Fall Play All About Physical Comedy

This year, the ’s drama club has gone a bit more comedic than usual, with a taste of physical comedy in its fall choice.

The club is currently preparing for its performance of “The Doctor in Spite of Himself,” and is working hard on the hilarity of the play.

“The students are having a lot of fun,” said drama club advisor Peter Donahue. “We have spent a lot of time working out the timing of the physical comedy and finding ways to make obscure references funny for a modern audience.”

In total, Donahue said, there are 12 students in the cast, a student director and about 25 other students working backstage.

“Rehearsals and technical preparation for the play has been going very well this year, due to the hard work of the students and our technical director, Ward Weiland,” he said. “This group of students has very good working relationships with each other.”

The play itself, Donahue said, centers around a poor woodcutter named Sganarelle and his wife, Martine, who don’t get along because he is a lazy drinker who likes to beat her with sticks instead of collecting and selling firewood. At the beginning of the play, Donahue said, the wife decides to play a prank on him.

“Two men looking to cure their master’s sick daughter come along, and Martine convinces them that Sganarelle is a famous doctor, but one who will not admit his talents until he is beaten,” Donahue said.

The daughter named Lucinde, Donahue said, isn’t actually sick, but is pretending to be “struck dumb” to protest an arranged marriage.

“After the pretend doctor and the fake patient cause a variety of hilarious situation, Lucinde is finally ‘cured’ when Sganarelle helps her marry the man she truly loves, Léandre,” he said.

To prepare for the play, the students do several read-thrus to make sure they understand what it is about.

“Mr. Donahue has a day where we all read the play so we can understand it,” said senior Esther Vinarov, who plays Lucinde. “We have to know it well so we can make sure the audience understands.”

Senior Michael Freyberger, who plays Lucinde’s father, said they read through different sections each time.

“We get small chunks and then we make them bigger,” he said. “That way it is easier to understand and we can establish the foundation for the play.”

Freyberger said this play was all about the physical comedy, which they have been working on through rehearsals.

As for funding for the drama club, Donahue said, the board of education allocates some start-up funds for student activities, and the money it receives covers the license to perform the spring musical.

“We have to pay for the fall play as well, and the rest of our revenue comes from ticket sales and some fundraising,” he said. “It does take a lot of coordinated effort with students and parents in the spring to do fundraising activities.”

The club has been working on the fall play since September, and are preparing for the performances.

“I get really excited about working on the play,” said sophomore Tessa Molnar, who plays a nurse. “The club is a lot of fun, and the rehearsals are the highlight of my day.”

The play will be performed Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. The cost is $5 for students with a school id, and $7 for the general public.