Elkhorn Area High School to present fall play Nov. 14-15
In a similar vein to John Green’s breakout novel The Fault in Our Stars and FOX Television’s new hit The Red Band Society, Elkhorn Area High School is preparing for its production of the drama, “John Lennon and Me,” by Cherie Bennett.
Set in a hospital for ill adolescents, 14-year-old Stella Grubner, who prefers to be called Star (played by Megan Jacobson), narrates the solemn tale with a mixture of typical teenage angst and ageless maturity.
In a press release, Elkhorn Area High School English teacher Margaret Green said “Laughter is the best medicine” is a prevalent theme of the production, especially since many of the characters feel helpless and trapped by their medical circumstances.
Green said through reliving her past with respect towards the weighty subject matter, Star lightens the mood by interacting with the audience and cracking jokes at her own expense. Other comedic successes include Star’s friend Sally (played by Elizabeth George), a clingy girl who suffers from diabetes, and Nurse Janice Bobrin (played by Jennifer Mitchell), an RN with nauseating pep.
The real conflict emerges rather suddenly, however, when Courtney Cambridge (Zoe Gatz) arrives at Heart House, according to Green. A stranger on the ward with no visible diagnosis and no real understanding of her peers, Courtney is assigned to be Star’s roommate.
Not wanting to ruin a potential friendship, Green said Star downplays her sickness and embellishes on her own life story. She even pretends that the unsuspecting male in Room 2B is her boyfriend. Trying to keep up with appearances proves to be a disaster, but both the journey and the result are heartwarming.
Green stressed the play is intended to be a drama, despite having its comedic moments.
Noteworthy performances include Dr. Scott (Justin Taylor), retired army nurse nicknamed “The Torturer” (Aria Liu), Courtney’s best friend, Julie Rowen (Makayla Griffin), her boyfriend, Tom Lowell (Noah Jacobson), Star’s mom, Claudia Grubner (Clara Kostock) and Jeff Levine (Mason Busa), also known as “the boy in 2B.”
A cast of “flunkies” also steal the show, often prancing across the stage as figments of Star’s imagination; they are played by Tedi Ocken, Jack Flitcroft, Nick Ahl, Ali Sanchez, Jack Flanigan and Kailee Ottman.
Performances begin at 7 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday, Nov. 14-15, in the James A. Wehner Auditorium at Elkhorn Area High School, 482 E. Geneva St.
Tickets can be purchased in advance for $5 from any cast member or in the high school office and will also be available for $6 at the door on the nights of the performances.
