Cornwall school presents show on Nov. 4-7
Oct. 20: Opening night is a week away. The sets are built. The kids know their lines. The costumes are colorful, but there is one thing missing. Director Tony Ravinsky is waiting for transparent masks.
It’s a step in the right direction. The Cornwall High School Drama Club did not present a play last fall.
And the club’s spring production was held outdoors.
Now the performers have moved back into the building. But they must still observe the COVID precautions.
The cast is presenting “Fools” by Neil Simon. I’ve covered many local plays. But this is a new experience for me. Seven years ago I had a bit part in “Fools” when the show was presented at Palaia Winery.
Before showing up for rehearsal, I sat on my porch and read the entire script. I couldn’t stop laughing. As the title implies, the show is foolish. But it’s so dumb that it’s hilarious.
An entire town is intellectually challenged because of a curse that is two centuries old. How dumb are the inhabitants? One of them gripes that it always rains when she washes her cow.
And she’s not the only befuddled character on the stage. Even after the curse is lifted, Slovich the Butcher opens up four shops in a town that can barely support one. In the Palaia production, Dr. Frank Sheboy played the part. He’s a former Cornwall principal, who is now the Superintendent of the Highland Falls-Fort Mont-gomery School District.
The masks didn’t keep the high school performers from getting into the script and having fun with it.
Watching the first act, I knew all the punch lines but it didn’t stop me from laughing. Sean Dougherty who played the lead at the winery has been helping the cast. His recollection of the show is that the lead is a huge part. He felt like he was always talking.
George Bailey and Mitch Morrell would probably agree with him. They are creating the role on different nights in the high school production. The show will be staged in the Cornwall Central High School auditorium at 7 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 4-6. There is also a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Nov. 7
From the press release: FOOLS take place in 1891 in a simple, remote Ukrainian village. The young and eager Leon Tolchinsky (George Bailey and Mitch Morrell) arrives at Kulyenchikov to answer an ad for a new school teacher. To his surprise he learns that the village suffers from a 200 year old curse of stupidity. To break the curse, Leon must educate Sophia (Ellie Babbitt), the lovely daughter of Dr. Zubritsky (David Kramer) and his wife, Lenya (Ariel Yarmus). If Leon cannot educate her within 24 hours of his arrival, he too will fall victim to the curse.
Come meet all the colorful town characters: Snetsky, the Shepherd (Alexander Reynoso); The Magistrate (Joy Usen); Slovitch, The Butcher (Martin Decker); Mishkin, The Mailman (Will Crow); Yenchna, The Vendor (Gabby Knight and Carson McLendon); and Count Gregor Yousekevitc.
