Going off the rails: A tale of not sticking to the script
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Have you ever felt there is just something not quite right about your life? Why do your friends behave in these nonsensical ways? How do these absurd, corny situations always happen to you all?
And most importantly, how do they not hear the obnoxious, disembodied laugh track playing on and on?
“Stick to the Script” is a one-act play written and directed by Ava McVittie, a student at Eden High School. The work first began as a school project but quickly evolved into a full-blown production run by a crew of 14 students, most of whom took on both on- and off-stage roles.
The story follows Owen Culp as Jay, who starts to realize something is off about his life and starts lashing out, as his friends Chase and Penelope, played by Taylor Morency and Hailey Jaques respectively, try their very best to prevent him from going off-script.
Owen Culp convincingly portrayed Jay going off of the rails. His voice was filled with confusion and fear; his body language was tense and jumpy. It made the show more believable, as if his life really was just a sitcom, and we, as the audience hidden behind the fourth wall, take in his life as entertainment.
Hailey Jaques as Penelope and Taylor Morency as Chase both were energetic throughout their performances. This was especially true in the repeat scenes, where they were able to keep the same tone, energy, and gestures through the several repeats. They were also able to transition quickly from cheerful and bubbly to serious and frustrated during the off-camera scenes.
Interjecting between scenes was Daniel Miralles as Jesse Angels, whose convincing-yet-conniving commercials brought a touch of humour to the show. His overly pompous influencer accent made it even more hilarious when he revealed his real one.
Despite her brief time on stage, Katelyn Baston as the director made a memorable impression, concealed within the audience until her unexpected appearance in the final moments, and dominating the stage with her commanding voice, movements and presence.
Tyeb Ahmed as understudy Jay also had little stage time, but with what he did have, he comfortably and confidently re-enacted the very beginning of the play, bringing us back full circle.
Although there were a few breaks in characters and stumbles in lines, they didn’t have a major impact on the show.
The cast’s costumes, filled with plaids and jeans, helped to create a ‘90s sitcom atmosphere, as did the musical cues. Different colours of lighting were used to help the audience distinguish the on-set versus off-set moments, as well as when the fourth wall was broken.
A nice touch was the cardboard cameras created by Morency, which were realistic, and whose sneaky appearance in the set added to the unsettling realization that this was not a typical sitcom.
Eden High’s “Stick to the Script” tells a chilling story of the consequence of not fitting into your role.
Cut!