by Neil Richard
The King George High School Theatre Department put on an amazing show this month with their production of THE PRINCESS KING by Jeff Fluharty. The title is derived from a Princess that enters a contest of feats in an effort to prove herself capable of being King. The Directors, students Lainie Stuart and Blaire Ayers, led a great cast of characters through seven scenes of comedic bliss.
For those of you that are unfamiliar with high school acting at King George, Mrs. Wynes and Mr. Mac are the teachers that sponsor the actors and the Theatre Department. But more impressive to me was how the students cheered and chanted them after the show. These adults are having a clearly positive, and great, impact on the future.
The actors taking the stage ranged from Freshmen to Seniors. These young men and women were adept at breaking all the typical rules you see in a play to engage the audience. The play opens with a mother reading a bedtime story to her daughter about a Princess King. Just like THE PRINCESS BRIDE, the story comes alive and we got to see the scenes and characters before us.
As the story progresses, the trope of a contest to win the girl is introduced as the King wants to find the best man to take his place. The King is more focused on finding the perfect Prince than he is his daughter's true love being the cook.
Over the course of the evening, the hilarity ratcheted up a notch every time the lights rose and a new scene was taking shape. And while the main characters performed admirably, there was so much going on in the background that I would frequently find myself looking at the other actors instead. I have that Royal Guard taking a nap and scratching his butt to thank for that. But he wasn't the only one to steal the spotlight. Countless others in smaller roles would cause a stir, whether they were speaking or not.
Aside from the skilled acting and comedic timing on stage, there were also beautifully painted and designed sets ingenious props. On their own, they added to that storybook feel but when labeled, such as the "psychiatric help 5 cents" sign, you could tell a little extra thought was put into their construction. And the props, although only two-dimensional, were used perfectly. From the bugle that was a kazoo to dropping ingredients into the pot of glop, the actors knew how to use the props to get a laugh and move the story along.
In the end, this was the funniest stage production I have seen at King George High School since 1993 when Ben Franklin and others performed in the incredibly short SHAKESPEARE'S HAMLET IN 15 [which would later go on to receive the only standing ovation at competition]. I would also rank it as one of the top ten funniest stage productions I've seen in the past decade of watching shows at the Riverside Dinner Theater. The entire production was very much a Mel Brooks version of THE PRINCESS BRIDE and certainly earned every laugh it got. My only sour note is that I could only see the show once.
The King George High School Theatre Department put on an amazing show this month with their production of THE PRINCESS KING by Jeff Fluharty. The title is derived from a Princess that enters a contest of feats in an effort to prove herself capable of being King. The Directors, students Lainie Stuart and Blaire Ayers, led a great cast of characters through seven scenes of comedic bliss.
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| Cast and Crew take a final bow. |
The actors taking the stage ranged from Freshmen to Seniors. These young men and women were adept at breaking all the typical rules you see in a play to engage the audience. The play opens with a mother reading a bedtime story to her daughter about a Princess King. Just like THE PRINCESS BRIDE, the story comes alive and we got to see the scenes and characters before us.
As the story progresses, the trope of a contest to win the girl is introduced as the King wants to find the best man to take his place. The King is more focused on finding the perfect Prince than he is his daughter's true love being the cook.
Over the course of the evening, the hilarity ratcheted up a notch every time the lights rose and a new scene was taking shape. And while the main characters performed admirably, there was so much going on in the background that I would frequently find myself looking at the other actors instead. I have that Royal Guard taking a nap and scratching his butt to thank for that. But he wasn't the only one to steal the spotlight. Countless others in smaller roles would cause a stir, whether they were speaking or not.
Aside from the skilled acting and comedic timing on stage, there were also beautifully painted and designed sets ingenious props. On their own, they added to that storybook feel but when labeled, such as the "psychiatric help 5 cents" sign, you could tell a little extra thought was put into their construction. And the props, although only two-dimensional, were used perfectly. From the bugle that was a kazoo to dropping ingredients into the pot of glop, the actors knew how to use the props to get a laugh and move the story along.
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| Just a few of the set pieces. |
In the end, this was the funniest stage production I have seen at King George High School since 1993 when Ben Franklin and others performed in the incredibly short SHAKESPEARE'S HAMLET IN 15 [which would later go on to receive the only standing ovation at competition]. I would also rank it as one of the top ten funniest stage productions I've seen in the past decade of watching shows at the Riverside Dinner Theater. The entire production was very much a Mel Brooks version of THE PRINCESS BRIDE and certainly earned every laugh it got. My only sour note is that I could only see the show once.
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