By JULES SHINKLE
BG Independent News
The Bowling Green Christian Academy is staging two plays this weekend at the Star Style Theatre in the Woodland Mall.
The double feature includes Alec Strum’s “Big Bad” and Danielle Welch’s “Midsummer(ish),” performed by the academy’s middle school and high school classes, respectively. Both productions are led by Deb Shaffer.
Showtime is 6:30 p.m. on both nights: Friday, April 17, and Saturday, April 18.
Similar to last year’s production of “Rise of Robin Hood,” this year’s plays are also twists on classic fairy tales.
“Big Bad” is about the legal aftermath of the Big Bad Wolf’s escapades – he’s facing a class-action lawsuit from not only Little Red Riding Hood, but also the Three Little Pigs and the Boy Who Cried Wolf.
Despite his villainous reputation and lackluster legal representation, Mr. Wolf stands his ground. He picks apart the cases against him and invites the audience, also serving as the court’s jury, to offer him compassion. How the show ends is up to us – guilty, or innocent?
The cast for “Big Bad” includes RJ Boron, Caroline Cooley, Nicholas Fecht, Trenton Grills, Quillen Reza, Braxton Seibert, Olivia Swaisgood, Lizzy Zemaitis, Lily Jenkins, Conner Keaton, Sarah Kessler, and Nathan Malanga.
“Midsummer(ish)” follows the plotline of Shakespeare’s fantastical romp through the woods. There’s the same arranged marriage, unrequited affection, mischievous fairies, and donkey’s head.
“Midsummer(ish)” is a spoof of the comedy in modern lingo, swapping Shakespeare’s flowery prose with teenage vernacular.
A moment that captures the show’s gist is when Puck is admonished by King Oberon for bungling his love potion. Their dynamic is played like a minimum-wage employee getting chewed out by his incompetent boss; Puck just enjoys seeing Oberon getting worked up over nothing.
The cast for “Midsummer(ish)” includes Alaina Baker, Zach Baty, Michael Bruhl, Ethan Davis, William Kessler, James Keylock, Cara Robison, Hannah Spencer, Naomi Ewuzie, Kennelley Genson, Darryn Grills, Troy Herr, Sofia Swaisgood, Abby Watkins, and Claire Watson.
Each cast does a great job bringing goofy sarcasm to the Enchanted Forest. The set, designed by Shaffer, is beautifully decorated with tall trees, boulders, and winding ivy. This weekend, the Woodland Mall lives up to its namesake – with a dash of fairy tale magic.
