By Don Steen ~ Staff Writer • [email protected]
The South Spencer High School Drama Club will present “Parents Just Don’t Understand” by Bryan Starchman this weekend. Showtimes will be at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 15 and 16, followed by a Sunday showing at 2 p.m. March 17. The show will be at the school auditorium, with tickets available for $8 for adults and $5 for students.
Around 35 students are bringing this comedy to life, bringing together talent from Grade Seven through to the seniors. The Art Club and other volunteers have been helping build and decorate sets as well.
Director Kyle Vincent said this particular play was chosen for its sense of humor and unique structure. Rather than focus on one narrative, “Parents Just Don’t Understand” is a 10-scene play with each segment portraying its own vignette about family life.
“If you don’t like one then you’ll like the next,” said Vincent.
The stories told vary greatly from scene to scene. Audiences will follow one family going through the motions of mourning a distant relative, only to find some confusion at the casket. Later, a disastrous attempt at Thanksgiving cooking lands another family in search of a restaurant that’s still open. As the name suggests, there is plenty of comedic disconnect between the generations on stage, as well as timeless tales of driving lessons and clashes of style.
The emphasis on short, comedic skits offers the young actors and actresses to explore a wide range of situations and emotions. They also help emphasize tightly focused interactions between small groups of people, giving those on stage more time in the spotlight.
Vincent is quite pleased with how the play has progressed since preparations began in January. He looks forward to seeing the students put on a show this weekend.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the process,” he said.
Featured Image: Students in the SSHS Drama Club rehearse a restaurant scene for their upcoming performance of “Parents Just Don’t Understand”
The upcoming musical will feature various scenes performed by different students as seen in the rehearsal pictures above
