‘Pandora’s Box’ Opened By MVHS Theatre Production

By CATHERINE ELLERTON

Moapa Valley Progress

The Moapa Valley High School Theatre students did it again! They took a play, created the atmosphere wherein the action took place, believably built the characters and filled the auditorium with their energy and enthusiasm. The stage crew – lighting, sound, stage manager and techies – are also students.

Director Anjie Lee gives the students an opportunity to develop the story and their characters.
This play was written in 2008 by noted playwright Monica Flory. Her story not only contains many loveable evil characters but leaves many lessons to be digested.

At the beginning a prologue by “Father” Zeus and interpreted by a translator (Mady Whitney) sets the stage as told to an audience of youth (Aiyana Jim, Max Robison, Alyssa – Ava – Meg and Sky Jolley) and the story begins.

Zeus (played by Sam Jolley), the “God of all Gods,” decides to rid the world of its enemies by locking them up in a box citing their evil intention against humanity. It is his philosophy that evil’s worst punishment is to be with other evil. Their only release can be from a human.

Within this box is the Wicked Queen who poisoned Snow White, the Wicked Witch that gave Hansel and Gretel so much trouble, Rumpelstiltskin who turned straw into gold extracting favors along the way, the Evil Fairy who enchants the Sleeping Beauty into pricking her finger and the Wolf who harassed Little Red Riding Hood. It is within this box that the character of these evil ones is revealed by their moaning and revelations.

The drama students Sierra Reel, Ethan Smedley, Ruth Hone, Anna Bush and Kelly Robison do an excellent job in developing their characters and their interaction with each other.

Soon the story changes to an apartment in Manhattan where Tabitha (Sara Udall) and Louis (Payne Morrow), two current age teenagers, are wondering about a huge box that has been left at their address. Louis is involved with his soccer game and Tabitha, a fledging writer, reads her story about three women – two sisters and their mother – who are self- involved. Alyssa Leavitt, Brylee Watkins and Analise Jorgenson make these “princesses” believable.

Soon noise is heard from the box (perhaps a mouse? Or a robot?) and the teenagers open it and let the evil out. Evil grabs the teenagers, ties them up and then develops their characters even more in the ‘new’ world – Food and pedicures and cell phones.

They head out the door to wreak havoc on New York City. When they return they tear up the book Tabitha was writing and rewrite the story to their benefit.

This is where the life lessons begin – reverse psychology is used by the teenagers. If something is broken, you put it back together. The story is rewritten at the suggestion of the teenagers . . . the Queen becomes a fashion icon; the Wolf – head of a fast food chain; Rumpelstiltskin becomes a Reality TV Host of a show called “Guess My Name;” the Fairy begins a Cable TV Channel of totally useless stuff and the Witch becomes a teacher. The three girls in the original story are scolded and sent to bed.

It is stated that often times one can find something good where you least expect it. The teenagers go to the box and there is a letter from their Mother and an empty notebook – waiting for Tabitha to begin a new story. There is good and bad, but both have hope.

This play was well acted, a lot of fun, and, yet, it left this audience member thinking of the life lessons it contained hoping they didn’t fall on ‘deaf ears.’