that are used as the backgrounds for scenes.

"So the story is literally jumping off the pages," she said.