“‘Can I need a loaf of bread?’” Sebastian Colfer (12), as Phillip Glass, asked in Phillip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread, the fourth of six scenes in the Strawberry Hill Players’ newest fall play; All in the Timing, which premiered last Friday, November 7. The show played at 7:30 p.m. both Friday and Saturday (the day when I went to go see it), and will do its final two shows this upcoming Friday and accompanying Saturday.
The play is unique in that it’s not so much a play, but a collection of scenes, lacking traditional elements like a main cast of supporting actors, the ensemble (background), or a “lead.” The choice to put on such a play was a conscious decision by the directorial staff as many didn’t believe that the Drama Club would receive high numbers of membership after losing 23 seniors to graduation last school year, according to member Ashley Lanza Espinoza (11).
However, the premonitions were wrong, the Drama Club is experiencing unprecedented numbers of new members, mainly freshmen, leaving only room for cuts during auditions. Interestingly, the large number of talent auditioning for a small-cast play has led to double casting of characters; as Ellisa Tobin (12) and Skyla Johnson (12) share the part of Al in the fifth scene, The Philadelphia. Tobin played Al, a man helping his friend through a particularly rough Philadelphia, for the first weekend of shows and Johnson will take over the role for the second weekend.
The play overall was very enjoyable. I legitimately laughed out loud at many parts (with the exception of one scene that must have gone over my head, though others seemed to enjoy it too). The choice to premier a play where every actor is on a stage with only 1-2 others is a bold but smart move. Each student shines on their own, finding their own spot on the stage. This was especially the case for my favorite scene, The Universal Language, the third of the six, where Ryan Hayes (9) plays Don, a man who runs a gimmick, pretending to teach Unamunda (a made up language), who doesn’t trick very many people until it catches Dawn (played by Krysal Manalo (12)). The pair, the only two on the stage, were both completely immersed in their roles and had great chemistry. It seems odd to say, but their faces seemed like they were born for the role, even down to their costumes which felt like their own clothing.
If I had to give the play a grade, it’d be an A. The storylines in each scene were meaningful and interesting yet easy to follow. Every actor and actress put their all into their roles and you can totally see it on the stage. If you wanna laugh harder than you ever have before on a Friday night, do not miss The Players’ show of All in the Timing!