"Play On!" set for action at high school this week

If you'd like to end your week with laughter and get to experience two plays for the price of one, check out Sisters High School's rendition of Rick Abbot's popular comedy "Play On!", scheduled for Friday, November 16 and Saturday, November 17.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the play is set to begin at 7 p.m.

In addition, one act of the play will be performed Thursday during the Arts Week assembly at school.

Sally Benton and Lisa Fetrow are co-directing the play.

The pair worked together three years ago on the production of "You Can't Take it With You."

"Play On!" by Rick Abbot is about a community theatre group staging a murder mystery penned by a local, novice playwright, Phyllis Montague (Ashley Addison). From the very outset the audience is treated to a play within a play.

Montague's creation, "Murder Most Foul," the title of which is actually stolen from Agatha Christie, is a work in progress. The playwright continually brings in script changes even as the director and her cast are closing in on opening night.

The play gives an exaggerated, but accurate portrayal of how things can look behind the scenes of a production.

Act One is held four days before opening night, Act Two is the dress rehearsal, and Act Three is opening night.

Geraldine "Gerry" Dunbar (Tara Redfield) is the frustrated director forced to deal with Montague's whims and with a cast of characters and support people who can't quite seem to get focused on the task of getting the play off the ground.

The community theatre cast works together fairly well, but some members are at odds with one another from the outset.

Polly (Maleah Glidewell) is under continual verbal harassment from other actors about her weight, leaving her husband Henry (Bobby Christensen) to console her. Bantering between cast members leaves Gerry and her stage manager Aggie (Sara Miller) pulling their hair out much of the time.

Gerry gets little practical help from her stage technician Louise (Megan Mason), who has a knack for interrupting.

If she's not pounding nails at the wrong time, she is pulling the crew off task with the smell of coffee brewing backstage. A romance between two of the players, Violet (Tamra Goodenough) and Billy (Paul Head) complicates things on stage and provides some hilarious situations.

Drew Fegette plays the part of Saul, a sarcastic actor who continually throws barbs at other actors and who finds a remedy for his frustrations with the play through drink.

Marla "Smitty" Smith (Tonya Goodenough) is a ditsy blonde actress who plays the part of the maid in the murder mystery.

Benton admits that the play within a play complicates things for her actors and actresses since everyone really has two parts.

"It stretches their imagination and skills because they have to learn two plays in one," she said.

The group began rehearsals in mid-September and looks forward to the performance.

"It's a comedy for all ages," said Maleah Glidewell. "With the play within a play it is hectic on stage."