April closes with more local performances

The weather outside this spring has been delightful. But that doesn’t mean there still isn’t fun to be had indoors this weekend with our area young thespians.

So if April showers foil some of those outdoor plans, check out some of these indoor options:

Mentor Ridge Middle School

Last weekend was a busy one in Mentor, as my column showed. But there is still one Mentor school yet to perform their annual spring musical, and that will come this weekend with Ridge Middle School’s production of “The Election” directed by Brittany Martony. Performances are at 6 p.m. April 27 and 28 in the Ridge Middle School Cafeteria. Tickets are $5 for students and $7 for adults.

You might think you’ve had enough of elections lately, but this one promises lower stakes and greater entertainment value. The play follows Mark Davenport’s quest to become student body president at his school. He faces opponent Christy Martin who will stop at nothing to win, forcing Mark to decide between his ethics or his desire for victory. With the help of his sleazy campaign manager, Gina, and his not-sobright best friend, Karl, he enters a battle for the ages. Sound familiar? “We tackled this play because we saw it as a learning opportunity,” Martony tells me.

“The play covers a lot of topics, everything from high school culture to American politics. It has a very nice ending and will leave the audience feeling optimistic.”

So, perhaps a better feeling than some recent elections. You know, depending on who you are.

“I thought it was an interesting idea to do a play about an election this year after we just had a very intense election this fall,” says Elise Provident, an eighth-grader in her third year in Ridge Theatre who plays Christy Martin. “It was refreshing to put a funny, lighthearted spin on something that has been causing a lot of disagreements recently.”

“‘The Election’ is going to be a great production because of the way it presents a political climate that is relatable to people of all ages,” says Owen Greene the sixth-grader who plays Mark Davenport and is a newcomer to the theater world.

Will this newcomer make a better president than, well, some other newcomers? Will he even win? Will he make his school great again? Check it out at Ridge this weekend.

University School

University School is getting ready to present its annual spring musical, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” directed by Carol Jaffee Pribble. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. April 27, 28 and 29 at the Hunting Valley Campus at 2785 SOM Center Road.

University School is a private school that serves 870 boys grades K-12 on two campuses with a mission to “inspire boys of promise to become young men of character who lead and serve.”

What the school does not have is girls, so that presents an annual performance challenge. Enter students from Hathaway Brown, Laurel, Hawken, Chagrin Falls, Kenston, Shaker and Solon, and now you have a complete cast that also represents much of the near-east side of Cleveland.

The classic story follows the young window washer J. Pierpont Finch and his attempts to get ahead by following the “simple steps” in a book called “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” This satire of the world of big business by Frank Loesser and Abe Burrows went on to win eight Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Pribble is assisted by Danny Singer on musical direction and David Irons on technical direction. Pribble also directs the school’s orchestra and Glee Club in addition to the spring musical, so I assure you that she is really trying.

Tickets are $6 for students and $10 for adults and can be purchased at the door or reserved by calling 216-831-2200.

Berkshire High School

Down in Geauga County, Berkshire High School and director Jim Lester are getting ready to present their own spring musical. This year’s annual production is “Cinderella,” and performances will be at the school at 7 p.m. April 28 and 29.

Call the school for additional information.

Based upon the classic fairy tale, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s adaptation tells the story of a young woman forced into servitude who dreams of — and achieves — a better life. Cinderella features songs including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible,” and “Ten Minutes Ago.” The clock strikes midnight on this production this weekend, so don’t miss it.

Geauga Lyric Theater Guild

And finally, Geauga Lyric Theater Guild is quiet this weekend because of the Maple Festival in Chardon, so performances of “The Little Mermaid” are set to resume next month. But that doesn’t mean that the prolific group is silent.

Indeed, they expect “Superheroes” save the day.

Chardon Middle School Drama Club, sponsored by the GLTG, will present two free performances of “Superheroes: How to Interact with Human Beings” at 7 p.m. April 28, and 1 p.m. April 29.

Captain Invisible, Green Pen, Freeze Frame and Info Blast are having trouble getting along with the others so the International Society of Superheroes has sent them off to meet with some humans who will teach them valuable lessons in basic kindness and civility. Catchy tunes and enlightening lyrics make this mini-musical fun and educational for all ages.

And if you park at the GLTG Arts Center when you come to see the show, parking donations will benefit both the Geauga Theater and The Chardon Community Action Team.

In addition, the CMS Drama Club, run by Julie Douglass, will take this production to four local elementary schools. Performances will include a talk-back session with the cast to reinforce the messages within the show and cameo appearances by students who won an essay contest on “What’s Your Super Power and How Do You Use It to Make the World a Better Place?”

If you think this production sounds familiar, you may recall that Douglass staged a similar version last weekend at Garfield Elementary School with a different group of kids to honor Jacob Goss. You’ll be happy to know it was a great success.

“We had a glorious weekend!” Douglass messaged me. “It was very healing for the school and family as we celebrated Jacob and Garfield’s spirit of community.”

As they say — the earth without the “art” is just “eh.” Get some art somewhere this weekend.

Steve Couch