By CELINE NGUYEN
Staff Writer

November is finally here, and with it comes the annual Fall Play – a production put on by the talented actors, actresses and theater crew of University High School (UHS).
This year’s play is Stardust by Walter Kerr: a whimsical and entertaining performance about a group of hopeful drama students: Phil Ford (Julian Baskys), Janet Ross (Christa Perhson), Theodora Voorhis (Eleanor Goulden). They excitedly wait for the arrival of a famous Broadway star, Prudence Mason (Megan McCarthy), her agent, Jerry Flanagan (Natanael Cho), and Prudence’s best friend Claire Carter (Catalina Fernandez).Under the supervision of the school’s director Mr. Bach (Ryan Nicholson),  this madhouse of a play will feature the best and worst stereotypes of the acting world.
Ms. Ranae Bettger (Visual and Performing Arts Dept.), director of the upcoming play, said, “I picked this play because the script was hilarious, and I could ‘see’ my students in it…The 1946 setting spoke to me, and I’m excited to have the Technical Theatre students design in an Art Nouveau style.”
When asked about what the audience should look forward to, Ms. Bettger said, “You can expect tons of laughs! The show is a spoof of the acting profession, and it highlights every stereotype of bad actors. You’ll see lots of period costumes, elaborate décor, and exaggerated characters.”
Lighting crewmember Quanah Lawrence (Jr.) said, “This play is unique because it’s basically a play within a play, as all of the characters in Stardust are preparing to put on a play of their own. It’s a hilarious production, with some ridiculous characters and circumstances. The audience should expect a hilarious and weird sequence of events.”
Cast and crewmembers have worked hard for the past month in order to bring the play to life, and have plenty of stories to share from rehearsals. Josie Bachman (So.) recalls a moment from when rehearsals first started, “No one really knew each other and I could tell the freshmen were kind of uncomfortable. During a read through of the script, however, Julian Baskys (Sr.) read his line ‘Aww Janet,’ but it came out more like a sheep’s bleat. This made everyone burst out laughing, and it really eased the tension.” After all of the fun and antics during rehearsal, audiences can expect an enthusiastic performance by the tight-knit cast and crew.
From props to costumes to script rights, Stardust’s production costs around $15,000, and the drama department is hoping to bring in around $8,000 in profit, with the money going towards the UHS Performing Arts Program.
The show is held at 7 pm on November 19-22. Tickets for House seating are $15 general admission, $13 for students with ASB cards and $10 for senior citizens and children under 10. Orchestra seating, which is situated closer to the stage, offers a better view and is $20 for both general admission and ASB cardholders, and $10 for senior citizens and children under 10. Buy your tickets pre-sale at seatyourself.biz/iusd, or from the Little Theatre during snack and lunch. Regular admission tickets will also be available on the nights of the show. Be sure to get them soon for optimal seats, and we will see you there!