Franklin Drama Society Presents Highly Successful Fall Production
01/14/2009
Friday evening, November 21, 2008, witnessed the debut performance of the Franklin College Drama Society’s production of The Complete History of America (Abridged).
A combination of vaudeville and parody written by the Reduced Shakespeare Company, Adam Long, Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor, the play embodies a real spirit of pride and humor. With the results of the most recent United States presidential election in the minds of the audience, the politically charged atmosphere enhanced the energy within the theatre. To set the mood as the audience filed in, the team cleverly arranged a musical selection emphasizing the topic of the night: America and all its associated idiosyncrasies. The theatre was completely filled for the opening night to support director Sheryl Granville and the 16 students who formed the cast and crew.
The play itself was rather untraditional in setup. Instead of following a plotline based on the development of characters through a series of events, this play focuses on a group of comedic-actor-historians engaging in questionable and hilarious antics to culminate in a funny, though not quite historically accurate, illustration of American history. The stage manager Matt Wilson, who also played a few minor roles, says, “This unique production was a new challenge for us as cast and crew. It wasn't your typical ’story’ from start to finish with a clear plot. Usually we're focused on developing 1 or 2 characters per person ... this was a completely schizophrenic play.” The addition of several puns about local Ticinese concepts and Franklin College itself contributed to making the play highly accessible to an involved audience.
Emily Boynton has entertained Franklin College in several productions during her three and a half years here. Her memories of this performance’s opening night are very positive. She says of her personal experience, “The first night the audience really made us feel amazing—they responded to everything. That of course gave us more energy and we had more fun than ever. Also, I love that the audience actually wanted to participate that night!”
Sheryl Granville, who has been directing drama productions here for several years, was also very pleased with the events of the opening night, praising her cast and crew and saying, “You all did a great job and were enthusiastic, energetic and happy.”
The reaction of the audience was just as positive. “The play and the actors kept me constantly laughing,” says student Miriam Storm. On several occasions audience participation was encouraged by stage signals and by the creative aspect of the play itself which encouraged rapport between the actors and the viewers.
Preparations for the play were extensive. Rehearsals began at the end of August, with the cast meeting every evening from Monday to Thursday for at least two hours. The months of hard work certainly paid off. The set was minimal but well constructed and the lighting simple and effective. The incorporation of live music into the play was both impressive and an enticing addition to the scenes. At the end of the evening it was obvious that the spirit and the energy dedicated to the production by the cast, crew and director really made the production a success.
