Written by Shelagh Delaney, A Taste of Honey, originally intended as a novel, first opened at Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Royal Stratford East in London in 1958, when Delaney was 18. It was transferred to the West End, then Broadway, and was adapted into an award-winning movie in 1961. Part of the “kitchen sink” movement, a genre which caught wind in Britain in the 1950s and used the lives of working-class characters to explore social issues, A Taste of Honey touched on many controversial topics such as prejudice concerning race and sexual orientation and was considered a defining play of the era.

The play tells the story of a working-class mother, Helen, (Jordan Goodson) and her daughter, Jo, (Liesl Jaeger), who live in Salford England in the 1950s. When Helen marries a rich man quite a few years her junior (Daniel Sainati), Jo is left alone to fend for herself. She accepts a marriage proposal from a young black sailor (Anthony Carrington), but he soon goes to sea and leaves her alone, pregnant with his child. Jo then finds a loyal friend in Geof (Jake Gonzalez), a homosexual art student, who begins living with her and playing the role of surrogate father to Jo’s unborn baby. For some time they’re happy, but Helen returns to the picture, the little life that Geof and Jo have made together is thrown into question.

Goodson brought sarcastic and cynical Helen to life with a clear vision and commitment. Her stylized 1950s voice and vivid facial expressions were perfectly suited to up-close black box style performance. She subtly hinted at a softer side buried underneath Helen’s usual brassy bravado as the character developed, showing an all-around interesting and layered character.

As kindhearted, earnest Geof, Gonzalez connected with the other actors on a personal level to give a sincere and authentic performance. His relationships with the other characters seemed natural and organic, especially in his friendship with Jaeger’s feisty Jo, and he masterfully conveyed the weight and significance of his character and circumstances.

While some actors rushed their lines or stumbled over them at times, their commitment and believable relationships with each other kept the interactions genuine and convincing.

The realistic props transported the audience into the dingy, cramped flat. From a glass milk bottle to a vintage magazine to detailed charcoal drawings, the props added an impressive air of authenticity to the production.

The illusion of the seedy, impoverished lifestyle of the less fortunate during the 50s was further strengthened by the appropriately rundown set. A living room with a faded couch, a bedroom with a single shabby bed, and a grimy kitchen created an overall image of hardship and destitution.

In their simple, authentic performance of A Taste of Honey, the cast displayed their talent and skill with believable emotion and convincing relationships. The tech helped to create the feeling of being down on one’s luck in the 1950s with skillfully executed props and set. The creativity and aptitude of the students of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology created a truthful, powerful performance in the stripped-down look at the grittiness of real life and the trials and hardships of relationships.

by Sarah Santoro of Stone Bridge High School

Photo Gallery

Anthony Carrington and Liesl Jaeger	Jordan Goodson and Daniel Sainati
Liesl Jaeger and Jordan Goodson	Jake Gonzalez and Liesl Jaeger
Jake Gonzalez, Daniel Sainati, Liesl Jaeger, Jordan Goodson

Photos by Mark Strickman

Don’t Count on Forever takes place in three settings: a small suburban home, a modest apartment, and a hyperactive yearbook office. Gilsenan, a relatively unknown playwright who has published 18 stage plays, many of which are geared towards high school audiences but also leave them with lessons that resonate with audiences of all ages. In Lisa’s case, those lessons include keeping the good and the bad memories, and moving forward with high hopes.

The cast’s energy and pacing kept this production from being too tawdry and melodramatic. While a few characters fell flat, most characters were laugh-out-loud funny and had great chemistry with one another, making it all the more believable. While the theme is 1980s, it does not fall into the neon leg warmers death trap commonly seen in tv shows like “The Carrie Diaries” (2013). Thankfully, the 1980s theme is subtly reflected in furniture, music, and realistic clothing, much more similar to the likeness of John Hughes.

Emily Kelly (Lisa) carries the show with her high energy and strong characterization. She has good chemistry with her fellow actors, and is charming and dynamic, developing Lisa from a confident, star-reaching student to a falling apart, barely put together teenager just trying to get through the day. Kelly’s best scenes are with Jordan Goodson (mother, Joan) and with Gavin Moore (boyfriend, Teddy).

Goodson’s character development is certainly her standout, believably conveying Joan’s transitions in both life and mentality. She is endearingly poised and animated onstage and captures the heart of the audience with her resilient efforts to endure life’s struggles. Moore is frankly just adorably awkward, having many “awww” moments with both Kelly and Goodson.

