SMS students perform 'A Hairy Tale'

Last Wednesday evening laughing and snickering from parents, and hilarious bickering from student actors and actresses could be heard drifting out of the drama room of the Sisters Middle School.

The reason was a take-off on the old familiar story of Rupenzel, put on by drama teacher Caroline Plath's middle schoolers, entitled,"A Hairy Tail," written by Charlie Lovett.

Twenty-four students took part in the silly little comedy, and from the time the lights came up to the final curtain, everyone in the room had a lot of fun.

The take-off on Rapunzel got off to a goofy start with the supremely bratty Prince Rupert, and the equally obnoxious Princess Iphigenia, exiled to the wild woods of Wychwood and not allowed to return home until they found true love. But who could love such spoiled brats?

Could it be Rapunzel? And here we are introduced to her brother Bill - also adorned with 10 feet of blond "hair" - both sister and brother trapped in an enchanted tower because they refused to get a haircut.

Gloria the hand maiden, played by Ceili Cornelius, opens scene three with, "Ooh, that Princess Iphigenia drives me crazy; walks around acting like she's royalty or something," and then sets up Andrew, a footman played by Casey Warburton, for his gag; she asks, "What is a footman anyway?"

Andrew answers, "Like a handmaiden, only with feet and men."

Then we were introduced to Elton and his sister Ernestine, peasant children who sold all the family's electronics for a measly five beans that might be magic. The silly play came complete with a knock-out fairy-tale committee that included a super-cool big bad wolf and a bumbling fairy godmother making the rules.

The romp galloped through the forest of Wychwood, filled with hilarious twists and turns.

Rapunzel, played by Hannah Green, says she had a wonderful time, mostly because the cast and crew spent 45 minutes a day, five days a week for 12 weeks rehearsing the lines for the hairy tale they all put on so well.

"The hair was really itchy," Hannah recalled, laughing, as she talked about the grand time she had.

The play was a hit for Brett and Tina Borders, who said, "Can't think of better way to spend a Wednesday night!" Their daughter, Sophie, played Princess Iphigenia.

The old saw so often shared with thespians about to embark on a play, "Break a leg," was reality for Brit Johnson, who attended the evening's festivities with her broken leg propped up in a wheel chair. Her son, Grant Johnson, was Lou-the-UPS-guy who kept drifting in and out of the play to help keep the so-called storyline going.

The yarn continued with another bunch of unforgettable characters, like Paprika (the lost Spice Girl) and a pair of paparazzi desperate for a photo of Rapunzel. "A Hairy Tale" had everyone in the audience laughing right up to the finale, and the fictional characters learned the meaning of true love, true sacrifice and truly hilarious storytelling.

And, when all this was going on, Ethan Ferwalt was quietly making sure the lights came on and went off as required, thunder peeled ominously, and the mood for each new scene was introduced with the right element of tension, humor and

finesse.

Perhaps the play could be best described as the jolly success it was by Kimberly Williams, mom of Elizabeth Williams, who played Queen Edwina: "They made their lines so well, and the drama department did such a great job. It was fun."