Franklin students to present laughter, drama of love
Published 10:49 am Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Cullen Porter, left, as Prince No. 3, and Sara Lyons, as Princess No. 4, rehearse a scene from “Crushed,” which will be performed Thursday through Saturday at Franklin High School. — CAIN MADDEN | THE TIDEWATER NEWS
FRANKLIN—Do you ever wonder, wonder who wrote the book of love?
Cast and crew of the Franklin High School Theatre group this season are, seated in front from left: Stefone Pearson, LeAnna Leonard, Lauren Causey and Aaron Griffith; middle: Sylvanna Bocook, Maura Zurfluh, Sara Lyons, Rosemary Idisi, Josie Rankin, Cullen Porter, Jason Chandler, Timothy Creider and Cameron Seddon; back, Karissa Schuermann, Grace Kreider and Bowen Armbruster. — Cain Madden | Tidewater News
No one knows the exact answer, but the Franklin High School Theatre is at least taking a couple of pages to present “The Book of Love Suite.” This will be performed this Thursday through Saturday at the school.
Terry Zurfluh, director, said there will be two plays. The first is called “Crushed,” which is a short comedy written by Don Zolidis. She offered this summary:
“Guy and Girl are pretty pathetic. Rather than interact with other humans, they’ve retreated to their own personal fantasy worlds of sappy romantic comedies and violent video games. Luckily, their hours of gorging on ice cream and battling imaginary enemies cause them to hallucinate their own spirit guides to romance, who will gleefully usher them into the world of dating, starting with lessons in what not to do. A hilarious and wild look at the pitfalls of having a crush.”
Stefone Pearson and Grace Kreider have the leads as the Guy and Girl. Pearson, a sophomore, said one of the narrators describes his character as “pitiful.” Kreider – the Girl – brings experience to the stage from “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “Godspell” and “Eleven Ways to Screw Up Your College Interview.”
There are approximately 18 others students, some serving in a more than one role. Cullen Porter, sophomore, plays Brady, Brice and Prince No. 3.
“A friend said I should do the play. I came, auditioned and got the part,” said Porter.
Sara Lyons, freshman, will be Maggie and Princess No. 4. She said her character is in love with Tom (Cameron Seddon).
The second production is “Down Came the Rain,” which is a short drama by Burgess Clark. Zufluh’s summary:
“Eighteen-year-old Michael and his fourteen-year-old brother Brucie – who has been considered mentally “slow” since birth – venture out on a camping trip together. Brucie’s never-ending curiosity becomes increasingly unbearable to Michael, especially when the questions involve the death of their mother. “Down Came the Rain” is a touching, sad, and ultimately hopeful exploration of two vastly different brothers, and how they navigate the delicacy of family and truth.”
Timothy Kreider, a sophomore, will be Michael, and Seddon, a junior, will be Brucie.
Kreider said he’s been performing in plays since seventh grade. His two sisters got him involved. His first production was “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”
“It’s really fun being with my friends,” Seddon explained what he enjoys about participating.
Performances begin at 7 p.m., March 13-15, in the school auditorium. The school is located at 310 Crescent Drive in Franklin. Admission is $2 for students and $3 for adults. Call the school at 562-5187 or Zurfluh at 647-6823 for more information.