Hair and makeup was effective and reflected character traits personalized to each actor. The lighting and sound were adequate as well, with no largely noticeable errors. The fast pacing of the show can be attributed to incredibly fast scene transitions. Costumes were sufficient in conveying characterization, time period, and progression. The props were all detailed and worked well with the theme of the show, which was impressive due to the large number of them. Overall, tech was above-average for a high school show.

As the show closes, Simple Mind’s 1985 classic “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” plays through the speakers and the cast bows. The audience rises, now back in present time, and leaves in high spirits over the positive conclusion of the play. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology performed with inspiriting energy.

by Robyn Smith of W. T. Woodson HS

Photo Gallery

Emily Kelly	Gavin Moore, Emily Kelly
Gavin Moore, Emily Kelly, Zach Moser	Emily Kelly

Photos by Yena Seo

Stage Door was written in 1936 by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber. It follows the stories of a group of young actresses staying in a boarding house together in New York City in the 1930s, specifically the story of Terry Randall. They discuss the tumultuous controversy of performing in theatre or the movies.

The large, mostly ensemble cast was led by Kate Sanders as Terry, who played the role with spot on facial expressions and vocal performance. Opposite her was Daniel Sainati as Keith Burgess, who played the angry playwright turned screenwriter with all the emotion the role required. Other stand outs were Rishi Malhotra as David Kingsley, whose presence commanded the stage, and Sarah Stites as Mrs. Orcutt, whose colorful performance played very well with her character. Jordan Goodson’s Judith Canfield lightened the sometimes heavy material of the play with her good comedic timing. The all-around committed cast used the stage well.

Sound cues, directed by Peter Town and Ceci Vollbrecht, came through loud and clear, adding to the scenes. Lights done by Anastassia Kornilova and Andrew Martin were fittingly simple despite some dark spots. All props, set, costumes, and makeup were time period-appropriate and created the atmosphere and feel of the boarding house in a distinct way. Intricate hairstyles were done beautifully.

Overall, Thomas Jefferson High School’s production of Stage Door had energy and bounce, yet the message was very well received: to quote Terry Randall herself, “It isn’t just a career, it’s a feeling. The theatre is something that’s gone on for hundreds of years. It’s — I don’t know — it’s part of civilization.”

by Anna Barr of Robinson Secondary School

Photo Gallery

Kate Sanders and Daniel Sainati	Daniel Sainati and Kate Sanders
Kira Becker, Hannah Rudin, Hannah Wied, and Sibonet Shewit	Alice King, Nadege Aoki, Meena Nayagam, Jordan Goodson, and Kate Sanders
Hannah Rudin, Sarah Stites, Kate Sanders, Kira Becker, Rebecca Edelstein, Liesl Jaeger, and Allie Meng

Photos by Max Reinsel

The Crucible was written in 1953 by Arthur Miller as a dramatic allegory in response to the McCarthy hearings of the time. Using the accusation of witchcraft in lieu of that of communism, and setting the story in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, Miller tells the story of the accused and accusers in Salem in a four act play.

TJ Drama Program’s production was well-cast, each actor playing their part nicely. The energy was able to carry this unusually long show, and maintained the audience’s attention throughout. The overall choices in set and blocking helped to emphasize the minimalist Puritan environment, and added an air of authenticity to the play and its story.

Both John Proctor (Keegan Cotton) and Elizabeth Proctor (Elena Lagon) demonstrated exemplary characterization. Both made decisions that reminded the audience of character motivations and relationships. Mary Warren (Malaika Murphy-Sierra) had terrific stage presence and a definite point of view. Abigail William (Rebecca Edelstein) was perfectly detestable, with both her manipulation and her terrifying determination being ideally played.

The supporting cast was equally enjoyable, especially Tituba (Darcey Pancoast), who was brilliant on stage. Rebecca Nurse (Anna Burke) also performed her role as the aged mother wonderfully.

The sets were generally well done. The scene in the Proctor’s home was terrific not only for the quality of the set, but for the use of space as well. Props were exceptional in everything from the seasoning dish by the Proctor’s fireplace to the key ring carried by the official in jail. Costumes were generally well done and were of good quality.

