Nevada High School to present 'The Curious Savage'
Nevada Daily Mail
A cast of colorful characters, a greedy chase for missing money, and a heartwarming message will intrigue audiences at the Nevada High School fall play. The comedy, "The Curious Savage" by John Patrick, will be presented Oct. 11-13, at 7 p.m., at the NHS auditorium.
An ensemble cast of 11 students have worked for the past six weeks to embody the interesting characters in this show. They include junior Bahar Bagheri playing the lead role of Mrs. Savage, who has been left $10 million by her late husband; and senior Brandon Norton as Titus Savage, junior Valerie Rainey as Lily Belle Savage, and freshman Eric Turner as Samuel Savage, the greedy children who when their mother won't spoil them with the inheritance, decide to commit her to a group home. In the Cloisters group home we find characters with a multitude of different personality disorders including juniors Anna Jones as Fairy May, Nathan Hines as Hannibal, and Leslie Dunaway as Florence; and sophomores Jacob Dunivan as Jeffrey and Blayne Hendrix as Mrs. Paddy. Dr. Emmett, played by senior Jeremy Gunter; and Miss Wilhelmina, played by junior Jenny Huynh are part of the caring staff who run the Cloisters.
"The dominant mood is high comedy, and the audience is left with a feeling that the neglected virtues of kindness and affection have not been entirely lost in a world that seems motivated at times only by greed and dishonesty," according to Dramatists Play Service.
Nearly 40 other high school students are assisting with the technical aspects of this 1950s-era show, such as working stage manager and crew, and dealing with costumes, makeup, hair, lighting, sound, set construction, set design, publicity, house management, props, and poster design. The show is directed by drama teacher Angie Bin and assistant director Meagan Day, NHS sophomore.
"One of the most interesting aspects of this production for students was researching the time period for the design of the show. We scoured flea markets and antique stores for costumes and set dressing; and students had a great time getting dressed for the float we had in the Homecoming parade," Bin said.
"The cast members also had to create backgrounds for their characters and explore the varying aspects of these characters' personalities."
Tickets for "The Curious Savage" are $7 for adults, $5 for students, and children under school age are free. Tickets are available from the high school office or at the door. The school is located at 800 W. Hickory in Nevada.