For the week of March 13 - 19, 2002

What happened to Stella?

Community School students write and stage ‘Whatever’

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By ADAM TANOUS
Express Arts Editor

The Community School Players are striking out into new territory. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., students will unveil their spring production "Quest for Stella." It is a play written entirely by Community School students, and will be performed in the school theater in Sun Valley.

Rehearsing "Quest for Stella" are, from left, Scarlet Caldwell, Kathleen Craig and Jennifer Rutherford. Photo by Pauli Ochi.

Fritz Brun, director of the extravaganza, termed the play "…the unvarnished, shocking, complete and undiluted truth, as seen by the disaffected, disillusioned, dissipated and generally dissed generation, about life, death, the meaning of it all, the big bang, the little bang and everything in between."

And while Brun may be having fun with hyperbole, it would probably be a mistake to underestimate the scope of the issues that high school students will give voice to. Brun said this play was written by a group of nine students: Elke Wiethorn, Tracy Chubb, Charles Rinerson, Maddy Weisz, Ryan McCarthy, Beth Bagley, Emily Dreyfuss, Ben Dreyfuss and Kathleen Craig. English teacher Ryan Waterfield was charged with pulling the ideas of the students together into a compelling whodunit thriller. Brun pointed out that the play is a PG-14 production.

The plot revolves around the alluring student Stella, who is mysteriously removed from school by the diabolical Dr. M and taken to an unknown fate. Fifteen students will act in the "tragi-comedy satire."

Brun described the play the students have written as being "very honest." In keeping with the students’ approach to the project, Brun has arranged for Danielle Kennedy to moderate a discussion after the play. It will be an opportunity for the audience to discuss the issues raised in the play as well as to ask students about the collaborative process of writing the work.

All tickets will cost $5 and will be for sale at the door.

 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.