Generally, Thomas Jefferson’s performance of The Crucible was a solid one. It reflected the original script well, and demonstrated all the best features to the show’s advantage. Each actor made this show enjoyable, and kept the audience on the edge of their seats.

by Lucy Holden of Paul VI Catholic High School

Photo Gallery

Malaika Murphy-Sierra (Mary Warren) and Keegan Cotton (John Proctor)	Keegan Cotton (John Proctor) and Rebecca Edelstein (Abigail Williams)
Keegan Cotton (John Proctor) and Elena Lagon (Elizabeth Proctor)	Katie Earl (Betty) and Anna Burke (Rebecca Nurse)
Jordan Goodson, Abby Darling Rose, Stephanie Hoang, Liesl Jaeger, Saloni Chaswal, and Emily Kelly	Keegan Cotton (John Proctor), Rishi Malhotra (Giles Corey), Neal Chaudhuri (Reverand Parris), and Austin Dunn (Thomas Putnam)

Photos by Samantha Schipani

Written by the acclaimed American playwrights George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart in 1930, Once in a Lifetime is a playful comedy that opened on Broadway on September 24, 1930 and lasted about 406 performances. The play has also been performed at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre in London, and was made into a film in 1932. It tells the story of three friends, George Lewis, Jerry Hyland, and May Daniels, trying to make it big in Hollywood. After selling their vaudeville act, the threesome heads to Hollywood with plans to open an elocution school for silent film stars.

The play was performed enjoyably by the cast who displayed enduring dedication to their characters. As May Daniels, Nicole Boyd achieved an impressive performance. Boyd’s suitable acting and commitment to details made her the stand out female lead of the night. Art Kulati playing George Lewis was the prominent male lead, using his sarcastic wit and absent-mindedness to bring laughter to the audience.

Two supporting characters the audience fancied were Susan Walker (Sam Schipani) and Rudolph Kammerling (Tim Yuan). Schipani’s role as the eager, fun-loving, actress wannabe made her a giggle to watch throughout the entire performance. Yuan’s role as a German director was hilarious. Yuan’s ridiculous accent and whimsical mannerisms made the audience laugh to the point of tears.

Although some actors were hard to understand at some points, their commitment to the show kept the audience’s attention and made the story run smoothly. 

The set was simple and manageable, and although there were some problems, they were quickly overcome and did not hinder the actors’ performances. The lighting, too, was simple but brought a distinctively realistic effect, along with the sound, to the two train scenes. The set, lighting, and sound complimented each other nicely for a charming performance.

Overall, TJHSST’s rendition of Once in a Lifetime brought laughter and fun to the audience making it a wonderfully entertaining night.

Review submitted by Danielle Comer of Bishop Ireton High School.

Photo Gallery

Nicole Boyd and Kate Zurowski	Art Kulati, Nicole Boyd, Kevin Place
Art Kulati, Kevin Place, Nicole Boyd

Photos by Peter Klosky.

Oklahoma! debuted on Broadway in 1943, redefining the modern musical with innovative musical numbers written by Rodgers and Hammerstein that assisted in progressing the action of the play, a concept now implemented as a standard component in all musical productions. In the play, Curly (William McGarey) the charismatic cowboy courts Laury (Nicole Boyd), the agrarian anomaly, but the hired farm hand, Joad Fry (Kevin Place) seeks to nip the romance right in the bud, plotting a murderous scheme in his lonely barn lodgings.

Humorous musical performances and lively ensemble dance sequences excite and engage as this heartwarming production lives up to the exclamation point in Oklahoma! Accompanied by the sensational Thomas Jefferson Orchestra, the catchy songs were performed brilliantly when the sound system was utilized, while the ensemble added life and atmosphere to the show in the uplifting group numbers.

The romantic duo Curly and Laury played delectably by William McGarey and Nicole Boyd displayed great commitment and their teasing relationship was established with ease. McGarey, in particular, was immensely engaging with his charm and wit, winning over the audience before intermission. The natural warmth in his voice began to show through as the play progressed and his jovial presence made up for any technical weakness in the singing.

As the relationship between Curly and Laury manifests itself, the comedic threesome of Ado Annie (Rajni Rao), Will Parker (Keegan Cotton), and Ali Hakim (Sam Pell) are entangled in a web of conflicting romantic intentions. Sam Pell’s hilarious portrayal of the traveling “Persian” salesman, who has absolutely no intention of marring fickle Ado Annie, is one of the most memorable characters in the show, leaving the audience begging for one more “Persian goodbye.” Another character worth noting is Aunt Eller (Ali Ruth) who ran the show, literally. Ruth’s mirthful charisma and commanding presence was echoed by her striking voice as she successfully supported the action and development of the musical.

