Play On: Geek and The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip

Photo by Mr. Narter

Photo by Mr. Narter

Giovanni Montes, Reporter

Leyden will stage the play Geek on March 4 and 5. Geek is a new comedy with fantasy and adventure that tells the story of two girls who are going to a convention to meet a famous writer shortly after learning about a tragedy affecting both of them. It features a number of twists, taking on Magic players, Jedis, and even elves.

Mr. David Narter will direct this play, a practice he started in college.“I started directing in college because as an audience member, I wasn’t often seeing the kind of plays that I thought were cool to experience.”

Leyden students rehearse their roles for the upcoming plays. Photo by Mr. Narter
Leyden students rehearse their roles for the upcoming plays.
Photo by Mr. Narter

Although it has been awhile since Narter directed plays at Leyden (about 10 years), but he excited to be back and enjoying “the process of building your base of actors and artists with whom you build a vision of good theatre.”

He also described the show: “The plays are being done simultaneously as entries into the IHSA Contest Play/Group Interpretation competition.  Contest Plays are limited to forty minutes, so we will be doing a shortened version of Geek for the competition, but here, we will do the entire play.”

The IHSA theater competition is divided into two sections, Drama and Group Interpretation.

Students rehearse their lines. Photo by Mr. Narter

 

Narter described Group Interpretation: “It’s kind of an updating of the Ancient Greek form of stage performance where all of the actors exist as narrators as much as characters.” and together, through their physical work and our imagination, allow us to see the [show.] It’s a blast because you see so much, but there’s really nothing there but some really inventive actors.”

Marisa Sandoval, who has been acting since she was very little, wanted to do it because of Narter being director. She said, “Narter makes it serious but funny at the same time”. She is happy with the role she has and is excited to a part of the play.

The second play that will be in the competition and also for Leyden is named “The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip.” This play is about a girl whose name is Capable, and she lives in a town called Frip. There are these things called “gapers”’ who cling to goats and thus stop them from being able to produce milk. If there is no milk in the town , then there is no money either.

When a change of fate turns and one of these balls of evilness gets on one her goats, Frip sees her neighbors true colors. Join the students with battling out their struggles on March 4, and 5 at 7:00pm in the East Leyden Auditorium, and March 11, and 12 in the West Auditorium.