Comedy and alternative universes

Cascade students, families and the surrounding community can find some warmth from the chilly weather, along with finding some comic relief from the usual spooky, scary Halloween-esque season. Featured in the new Cascade auditorium, Cascade High School will present an evening of 3 comedic one-acts on November 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10 at 7 p.m.
    "I enjoy doing fall plays around Halloween because there are some scary theatrical possibilities," said Mandi Wickline, District Drama Instructor.
    The main one-act is a parody of several dystopian, well known, pop culture fixtures that have hit the big screen in recent years, such as Hunger Games, Divergent and Mazerunner - "Dystopia! The Hungry Maze Game of Divergent Death".  
    "Writer Don Zolidis - my favorite author - has been a high school drama teacher and really understands writing for high school students," said Wickline.
    The other one-acts, both by David Ives, are "Time Flies" and "The Mystery at Twicknam Vicarage". Most of the time most of us find flies more annoying than amusing but not in "Time Flies", a humorous piece about two mayflies that return from a party to put on a David Attenborough nature documentary. Wickline assures that many surprises occur during the two flies performance. As for "Twicknam", which may sound familiar to some who are regular attendees of Cascade prodcutions, this piece is a take-off on the silliness of British murder mysteries. This will be a good natured mocking of the Sherlock Holmes style, 'who dunnit', mystery.
    "We did this play several years ago and it was so much fun, we decided to bring it back," said Wickline.
    While still staying in the spirit of the Halloween season with a "Twilight Zone" theme, Wickline also incorporates humor and music to keep the production light and the audience giggling.
    "There's a lot of music in this show, giving it a cinematic feel, and every play is like it's own little alternate universe.  All three of the shows have fabulous twists and explore many types of humor," said Wickline. "They are absurd but have a lot to say about the joys and perils of life."
    A total of nineteen actors involved and several other students providing helping hands behind the scenes - the production is an opportunity for the community to not only find some local entertainment, but also recognize the theatrical talent within the Cascade High School walls.
    Six seniors, several of whom are seasoned veterans and have been involved with drama since elementary school, are taking the stage for their last fall performance. Look for these featured seniors during the performance: Kelsea Turner, Nathan Hagan, Zane Priebe, Duncan Allen, Mia Lopez and Lochlan Roach.
    Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors, kids, and students with ASB. According to Wickline, students ages 10 and up will probably appreciate the humor more than the little ones.