The set of the show was clever in its design that doubled as Aunt Eller’s house and Joad Fry’s barn room, defining separate settings when the swift stage crew revolved the set piece. Beautifully constructed costumes varied enough to add depth and color while still remaining cohesive, significantly contributing to the 1900s Midwest setting. Apart from having a few technical issues with the sound system during songs, the technical aspects of the production were effective.

Thomas Jefferson High School’s superb performance of Oklahoma! almost makes you want to rent your very own surrey with the fringe on top.

by Cameron Schupp of Westfield High School

The Scottish play (as it is called in theatre circles) is one of Shakespeare’s most performed tragedies. It chronicles the virtuous Macbeth as he falls into treachery, bringing all of Scotland with him. The Weird sisters, a trio of meddlesome witches, prophesize that Macbeth will gain three grand titles that will culminate in his becoming King. This evil influence begins Macbeth’s tragic decline, taking fate into his own hands to secure the kingship for himself.

Macbeth, played by John Goodwin, is a challenging role requiring the actor to realistically portray the drastic change from brave and noble to consumed with the avarice and ambition leading to his tragic downfall. Goodwin’s facial expressions and physical characterization were delightful as Macbeth slid further and further into insanity. Goodwin brought life to Shakespeare’s archaic language, allowing the audience to at least grasp the meaning if not the words. Lady Macbeth, played by Maya Gueron, is a manipulative woman, who knows exactly what she wants and will sell her soul to get it. Gueron’s emotions were palpable in the audience. Her commitment to character allowed the audience to feel her ambition and watch as it reduced her to insanity.

Patty Rupinen, Jackie Fitzsimmons, and Elena Lagon, playing the witches, were completely committed to their characters. Their serpent-like physical movements and enticingly haunting voices epitomized the persuasive evil that infects Macbeth. Macduff, played by Robby Tracy, was the stereotypical hero. Avoiding greed, Macduff continues to fight for the good of Scotland, even when it means the loss of things near and dear to him. Tracy’s energy and stage presence carried the show during dialogue-heavy scenes. Banquo, played by Will McGarey, and Lady Macduff, played by Olivia Bonin as strong-willed characters effectively foiled the evil of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

The technical aspects of Macbeth were almost entirely student done, including set construction and crew, lighting, sound, make-up and props. Each aspect added to the overall tone of the show. The lighting by Christina Beasley and Kevin Deisz, made use of yellow light during the Witches’ scenes to give an unnatural and haunting feeling. Special spotlights were also used to highlight Banquo’s ghost. A castle wall with working gate and tower comprised the set designed by Natalia Czapski and James Mannion. This provided a very versatile playing space, requiring only subtle changes to denote different settings. Olivia Bonin and Lindsey Doane, makeup artists, used copious amounts of fake blood to create more realistic battles and murders. The impressive stage weapons appeared realistic allowing the audience to believe in the fight sequences. Live drumming during the battles and witches’ scenes further enhanced the mood of the play.

Thomas Jefferson took on Shakespeare’s unabridged Macbeth and certainly rose to the challenge.

by Kate McGinnis of Chantilly

On the Town follows three sailors on 24-hour leave in Manhattan. Gabey, the focus of the trio, immediately falls in love with a girl on a subway poster, and of course, chaos ensues. Right-hand man Ozzie womanizes, left-hand man Chip sightsees, and at the end of the day, everyone has been paired up with the exception of Gabey, who is stood up by his dream date.

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology‘s performance of On the Town excelled in its focus on the hustle and bustle of the big city. Constant, quick scene changes and snappy line delivery helped the cast push on into the night of the city that never sleeps – bar hopping, avoiding hilarious fiancées, and doing whatever it took to get Gabey his gal.

Kate Kirschner and Jeewon Kim had especially stand-out performances with their interpretations of Ivy Smith and Judge Pitkin W. Bridework (respectively). Kirschner’s fluid dance numbers and vocals caused the audience to interrupt with applause several times, and gave the audience a bit of insight as to how Gabey might have fallen for her. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Kim’s overwhelmingly annoying portrayal of Judge Pitkin left the audiences in stitches – audience members laughed whenever he appeared on stage before he could even deliver his lines.

The cast was not without depth, either. Smaller parts were taken with equal enthusiasm and quality, with Stephan DiFazio and Phil Arevalo entertaining the audience between scenes in a silent police chase.

At the end of the play, the three sailors had to leave their 24-hour loves and get back in the ship, three more sailors taking their place on shore. With a last, rousing repetition of “New York, New York,” the three men sailed on, leaving their women for what may be years, and leaving the audience in a standing ovation.

by Trevor Britvec of Edison.

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.