Originally performed in 1673, the one act tells the comical tale of the hypochondriac Argan, who is convinced that he is direly ill, when in fact he is not. In order to receive free medical care, he decides to have his daughter, Angelique, marry a doctor. Unfortunately, Angelique is already in love with young Cleante. It is up to Angelique, with the help of Argan’s brother, Beralde, and their clever servant, Toinette, to convince her father that he is not ailing and that she, therefore, need not marry a doctor.

Yorktown made a clever choice in deciding to perform this already hysterical piece with the masks, mannerisms, and stock characters that accompany Commedia dell’ Arte. Although the mayhem at the beginning was slightly confusing, as the performance went on, it became easier to follow. The production as a whole was very enjoyable. The talent of every member of the cast was remarkable. Even as the actors took turns playing the lead characters, the show maintained its flow.

The actors switched off playing the lead roles; with three acts, there were three Argans and three Toinettes. Though all three actors in the role of Argan brought enthusiasm and energy to the character, Philip Baraoidan, taking the role in Act One, stood out, bringing remarkable and noticeable depth to the ancient stock character. Similarly, Allison Ham as Toinette in Act Three shone in her mastery of melodrama. Emily Johnson also demonstrated the powers of intentional overacting necessary for her character in her portrayal of Angelique.

Not only did the actors alternate playing the leads, they also traded off playing the three Zanni, or servants. The Zanni ensemble in Act One, played by Paul Kenny, Elaine McCartin, and Eileen Sugameli was particularly well-acted. In constant motion, the ensemble was always entertaining but never detracted from the main action of the show.

Although there were a few glitches in the technical aspects of the show, there were also strong points. The sets crafted by the Yorktown set crew were wonderfully versatile. The costumes, headed by Raphael Regan, Philip Baraoidan, and Emily Johnson, were fantastic. Cohesive but unique to each character, removable pieces passed between leads made it easy to follow who was who.

Although The Imaginary Invalid is difficult to alter, Yorktown made the show their own in an enjoyable evening of laughs and lazzis.

by Allie Cropp of Fairfax High School

Leading the incredible team of thespians was, of course, the unconquerable Peter Pan (played by Charlie Resnick). He metaphorically and physically flew around the stage with an ever-present boyish sense about him. Always standing in the shadow of the great Peter Pan was Peter’s Shadow (Brooke Weber). She energized the cast with her superb acting. However, no story is complete without its horrible and humorous villain, and in this case it was Hook (George Foster), who could double for “Captain Barbosa” in Pirates of the Caribbean. His performance could not be topped, and his character could have taken on all of Neverland if it were not for Disney’s favorite crime-fighting boy.

Tink (Ivy Brom), Peter’s sidekick, was a fiery, funny, and (sometimes) ferocious fairy. The three children taken to Neverland, Michael (Alex Zaloum), John (Paul Kenney), and Wendy (Julie Haberstick) all brought the prim and proper to the chaotic Lost Boys. In the jungle, the natives were led by Tiger Lily (Emily Marsh), the very vivacious and scary Indian girl who teams up with Peter. Even so, no one can forget the faithful, subservient Smee (Matt Bloch), who had fantastic comedic timing. A notable cameo was that of the Pirate Band Conductor, played by Philip Baraoidan.

The show was completed by its outstanding lighting and stage crews. Andrew Caughron headed a wonderful lighting crew that set the tone for the scenes. In one instance, with the help of the sets and backdrops provided by the set crew, the characters were made into silhouettes. It added to the show’s greatness. So, with only a few minor sound glitches, Yorktown’s production of Peter Pan made the audience want to ‘crow’ for more.

by Sean Bartnick of Seton

The show begins with an eerie image of Farmer Jones’ tyranny over the animals until they are incited to rebellion by Old Major, a dying pig espousing “animalism.” The words on the sign become “Animal Farm”; three pigs – Napoleon, Snowball, and Squealer – begin teaching the other animals to read, and the animals bring in the harvest by themselves. By intermission, however, Napoleon has gained sole control, and life for the animals is fast deteriorating.

Yorktown combined realistic animal qualities with underlying meaning to present an enjoyable and engaging production. Each cast member fully assumed their animal role and paid enormous attention to details such as scratching, shifting, and quirky gaits, with subtle adjustments to these as the plot progressed and emotions changed. The pigs and humans conveyed the sinister authority behind their actions, while the other animals understood the despair of their situation.

John Houston presented an amazingly sympathetic Boxer; Houston made the horse’s unwavering devotion to work and to Napoleon endearing. He maintained a strong characterization with consistent movements and speech, and added humor to the show while providing the emotional climax. Napoleon and Squealer (Matt Bloch and Louisa DeButts) convincingly showed the evolution of the pigs into humans.

While delivery was occasionally monotone, each significant speech was accented with pauses and stutters that emphasized the characterization. Group scenes were well organized and visually interesting; the energy level was maintained by the ensemble. The simple costumes turned cast members into animals without any unintended humorous effect; actors interacted naturally with the wooden extensions of their arms. Masks worn by the human characters not only played a significant role at the end of the show, but also allowed the animals and humans to be equally abstract.

Despite a few instances where the animal crowd noises detracted from the central speaker, actors were always easily audible, without any unreal quality from microphones. Spotlights were occasionally distracting; regular stage lighting succeeded in emphasizing important poses and tableaus, while monochromatic backlighting held power over the mood. The running crew had difficult changes, often in plain view, but carried them out unobtrusively, and these changes to the small, mobile set helped set an effective pace for the show.

Animal Farm is a difficult play, requiring attention to political and social background, as well as an ability to convincingly portray animal characters, and Yorktown meets these challenges. Their production is highly successful on multiple levels, and it is not merely the unresolved ending that makes the audience wish for more.

by Sarah Danly of St. Andrew’s.

This review was written by a Cappies high school critic. The Cappies were founded in 1999, for the purpose of celebrating high school theater arts and providing a learning opportunity for theater and journalism students. You can learn more at cappies.com.