One Act public performance of ‘How to Succeed in High School Without Really Trying’ is Sunday
By Per Peterson
Having played Dorothy in Tracy Area High School’s production of “The Wizard of Oz” earlier this school year, Sarita Hook is no stranger to the stage. She is, however, a stranger to comedies, and admits her role in the school’s One Act production of “How to Succeed in High School Without Really Trying” brings some challenges with it.
“I’ve never been in a comedy before, so I’m really excited,” Hook said.
Hook said comedies present more of a challenge because, as she said, “making people laugh is harder than making them cry.”
Hook said she likes the fact that the main cast includes more people than in past productions.
“Lots of different characters and lots of different people to develop, character-wise,” she said.
In Jonathan Reed’s “How to Succeed in High School Without Really Trying,” the students go through a series of lessons and the “agents” offer the students tips to help get them through their classes in high school.
Mai Dee Vang joins Hook, Bobbi Jo Evers, Levi Yang, Rebecca Surprenant, Maddy Schumacher and Kristin Bohn as an agent. She is excited to be doing a comedy. Like Hook, she is not exactly well-versed in comedic roles.
“I like how we’re doing a comedy this year, because we’ve always done dramas,” Vang said. “It’s a change, but it’s really funny. I’m usually into dramatic monologues, but this is good, this is different. It’s challenging, because sometimes when you try to make something funny it doesn’t come off as funny. If we say a joke, people might not get it, or we think it’s funny but the audience might not get it.”
Vang likes how easily the cast can relate to the characters, because they themsevels are high school students.
The student ensemble is made up of Cora Leonard, Tristan Xiong, Joshua Herr, Ali Ros, Stewart Chisham, Angie Yang, Jenna Spanovich, Dulce Reyes and Angelique Woodrich.
The One Act members will put on a performance for the public at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the high school. The group has its sub-section contest on Jan. 27 in Redwood Falls.