By Vanessa Lenz
SLN Staff
Something unexpected happened when the East Troy High School Drama Club began preparing for its upcoming production of “M*A*S*H,” which is based on the book that inspired the movie and hit television show.
Co-director Debra Williamson said the play, which is set for Nov. 9-11 at East Troy High School, has already created connections within families.
Prior to unveiling the title of this year’s fall production, Williamson began posting clues on Facebook.
“I tried not to be really obvious, asking questions like how do you like your potatoes? Baked, boiled or ….?” she said.
Williamson said most students couldn’t figure it out and went straight to their parents and grandparents for answers.
“They all knew it right away and without meaning to, the students involved their whole family in the experience. It’s been wonderful,” Williamson said.
She said the show will feature many war pieces given to students from their family members, such as jackets worn by grandparents in the war, Army boots and an actual footlocker used by a student’s uncle while serving overseas.
“You never know when you do theatre how it’s going to effect them or who it’s going to touch. This is something that we never anticipated,” Williamson said.
Bringing “M*A*S*H” to the stage not only creates a bridge between elder and younger generations, but it also will reintroduce audiences to favorite characters like Hawkeye, Duke, Margaret “Hotlips” Houlihan, Trapper John, Radar, Col. Blake and many others.
Williamson said those who have either seen the movie, which was released in 1970, read the book, or caught some of the episodes of the long-running television series will be taken back in time.
She said those who haven’t seen “M*A*S*H” will easily connect with its script.
“It’s timely because we all know somebody or are connected to somebody in the service,” Williamson said. “Many parts transcend generations.”
East Troy High School will present “M*A*SH” on Friday, Nov. 9 and Saturday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m.
The show will follow a group of doctors serving in South Korea’s 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.
Two unpredictable madcaps, Hawkeye (played by senior Gage Risen) and Duke (played by senior Dylan Jester) are joining the 4077th M*A*S*H unit. They can’t be dealt with casually, however, because they are also two of the best chest surgeons in South Korea.
They decide to wage a campaign to get a young Korean to the United States and entered in a good school.
“The thread of this effort helps tie together the pileup of comic adventures,” said Williamson.
Hawkeye has a scene with a woman psychiatrist who believes he’s been trying to lobster-trap mermaids in a rice paddy, she said.
There’s also a jolly encounter with the baby-talking Bonwit sisters, the worst tap-dancing act the U.S.O. ever sent overseas.
A sergeant is selling dumb GIs fishing rights in the Bay of Phum. Radar O’Reilly, a soldier with incredible hearing, anticipates things before they happen.
The proprietor of the Painless Polish Poker Parlor and Dental Clinic is cured of dark moods by the recreation of an old monster movie and a monster.
“It’s all here, including a little romance mixed in with dramatic moments and a genuine love of life,” Williamson said.
Williamson said “M*A*S*H,” which is set during the Korean War, mixes the seriousness of the worst of war with a goofiness that was used to get through the stressful and dark time.
“They survived through a sense of humor,” Williamson said.
Williamson has a long history with East Troy’s drama department. She directed her first play in 2001 and stayed on as costume designer. This is her fifth consecutive year directing.
Williamson and her husband Phil, who is co-directing, established Creative Outlets Theatre Company in Whitewater and perform shows year round.
ETHS alum Robert Trader is assisting as technical director.
The play, which is adapted by Tim Kelly and based on the book by Richard Hooker, is being presented by special arrangement with Dramatic
Publishing Company.
Tickets cost $4 for students and $7 for adults in advance and $5 for students and $8 for adults at the door.
Cast of characters:
Gage Risen as Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce
Dylan Jester as Captain “Duke” Forrest
Emily Prange as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan
Abe Oxley-Hase as Corporal “Radar” Reilly
Noah Risen as Captain “Trapper John” McIntyre
Michael Lois as Captain Walt Waldowski
Tyler Fridley as Captain John Black “Ugly”
Tyler Pinkert as Lt. Colonel Henry Blake
Lori Heinemann as Captain Bridget McCarthy and Dean Mercy Lodge
MeiLei Meyers as Lt. Nancy Phillips
Lexi Mitchell as Lt. Janice Fury
Jessi Falk as Lt. Louise Kimble
Mark Jones as Sergeant Devine
Matt Fox as Ho-Jon
Jacob Thoreson as Captain Frank Burns
Sean Canavan as Father Mulcahy
Talles Rezende as Private Lopez
Nicholas David Nolting as Private Boone
Natalie Mengel as Mitzi
Francesca Furlan as Fritzi and Major Ruth Haskell
Alex Schmieden as Agnes
Teagan Oxley-Hase as Miss Randazzle and Military Personnel
McKenna Farmer as Congresswoman Goldfarb and Military Personnel
Shaun Raymond as General Hamilton Hammond
Jon Woods as Captain Oliver Wendall Jones and Military Personnel
Katrina Schell as Lt. Connie Liebowitz and Military Personel
Michael Benedict as Military Personnel
Richard Hastings as Military Personnel
