SHS to present 'Guys and Dolls'

Luck will be coming to Sisters High School when Nathan Detroit and his gang of gamblers attempt to find a location for Nathan's illegal floating crap game and end up finding love. The high school's musical theatre class will present the musical "Guys and Dolls" November 14-16 at 7 p.m. and November 17 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at the door and are $12 for adults and $8 for students and seniors.

"It's a classic romantic comedy. It's really fun, clever and quirky," said senior Devon Cash, who plays gambler Sky Masterson.

"I get to be something I've never been and that's a lady-killer," he added.

Sisters actors were cast in May and learned their parts over the summer, meeting three times to read lines. The play features seniors Cash as Masterson, Joel Fisher as Nathan Detroit, Meganne Englich-Mills as Miss Adelaide, MacKenzie Ehr as Arlene Abernathy, Brogin Dye as Big Jule and Sarah Dumolt as General Matilda B. Carthwright; juniors Paige Montgomery as Sarah Brown and Ethan Wetzel as Rusty Charlie; and sophomores Robert Merola as Lt. Brannigan, Noah Eckstine as Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Ross Grant as Harry the Horse and Peter Lund as Benny Southstreet.

In the play, gambling mugs become impatient when Nathan finds out he needs to put a thousand bucks down to hold a location for a craps game. Meanwhile, local police Lieutenant Brannigan and Nathan's fiancée, Miss Adelaide, are suspicious of his activities. Nathan, desperate for the game to happen, bets Sky Masterson that Sky can't take Sarah Brown, the Save-a-Soul Mission doll, to Havana. This throws together the "sinning" gamblers and the mission "saints" in an upbeat production filled with singing, dancing and couples falling in love.

The play, based on characters by Damon Runyon, was written by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. Frank Loesser wrote the music and lyrics. It was first performed on Broadway in 1950 and then made into a movie in 1955 featuring Marlon Brando as Sky Masterson and Frank Sinatra as Nathan Detroit. Some of the well-known songs include "Luck Be a Lady Tonight," "A Bushel and a Peck" and "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat."

The musical theatre class has more than 50 students involved as cast members and theatre crew. The play is directed by Rick Johnson, Sisters high and middle school choir director, accompanied by Julie Cash on piano. Dance scenes are choreographed by Tara Johnson, and junior Kendra Kemp, dance captain, has been working with the cast during class and after school. Sets were designed under the direction of high school art teacher Bethany Gunnarson. Lisa Fetrow and Angela Lund are volunteer productionn assistants.