HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1992-05-27, Page 9X414
The "rats" (in black) are the physical manifestations of a South Huron District High School's annual drama production.
town's problems. Figures in white- conjured up by the music of It ran from last Wednesday to Saturday, performed before
hero M: _ is Moon rise to the challe : e. Magic Moon was hundreds of parents, famity and friends.
May 27 - Jrme 13
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Arne Walper (Jell), Tina Campbell and Craig Redick face off in a battle,of love, family, and en-
vironmental concerns in Magic Moon.
Magic Moon has lots of potential,
but script needs bit more polish
By Adrian Harte
T -A Editor
Many people expect to see glowing praise for any
high school drama production. In the past I have sung
the praises of the South limn drama department. Last
year's Fame was intense and engaging, Lost Souls and
Missing Persons was intriguing, and The Farre Show,
albeit a few year's ago, ranks as the very best high
school production I have seen, bar none.
Magic Moon does not.reach the same level as those
productions. • Perhaps it is a little unfair to Compare a
home grown ac riipt with those other big stage produc-
tions, but one is left with the impression the play needs
work to bring it up to the level of what the South Hu-
ron students are capable.
The play begins with Mozart menuetto which is nice
but doesn't contribute much to the plot. Then Jay
Hitchcock appears and gives a very capable perfor-
mance of a "rotten" son prepared to betray his father
and the environmental safety of the town. Aha, we
have a politically -correct "green" theme.
But no, the play b eros to head off in an entirely dif-
ferent direction. omen's issues come to the fore-
front.
orafront. A mother and daughter feel oppreased by the
other male characters, evil or otherwise. But then why
did the author write the play around throe male leads
with two supporting women? What statements would
•Magic Moon make if the daughter wanted to usurp her
father's chain of office (or mother's), or if the superhe-
ro
uperiwro had been female, not male?
Tina Campbell clearly stole the show as the mayor's
wifc, but why do her character's ambitions rise no
higher than to become flood control officer, even
though her evil son sets his aim much higher?
The melodrama is occaisionally interrupted with
dance numbers which seem to belong more to last
year's show; sort of Fame meets Cat Peopk.
The plot itself has potential. A superhero uses music
to conjure up magical figures to battle equally . meta-
phorical "rats" that plague the town: an upbeat version
of the Pied Piper, as it is billed in the program.
What does need work are the transitions between
scenes. Characters run out of lines and burst into song
unexpectedly. , And there are a few too many rabble/
chatter scenes used to paste over the cracks.
Craig Redick's music (he also plays the main charac-
- ter Magic Moon himself) is well done, but some of the
contributed lyrics leave one a lime queasy. The word
"integrity" doesn't really lend itself to the singing voice
at all. My sympathy goes to Anne Walper who did
very well, considering.
An agricultural metaphor tries to reach out to the ru-
ral nature of the audience, but "to be treated like a sack
of stain. Do they think I'm a body with out a brain?" is
reaching a little far. And to have a teenage girl singing
"I'm not some furrow to be plowed. I'm not some seed
to be sowed" borders on the obscene.
Some I have spoken with who saw the show on later
nights than I did tell me sonic of the uncertain transi-
tions were smoothed, and the students began to get a
better handle on the puzzling directions the play takes.
I doubt it reached the intensity of last year's show,
e ef. The students didn't seem to capture that
focus either, at least on opening night's first act.
Magic Moon, if it is considered again for production
by the South Huron drama depeutnrent in future years,
will probably benefit very well from some intense
workshopping. Maybe with a few lines here and there
the scares and music will flow together better. Maybe
a few character roles can be rethought and perhaps the
two plots can be better integrated.
The play has potential, but so does the high school's
drama deportment, and neither were flying their true
colours last Wednesday evening.
For those of you who accept nothing but unbridled
praise for high school shows, all the above comments
can be disregarded.
Times -Adv Date, May 27, 1992
Page 9
outh Huron show
lends melodrama,
moves, and magic
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