By LAURA ROBISON
The Progress
The Moapa Valley High School (MVHS) Theatre Department presented its Spring play, EGAD: The Woman in White last week with performances held over three nights, April 2-4.
This uproarious, old-fashioned melodrama by Tim Kelly is based on Wilkie Collins’ 1860 classic novel, and it was wild, fast, and funny.
Before the actors even took to the stage, Director Kenna Higgins announced to attendees that the show is in the spirit of a classic melodrama. As such it requires audience participation, she said.
“That means that you can feel free to Boo! and Hiss! or cheer,” she said. “There are also sound effects and music, we hope to hear either your approval or dissent.”
Sheets of blank paper were even provided for theatre-goers to wad up and throw at the villain when he makes them angry. Higgins requested that only paper be thrown, however.
The main role, Sir Percival Glyde, was played by sophomore Ryker Parkinson. With his impeccable comedic timing and hilarious interaction with the audience, the show was an instant hit.
Sir Percival is a 19th century Englishman who fancies himself a gentleman. But in actuality, he is nothing more than an evil-doer and charlatan who can’t pay his bills and has quite the gambling problem.
The play follows Sir Percival as he plots to secure his fortune and pay off his debts by marrying sweet and dutiful Laura (Kaylee Whited), a well-to-do heiress. Laura’s father had promised Percival his daughter’s hand in marriage as he lay on his deathbed. But Sir Percy is haunted by the mysterious and ghostly Woman in White (Kyra Murphy).
Throw in a crazy cast of characters who sometimes can’t keep a straight face, and clever ad-libs by Parkinson, the presentation was filled with quick-witted, non-stop one-liners that had spectators laughing, booing, heckling and everything in between.
These mad characters are all after Sir Percival’s impending riches, like sly Lawyer Gilmore, played by Rei Brinkerhoff, and the treacherously evil Countess Fosco, played by Abigail Andersen. Then there’s Sir Percival’s not-so-dim-witted servant, Dora, played by Beverly Potts; Laura’s soulful artist love interest, Frenchman Walter Hartright, played by Landon Coplan; and sweet Cousin Marian, played by Zoe Sneller. All of these together made quite a cast of characters out to foible Sir Percival.
Rounding out the cast was Alyssa Weeks, who portrayed Mrs. Catherick, a shallow, materialistic individual who is also a devious and dishonest woman. Riley Neel played Aunt Frederica, a whining self-proclaimed invalid who is the guardian of her nieces. Miss Peach was played by Amy Saenz-Vazquez.
The sound effects and music were produced by mimes on the edge of the stage. These included Rylee Johnson and Gracie Herring on one side, who provided cues for the crowd to laugh, groan, boo, hiss, and anything else they wanted to do. Anabel Andersen, on the other side, played the violin and piano, which also had patrons chuckling.
“The one-liner jokes were scripted,” Ryker Parkinson said. “But I could hear the audience and feed off them. So it was great to ad-lib for more laughs (or boos).”
This was a fun and unique play and it had great direction from Dr. Higgins.
Joseph Sperry attended the play and he heckled Percival a lot.
“Ryker was able to pull in the audience so I played along,” Sperry said. “It was hilarious and he got great laughs.”
After all was said and done, Egad! The Woman In White was one of the most cheesy, corny, funny and brilliant plays performed by MVHS theatre in a long time.
“I am so proud of these students,” Higgins said. “A lot (probably most) of what they did on stage came from ideas they had that we ran with. I’ve got a really talented group of kids that worked hard – especially those seniors. It was fun to do a different kind of show, and hopefully share different facets of theatre and theatre history.”
And so, with this being the last play of the school year, ‘That’s a wrap, folks!’
