The Fourth Wall stands out as one of TJ’s best plays.
Photo courtesy of the Kutz family.
When I heard that TJ’s intended spring musical, The Phantom of the Opera, was being canceled, only to be replaced by a series of eight student-directed plays, I was skeptical. Don’t get me wrong, TJ’s drama team has certainly proved itself to be a group of highly skilled, devoted, and creative young actors and techs, so I certainly didn’t expect the last-minute replacement to be bad. But I was just as far from expecting it to be on the same level of Rent: School Edition or Noises Off.
I was wrong.
In my Noises Off review, I stated that, “…the TJ Drama Department has consistently set the bar high for stellar acting, comedy, and stage production,” and that Noises Off continued this tradition. Well, once again, Theater Director Michael Palmieri and his gang of gifted young actors have raised the bar, creating easily the most unique high school theater experience I have ever witnessed.
The series of short plays presented certainly covered a wide range of styles and themes, making the play always eventful and never dull. Over the course of the night, I sometimes forgot I was on the TJ stage, feeling as though I was merely a spectator of a strange world that lay before me. Each of the plays brought something new to the stage, and I was on the edge of my seat from the very first act of the first play to the last-minute of the final performance.
First Impressions by Matt Thompson
The stage lit up, displaying a small flower stand labeled “Jessica’s flowers.” Behind the counter, slouched over and sighing, stood the jaded owner Jessica (Senior Anna Romero). In walks the gangly Jason (Junior Keith Hussey), who is automatically stunned by Jessica’s beauty. Stuttering, he tries to make small talk, failing miserably with every syllable. This awkward and sometimes failing first-encounter on a lonely valentines day is – often regrettably – hilarious. Not only is the situation highly relatable to most people who have ever had an awkward encounter, it is also highly entertaining to witness the inner-monologue of both characters. Throughout the play, Jason and Jessica would occasionally turn to the audience, stating their thoughts as if narrators were following them through their social failures. Directed by Romero, this inside look into the inner psyche of a severely awkward encounter left the audience howling with laughter.
Void by Don Tongue
The gag of allowing a character in a play/film to access the script is nothing new in the world of entertainment, made most famous by many of Mel Brook’s infamous parodies. However, truly tackling this idea as more than simply a gag, and turning into a complex power-play between character and story was a concept I had never before seen on stage. This play is not only thought-provoking, but also hysterical at times. Probably most impressive in this performance were the actresses: Freshman Sophie Mercer and Sophomore Tori Wallace (both playing nameless characters). Neither actress had been previously involved with the TJ drama department, and yet they were both given very challenging roles. Nonetheless, both girls released their inner thespians, each giving a stunning performance and deadpan delivery. Senior Michael Kutz and Sophomore Jordan Antonio directed this innovative short play.
Security Guard by Phil Olson
I sometimes forget how funny dramatic irony can be. Sure, it’s used often, and it’s nothing new to theater; but when it’s done well, I’m left rolling in the aisles. And, I must admit, when I saw two grisly security guards discussing law, order, and Vietnam, oblivious to the enormous truck labeled “Hussey’s Thieves Incorporated” hauling stacks of stolen goods behind them, I couldn’t stop laughing. Starring Hussey and Freshman Gerri Kutz as the hapless security guards, this act – directed by Hussey and Junior Connor Hickman – reminded me of why classic, old school humor can still make me cackle.
The Call Girl of Vassar by Matt Thompson
In my life, I have never seen a play as blatantly intellectual as this one. The fact that it starred actors who have yet to graduate high school made this play even more outstanding. The basic plot of the act, while convoluted, was essentially a private-eye (Michael Kutz) investigating a company of call-girls who specialized in satisfying men’s intellectual needs by discussing literature and science with them. What truly propelled this act to success was the lead actor: Michael Kutz. It is sometimes forgotten that there is more to comedy than merely making a funny face and knee-slapping. A real comedian masters an aspect of acting that is often one of the most difficult to achieve: timing. Without doubt, Kutz had the best comedic timing I have ever seen in a high school production. Directed again by Antonio and Kutz, this act left my sides – and my brain – hurting.
Song of Forgetting by Anna Romero
The fact that this act was not only directed, but written and conceived by a TJ student still astounds me. This act was so professionally written, performed, and directed, I sometimes forgot I only paid five dollars to enter the theater. The story revolves around Steve (Senior Zach Salas) and his mental struggles as he comes to the realization that his loved one, Donna (Romero) is dead. This is the first non-comedic act in the play, but it didn’t stop there; this was an intense, confusing, and sometimes even scary production. Salas, a newcomer to both the TJ drama department and acting in general, blew me away with his dramatic talent, sometimes shocking the audience with sudden outbursts of fear, confusion, and hatred. The sudden change in tone from comedic to intense that was brought by Song of the Forgetting made the act an experience the audience will certainly not soon forget.
Parasol Universes by Jim Bain
What was especially impressive about this act was the sheer coordination involved in pulling it off and making it fully believable. The play involved two families, each with identical appearances, as they mimicked one another to create the illusion of a “parallel universe” that lay behind the mirror in the family’s sitting-room. Eventually, the family discovers the world within its mirror, and they begin to experiment by jumping through, creating a somewhat confusing – but entirely hilarious – feel to the act. The performance was directed by Junior Whitney Hackbarth, whose talent with coordinating and directing not only one family – but two – still amazes me.
Return to Sender by Matt Thompson
This was my personal favorite act of the Fourth Wall. The story revolved around a worn-out, stubborn, and highly eccentric employee of the postal office named Wilbur (Michael Kutz) and he deals with a needy customer, Zoe (Freshman Cora Gains.) The way Kutz delivered his lines, never grinning as the audience belted with laughter, set him out as the star of the show. Kutz’s performance in Return to Sender was on a professional level. His twisted smirk, his smug walk, and his complete mental breakdown toward the end of the play, left me gasping for air as I roared with laughter. Directed by Hussey and Hickman, this play gave me important insight into the life of a United States Postal worker.
I Can’t Think of It Right Now by Nick Zagone
This act was especially enjoyable, mainly due to its flawless pacing. The performance began in a relatively normal situation; a couple attempting to remember the name of a movie. It was charming, and certainly enjoyable, but not hysterical as it opened. As the play progressed, the hysteria slowly increased as the couple attempted to remember more and more things that seemed to be at the tip of their tongues, ranging from actors to their own son’s name. This progression from normality to madness was absolutely hilarious, concluding with one of the funniest endings to a play I’ve seen in a long time. Hackbarth, who also directed Parasol Universes, once again displayed her talent as a director through her creation a charming, funny, and a very relatable environment during this act.
Like Noises Off, The Fourth Wall raised the bar. The impeccable acting, the creative stories, and the flawless directing all raised this play above and beyond my previous expectations. Every year, the TJ Drama Team brings something new to the table. This year, they brought incredible talent to a series of immensely entertaining short plays. After this, I can’t wait to see what they pull off next year.
