25
s
t en
c
S erving
the mid valley
&
upper
lackawanna
Around Town
School News
What’s going on with your favorite student Page 8
Community Calendar
Plan some fun for the family this weekend Page 18
Bowling Scores
See who the top players were this week Page 20
Times-shamrock communiTy newspapers 149 Penn Avenue Scranton, PA 18503 Phone: (570) 348-9185 Fax: (570) 207-3448
advantage @timesshamrock.com
April 8, 2016
thevalleyadvantage.com
Comedic Vignettes
ON THE INSIDE The latest happenings in our area Page 2
valley
Carbondale Area High School to present Neil Simon play by Christopher Cornell ADVANTAGE EDITOR
This is traditionally the time of year of high schools to produce a musical. But this year the Carbondale Area High School drama club is taking a different path. The group will present playwright Neil Simon’s tribute to Russian writer Anton Chekhov, The Good Doctor, at the high school auditorium, 101 Brooklyn St., Friday and Saturday, April 8 and 9, at 7 p.m. The show consists of five interwoven comedic vignettes. “We chose The Good Doctor for a number of reasons,” explained Bob Schlessinger, the show’s director. First and foremost, he said, “we have the senior and junior talent to do it. Secondly, very few kids these days know who Neil Simon is, and they should.” Schlessinger acknowledged that a non-musical play in the spring is a bit of “a departure” but explained that the decision was made “for economic reasons. The cost to do a musical these days can be astronomical, and with overall funding being so tight, I figured we could keep costs within reason yet present a hilarious comedy that I know will be very entertaining.” To create The Good Doctor, Simon (best known for The Odd Couple, Barefoot in the Park and The Goodbye Girl) took five of Chekhov’s stories and “Simonized” them into five comedic sketches. “The play gives our upper-class talent something to sink their teeth into, while at the same time give them a better appreciation for the craft of acting,” Schlessinger said. The play is set around the end of the 19th century, and “part of the play’s charm is that the costumes, set pieces and the music track that underscores the piece reflect the time period,” he added. “Chekhov’s stories and plays were about life’s everyday struggles and his characters had great depth. Simon’s plays are similar in that they deal with everyday life driven by great character development and his gift of finding the humor in everything no matter how troubling things can
TS_CNG/ADVANTAGE/PAGES [A01] | 04/07/16
10:19 | CORNELLCHR
Seated: Jennifer Rach. Standing, from left: Julio Rodriguez, Bobby Morgan, Chris Smith, Qwintin Krenitsky and Bridget Connolly. Emma Cigna and Miranda Rossetti are also in the cast. PHOTO RUTHANNE JONES
become.” Schlessinger said the students in the play wanted to tackle a comedy. “I told them the old theater saying: dying is easy, comedy is tough,” he said. “They are now discovering even more how comedy depends upon teamwork, timing and playing the scene real no matter how silly the situation is. They have accepted the challenge. I don’t think I could do the play without the upperclassman that we have.” He said seniors Bridget Connolly, Julio Rodriquez, Emma Cigna and juniors Bobby Mor-
gan, Miranda Rossetti, Chris Smith, Qwintin Krenitsky and Samantha Zenker “are all capable of handling the material, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with them. We also have a great student backstage crew headed by stage manager Jennifer Bach.” Junior Samantha Zenker promised the play “will definitely make you laugh,” she said. “I play the part of Madame Brassilhov, who thinks she is the prime jewel. It’s a fun part because I can exaggerate the character’s inflated sense of herself.” Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door.