The Falcon   |   Volume 81, Issue 26

Published 6/02/10   |   Log In

'Cheesy' show at SPU

Senior Benn Stuart acts as title character in The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fair(l)y (stoopid) Tales.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Luke Rutan.

Crazy cast sees a lot of smiles, laughter with new production

By ASHLEY MICHIE, Features Writer

Published: June 2, 2010

The backstage theatre remained dark until a single candle lit up the room. Then Jack, played by senior Ben Wynant, told the audience about his bean problem, soliciting laughter from the audience. Suddenly, a voice from above bellowed a mixed up version of the classic "fee fi fo fum," followed by, "I smell a man that smells like cheese."

At that moment, a man with cheese on his head ran across the stage.

On Tuesday, the SPU Theatre Department debuted its spring backstage show, "The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fair(l)y (stoopid) Tales," a play adaptation by Kent Stephens of the award winning children's book by Jon Scieszka. The show ran from May 25 to May 29.

"I loved how everyone laughed so much. It made it much more exciting," said freshman Olivia Davis, who played Cinderella, the Ugly Duckling and Kid No. 1. "I loved how we're so close to the audience."

Modified stories of Jack and the Bean Stalk, Cinderella, Rumplestiltskin, the Frog Prince, the Little Red Hen, The Gingerbread Man and the Ugly Duckling combined to create new stories that did not always have happy endings.

In the small backstage setting, the audience sat on the stage in close proximity to the set, consisting of hard edged, tipped flat houses; vines; and a pond with a lily pad. Director and Professor of Theatre Don Yanik said these were based on illustrations from the book.

Excitement formed when all the characters appeared on stage together. Two scenes featured the characters dancing and singing the song, "Wishin' and Hopin.'" The show began and ended with Jack directing the rest of the cast in a song about mixed up stupid fairy tales while a live band, The Cheese Curds, played beside the set.

During the first song, it was difficult to decipher which characters the actors were portraying, but the colorful costumes and singing added intrigue nonethelesss. Dressed as the Ugly Stepmother, junior Travis Roderick's solo during this song was especially entertaining and unexpected.

Three songs were added to the show, including "Wishin' and Hopin,'" a fox version of "Part of Your World" from "The Little Mermaid," performed and added by senior Molly Tellers, and "So Long, Farewell" from "The Sound of Music." These songs contributed to the creativity and comedy of the show.

Each of the actors played multiple roles in the production, but made it believable by applying distinct traits to each character. The actors used different voices when playing different characters, such as Roderick, who sounded like an unappealing old woman when playing the Stepmother, but also like an indolent man when playing the Old Man. Senior Ben Stuart also played two very different characters, the childish cheese man and the old and creepy Rumplestiltskin.

The casts' lively, entertaining acting showed they were having fun performing and the audience enjoyed watching them.

Junior Shawna Rollins said that her face hurt from smiling so much while watching the play.

Comedic dialogue throughout the production kept the audience laughing; the Stinky Cheese Man lovingly and annoyingly greeted his parents with, "Aren't I cute? Don't you just want to gobble me up?" Then, when the Old Woman, played by sophomore Alexa Anderson, realized she had left the cheese child she was making in the oven, she exclaimed, "Our baby's burning!"

Junior Nate Corley, who attended the play, joked that he thought it was "grate" and that the subtle acting and sublime tragedy were marvelous.

"It doesn't feel like we have to come and perform," said junior Emily Feliciano who played the Ugly Stepsister, Little Frog and Kid No. 2. "It just feels like we get to get together and play."

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