“Where have all the good men gone…”
The beginning tunes fill the choir room as the cast of “Skits and Giggles 2” breaks out into its choreography. Led by junior Julian Fonseca, the actors practice their dance and rehearse their bows in front of a large mirror to the song “I Need A Hero” by Bonnie Tyler. The “Shrek” version, of course.
This song choice may be unorthodox, but that’s exactly what “Skits and Giggles 2” is. Instead of buying a script, they have a different way to make their show.
“Juniors and seniors…wrote the play,” freshman Estela Escobedo said. “It was a combination wrote the plays, and then mainly juniors and some seniors helped with directing.”
The freshmen and the sophomores are the ones who perform the skits written by the upperclassmen. Their ability to communicate and get feedback with the writers has helped them portray their characters more accurately.
The play helps the juniors and seniors practice their scriptwriting skills. With their collaboration with one another, they can produce skits that are unique and funny for high schoolers.
“[In my skit], they’re recording a sitcom and all the sounds are getting messed up and everyone’s getting frustrated,” freshman Jessica Taylor said.
No other shows during the school year are like the winter play. With the majority of it being run by the students, it can create a calming space for high schoolers who might be nervous at the prospect of being directed by teachers. All the students involved have worked hard to ensure that their performance goes along seamlessly.
The day that I arrived at rehearsal was the first day that they ran through the whole show. That included going over their ending “Shrek” choreography multiple times in order to make it more polished.
“We’re just getting all our last touches together,” freshman Thomas Johnson said.
“Skits and Giggles 2” comes right after the successful production of “Noises Off!” Standing O Theater Company’s winter play last year was the first “Skits and Giggles,” but this year’s isn’t exactly a sequel.
“They’re pretty separate, still just as funny though,” sophomore Sydney Jackson said.
“Skits and Giggles 2” will be performed on Feb. 6-7 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale at the box office during lunch periods for $5 each.
