Brookfield stages hilarious play within a play

Excellent comedic timing had the audience shrieking with laughter

As anyone involved in community theatre will know, there are many bumps along the road to opening night. Lines are forgotten, scripts change, a curtain fails — all of this and more was carried out hilariously by Brookfield High School in Play On!

Written by Rick Abbot, Play On! is the story of a struggling bunch of actors and their beleaguered director, who must try to prepare her team for opening night of Murder Most Foul, while fending off the overbearing author of their play.

Of course, Brookfield High School’s cast faced none of the problems their characters did. Every sound effect was on time, no one stumbled and their excellent comedic timing had the audience shrieking with laughter.

Many of Brookfield’s actors had two roles, meaning a character for Murder Most Foul and the actor playing that character. It was always clear who was who at any given time.

Dilan Rasool shone as Geraldine “Gerry” Dunbar, the long-suffering director of Murder Most Foul. The mounting exasperation she felt as the play went on was evident whenever Rasool’s voice would scream threats to her team from the audience. She also managed to portray her character’s affection for the cast and crew, in her believable and touching interactions with the stage director and several actors.

While Rasool’s character was caring but overtly surly, Zeinab Abugrga’s Phyllis Montague was anything but. Abugrga’s performance as the flamboyant playwright had the audience clutching their sides as she swaggered about on stage, commandeering the actors and protesting any little change to the script with shrill gasps of outrage.

ABOUT THE REVIEWS

The production at Brookfield High School was reviewed by 32 critics representing 14 schools. The critic discussions were mentored by teacher Maria Maclean of Ottawa Jewish Community School and student reviews were edited and selected for publication by teacher Stephanie Pearson of Holy Trinity Catholic High School, who could see only the reviews, not the names or schools of the reviewers. Next review: Lester B. Pearson Catholic High School’s production of The Sound of Music.

ABOUT THE CAPPIES

The Citizen and 38 high schools are participating in the Cappies, a Washington, D.C.-based program that uses high school critics to review high school theatre. The program is a unique partnership between the Citizen, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and the Ottawa Catholic School Board. Three schools from other boards in the region and four private schools have also joined. The four winners of the lead acting categories will receive a bursary provided by the national law firm Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP. Follow the Cappies on Twitter @OttawaCappies.

Brookfield High School’s cast faced none of the problems their characters did.

Another actor who had the audience shaking with mirth was Reshad Islam, portraying both the actor Saul Watson and his character, Dr. Rex Forbes. Islam as Saul was both authentic and hilarious with his perfect comedic timing and subtle mannerisms, such as discreetly pouring alcohol into his coffee from a flask, or smoking a pipe upside-down as the alcohol took effect.

All in all, Brookfield’s production of Play On! was a hilarious, witty imitation of theatre life.