By KALYN MENIFEE – To kick off the fall thespian season, IHS presents The Curious Savage, a feel good play that is intended to make audiences reflect on the complex nature of mental illness. Debuting in the IHS stage on November 3 and 4 at 7:30pm, the play is set in a pleasant and welcoming asylum during the Post-World War II era.
The Curious Savage challenges people’s ideas of mental illness and asks them to reflect on how they treat others by way of the juxtaposition of the well-mannered and pleasant mentally ill patients versus the manipulative “normal” people.
Director and drama teacher Leah Lyons says, “The title intrigues people. Most of our students are veteran actors and there is a lot of hidden comedy for both the audience and the actors to enjoy.”
The play contains a lot of situational humor, some outright jokes, a bit of irony, and a sprinkling of those jokes that’ll have you going, ‘Oh wait, I get that!’ on the way home.
“The play overall is just so much fun to work on and it is a blast to get to do some jokes with other people in the play. We often hang out backstage having a fun time telling jokes of our own,” states senior Tim Sexton, “I just enjoy being a part of the team so much!”
The crew has spent many hours of hard work on preparing what some would say a pretty difficult atmosphere to represent. Capturing the essence of a “nice insane asylum” isn’t an easy feat to pull off, but the stage crew finds their job fulfilling and vital to the play’s success.
Senior Jacqueline Sprenger comments, “Seeing the finished project on the night of the show, and seeing all that hard work coming to fruition is really satisfying.” Some elements of the set come from past projects, including last year’s production of Seasonal Allergies.
Overall the play will be a joy to experience for the young and old with a, “very wholesome and very pure message,” according to senior Lena Pruitt, presented in a way that gives every person who comes to watch a new perspective on how they act towards others. Of course if you want to really experience the sheer joy of it for yourself, plan on seeing the curious savage on either November 3 or 4. You’ll be glad you did.
[Photo by Kalyn Menifee]
Photo Caption: Senior Lena Pruitt assists Junior Emma Zuzek with the preparation of the set.
