Theatre 308’s New Drama "The Curious Savage" Opens this Month
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Theatre 308’s fall production may be about Ethel Savage, but it is the children who turn out to be the real savages in this dramatic production. Mrs. Ethel P. Savage is only a savage in surname.
In “The Curious Savage” the main character Mrs Savage is a widow who wants to use her $10 million inheritance to create a memorial fund that fulfils other people’s foolish desires and dreams. This plan does not please her greedy stepchildren who send her off to a sanatorium called The Cloisters. Here she meets interesting characters with quirky fetishes that set the play in motion.
“Mrs. Savage is an eccentric old woman with a desire to fund people’s foolish dreams using money left to her after her husband’s death” junior Elizabeth Leimkuhler said.
There is this one patient who thinks a doll is her son, and another man has forgotten that he is married to the nurse. Mrs. Savage grows closer and closer with the other residents who turn out not be as crazy as they initially seem.
Junior Paris LaRock plays one of the highly-dramatic stepchildren, Lily Belle, who inhabits the facility; a role for which Paris shares a special kinship.
“I guess you could say that at times I can be a little melodramatic, much like my character, so I guess it was apparent that playing this part wouldn't be too much of a stretch for me,” Paris said.
Meanwhile Mrs. Savage’s stepchildren are more concerned about nabbing that $10 million dollars and stoop to low levels to get it. Though lighthearted, John Patrick’s “The Curious Savage” asks the audience to reconsider its preconceptions about sanity and what we consider to be so-called normal behavior.
The production was first staged in New York in 1950. Despite the passage of years, the issues it delves into continue to be relevant for the cast that includes a range of actors from each grade.
In addition to lead Elizabeth Leimkuhler and Paris LaRock supporting roles include sanatorium patients played by seniors Kenny Weiss and Caroline Vilter; juniors Marin Amyotte and Robbie Florian and sophomore Abby Leinroth and freshman Reed Morgan. Others include juniors Max Hanau, Gabby Acquaviva, and Alex Rankine.
“I think that people will find this plot more interesting, and the humor more clever,” junior cast member Paris LaRock said.
‘The Curious Savage” is a big departure from last spring’s production of “Les Miserables” which featured a cast of 60 people.
“It's different because when we did “Le Mis” the cast was huge! This play only has 11 people in it," senior Kenny Weiss said.
“The Curious Savage” will be performed November 19-21 in the DHS auditorium. Tickets are now on sale at Barrett Bookstore and can also be purchased at the door or in the cafeteria during all lunch shifts the week of the performance. The cost is $15 for students and $10 for senior citizens.
