Medical Lake Wingin' It Improv Team members Skyler Watchel (left) and Chris Keister tell a fractured story during the "Story, Story, Die" game.
The Medical Lake High School Cardinal Players drama students finished their two-night run of "Student Sketch Night," Jan. 29-30.
Both nights featured seven sketches performed, written and directed by students, one being, "Something's Wrong with Ringo." Written by Zach Close and directed by Skyler Watchel, this sketch is a satirical take on the Beatles. The scene included the band members trying to guess what was wrong with Ringo Starr, John Lennon announcing his marriage to Yoko Ono and the breakup of the band.
Watchel, who was directing a sketch for the first time, said it was challenging coordinating rehearsal times with the actors but in the end, he, and the performers "pulled through."
Another presentation was "The Oracle of Connor" where a king named Connor defended his kingdom from the "not-so-good" King Whenacoleslaw Coleslaw. Chandler Pedersen, who wrote and directed the sketch, said he worked on it before he came to Medical Lake and decided to bring the story and characters back for "Student Sketch Night."
"It was exciting seeing those characters come to life on stage," Pedersen said. "When I wrote them, I had originally played Connor. Chris (Keister) as Connor, he nailed that part."
Throughout the night, actresses Abby Warrington and Maggie Clough performed a three-part sketch, "Operation Yes," based off the Sara Holmes' novel, written by Eric Davis and directed by Pedersen. The sketch was about a daughter, played by Warrington worrying about getting her mother's (Clough) safely home from Iraq.
Besides the sketches, the Wingin' It Improv Team performed several games, including "Academy Award," where students performed a category - i.e. best dressed, best scene - based on audience suggestions; "Doctor, Doctor," where one actor had to act out an illness and two performers, playing a doctor and a nurse, had to cure them; and "Story, Story, Die" where three actors were telling a fractured story. Whenever a performer paused, stuttered or repeated the same word, they had to act out a pretend death scene suggested by the audience.
The sketch night ended with "Lost Wedding," a comedy skit where a couple act as a bridesmaid and best man to their friends' upcoming wedding. The best man supposedly loses the ring and after the couple broke off their engagement he proposes to his girlfriend.
Janine Warrington, a Medical Lake alumna who attends Gonzaga University and advises the group, said she was not as hands-on with the "Student Sketch Night" as she had in previous drama productions at MLHS. She had only helped with the opening scene "Play-o-3," written by Abby Warrington and directed by Clough.
"The students organized everything, including rehearsal times," Janine Warrington said. "Other than the opening scene I just opened the doors to let them practice. It was hard during the opening scene, sitting back and I wanted to help, also fun for me to watch them. I was so proud of them."
Al Stover can be reached at al@cheneyfreepress.com.
Reader Comments(0)