The production of “How the Other Half Loves” was a first for MICDS. The farce, the first of that genre to be seen on the Orthwein stage, presented the actors and director Carolyn Hood, Upper School Performing Arts Teacher, with a challenge. The script was tight and engaging but, “Farce is probably the hardest style of acting,” Mrs. Hood says. Getting it all to gel on stage was rewarding given that the material has highly-choreographed comical moments, intricate timing, and over-the-top but lovable characters.
Written in 1969 by British playwright Alan Ayckbourn, “How the Other Half Loves” sees three couples pulled together to deal with, and try to cover up, an affair.
Alice Ma ’23 describes her character as “always very nervous and anxious, so I envisioned her to be fidgety all the time, [but] I didn’t have to calm myself down before the shows because embracing the nervousness and stress actually helped me stay in character,” she says. Still, the play’s style demanded a learning curve. “The comedic elements of this show made it more difficult to act because I had to learn to find a balance between doing enough and not overdoing things,” Ma explains.
Ms. Hood knows just how successful the actors made the production. “These six actors brilliantly conquered this style, and our audiences were treated to a hilarious and delightfully clever weekend of performances,” she says.
Great job, Rams!