By Tim Leeds
The Havre High School Theatre 2000 production of "Black Comedy" will be shown in the Havre High Theatre at 7:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, May 11-13.
Director Jay Pyette said the cast for the play has done very well. He said they had a very short time to rehearse, only five weeks, and many of the cast were gone for a week of that during the band festival trip.
"They had their lines memorized in two weeks," he said. "I gave them two weeks and they did it, had them down."
Jarrod Maney plays Brindsley in the production; Kristi Doll plays Carol, Brindsley's girlfriend; Jesse Suek plays Col. Melkett, Carol's father; Donovan Ewing plays Harold, Brindsley's neighbor; Vanessa Driveness plays Clea, Brindsley's ex-girlfriend; Chris Young plays Bamberger, a millionaire; Alison Booth plays Miss Furnival; and Nick Newell plays Schupanzigh.
Pyette said the plot is that Bamberger is coming to view a piece of work by Brindsley, a sculptor. Brindsley has "borrowed" some antique furniture from Harold to make his apartment look better for the showing while Harold is away.
While Brindsley, Carol and Colonel Melkett are preparing for Bamberger to arrive, the power and the lights go out. Harold returns unexpectedly, as does Brindsley's ex-girlfriend, Clea.
Pyette said it's a pretty physical comedy.
The convention of the play is that the stage lights are on when the lights are out in the story, and the stage lights are out when they are on in the story. The actions of the actors are visible when they are supposed to be stumbling around in the dark, but only their dialogue is available when they are supposed to be in the light.
The audience is able to see the cast trying to return the stolen furniture in the dark, Clea moving about having fun, and the general confusion and commotion, said Pyette.
The play, written by Peter Shaffer, is being produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.
Tickets for the production cost $6 for adults, $3 for HHS students and $3 for seniors.
