Lake Park High Theatre to stage holiday comedy
Shake off the holiday blues with Lake Park High School Theatre's production of the comedy "A Good Old-Fashioned Big Family Christmas" this weekend.
Director Kathy Weber chose this show as light fare for the holiday season, and as a perfect accompaniment to the Lake Park Educational Foundation's Night of Fine Dining & Theatre on Friday, Dec. 9.
Tickets, which may be purchased at the door, are free to senior citizens and Lake Park students, $3 for non-Lake Park students, and $5 for adults.
Pemances </a><![CDATA[are at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8; 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9; and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, in the East Campus Dice Auditorium, 600 S. Medinah Road in Roselle.
Online sales for the Night of Fine Dining have closed. Learn more at drama.lphs.org/season.html.
The Daily Herald checked in with the director for more on this production of Pat Cook's comedy.
Q: Why did you choose "A Good Old-Fashioned Big Family Christmas" for Lake Park High School's winter play?
A: This is a Christmas play that is so funny and relatable that I thought it would be a perfect choice for this time of year, and be a very welcome performance to accompany our Lake Park Educational Foundation Night of Fine Dining & Theatre on Friday, Dec. 9.
Q: For those who aren't familiar, please describe the plot.
A: Hayden and Judith Stewart, a middle-aged married couple, are worried about their parents' frequent arguing, especially around the holiday.
Judith comes up with the idea to go all out on a three-generation family Christmas party with no limitations.
Soa> Hayden and the rest of the family are on their very best behavior, which can only end in comic disaster.
Q: How many students are involved with the production?
A: There are 15 students in the cast and about 15 more on technical crews.
Q: What were the most challenging aspects of getting this production together?
A: Precise timing is such a critical part of comedy.
The challenging aspect of this production was getting that timing down to make the action simultaneously natural and absurd.
Q: What did you find most rewarding?
A: I liked to hear the cast bonding and joking around.
Q: What were some of the best moments in putting together this production?
A: Some of the best moments are the growing close relationships among the cast members, and seeing each student grow in confidence as a result of performing in a play.
Q: What do you think audiences will enjoy most about this play?
A: Audiences will enjoy the sheer silliness of this show. At Christmas, audiences look for performances to be a stress reliever from their to-do lists.
Q: What do some of the performers have to say about the show and their role in it?
A: Junior Brinly Wilson comments: "My character is a middle-aged mom who gets mad at her family a few times throughout the show, which is fun for me because I get to yell and be kind of all over the place at some points in the show. I think rehearsals have been fun and interactive. We're trying really hard to bond and get everyone together to form this family that we have to portray in our sitcom-like show, and I think our cast dynamic has been working pretty well!"
“A Good Old-Fashioned Big Family Christmas” cast
Judith Stewart: Sophomore Frankie Molfese
Carla, Judith’s younger sister: Junior Brinly Wilson
Beth, Judith’s youngest sister: Senior Mallorie Nawrocki
Phoebe, Judith’s college-aged daughter: Freshman McKenna Maloney
Mildred, the sentimental neighbor: Senior Chloe Berkich
Tristan, Carla’s daughter: Sophomore Ana Valadez
Blair, Carla’s daughter: Freshman Sydney Ohlson
Lanie, Carla’s daughter: Freshman Emily Rusin
Arlene, Jack’s wife: Sophomore Meya Wiggins
Marjorie, Hayden’s mother: Sophomore Soniya Mirza
Hayden Stewart: Sophomore Julian Mostowski
Max, Carla’s husband: Freshman Matthew Tarulla
Cliff, Beth’s husband: Freshman Javarius Lane
Jack, Arlene’s husband: Senior Sammy Carstens
Tom, Hayden’s father: Senior Kyle Freeman