Houses dramatize Duty, SBA becomes Drama queen
TKC’s annual drama competition ended with the House of Susan B. Anthony in first place, Truth in second and Churchill in third.
Professors Chris Cragin Day, Dr. Douglas Puffert and Registrar Nelly Gulomikova judged performances based on substance, creativity, acting, freshmen participation and fidelity to the Interregnum IX theme of Duty. As of Saturday September 14, SBA leads in House Competition, followed by Churchill in second and Truth in third (complete standings).
While displaying distinct House personalities, the competition rallied and unified the school. Presenters sympathized with the burden of Kreeft’s Socratic Logic, teasingly misapplied the mission statement and impersonated Student Body President Sam Tran.
The drama competition helped illuminate the concept of Duty, and also “brought us closer as a House,” Ben Capitano (’16) said.
Though Sir Walter Raleigh was sexy and he knew it, Queen Elizabeth I refused his advances, rejoining “all the single ladies” out of duty to her country. The act, which finished ninth, featured the lord and lady and their attendants in a Glee-themed historical spoof.
Ten Boomers gathered to watch Braveheart, debate their duty to the King’s mission, speculate about the allegories in the film and grab fifth place. Plaid-clad characters plied “delicious” Scottish accents (according to a student in the audience) and slaughtered each other for “freedom!”
Bonhoeffer’s eighth place presentation abducted an unsuspecting student to the Beatles’ “I Want You ‘She’s So Heavy.’” The audience cheered as Kingsians hung by their ties and bent their backs under the weight of Peter Kreeft’s Socratic Logic text.
Thatcher played on Bloomberg’s soda ban. Brooklynites took up the cause of freedom as their duty, with a dance presentation choreographed to the “Seize the Day” chorus from the Newsies. Thatcher came in sixth.
Truth portrayed a girl tempted to fib about breaking a vase. Sisters Truth Girl and Liar Lady dialogued over her dilemma while the ensemble contributed with a script of strung-together pop song lyrics. After the girl recognized her duty, the group chorused that they “found truth in a truthless place.”
Occupy Wall Street protesters and Kingsians alike bemoaned their unemployment in Barton’s Occupy: The Musical, which placed fourth. Emily Collins starred as Samuel Tran, wearing his jacket and nailing his facial expressions and hand motions. “Ask not what strategic institutions can do for you; ask what you can do for strategic institutions,” Collins urged. “We have a duty to go out.”
Susan B. Anthony sported funky hairdos, bright colors, and committed characterization for their presentation of Horton Hears a Who. A polka-dotted Horton protected Whoville among a forest set painted in Seuss’s style and convinced classmates to stand by the smallest of persons.
Is that Gandalf? Moses? Once Churchill opened the story in Middle-earth, they demystified the white-bearded Joseph Holmes, charging his orcs after man flesh. One orc questioned his duty to Saruman, and let Frodo and Sam escape. The hobbits, who pummeled a cardboard Shelob, killed the errant orc with a neon toy pistol.
Reagan inducted new members into their ladies-man reputation while trying to pull SVA art students from their supposed cave. “Into the Cave… to make them Republicans,” they sang, then remixed “Popular” from Wicked. Luke Anderson, all in white, arrived to admonish overeager Reagans to love their Ludlow neighbors. Quoting their namesake, Reagan tore down the cardboard wall that divided SVA and King’s.
In tenth place, Lewis’ performance centered on a tax-evading Elton John, played by Varut Chee wearing a blonde wig, green boa and peace-sign glasses. Lewis guys in togas reenacted Jesus’ admonition in Luke 20 to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and the show finished blasting “Crocodile Rock.”
King’s students will continue to delve into the theme of Duty through the year, with the Interregnum reading test on King Lear and Antigone held next Friday, Sept. 21.