Tulpehocken Jr./Sr. High School recently presented The Humor Games, by Dean O’Carroll, a slapstick parody of the popular novel series, The Hunger Games.
The play utilized a cast and crew of about 25 students from grades eight through twelve, under the direction of language arts teacher, Susan A. Behm, who led her ninth production at Tulpehocken. Eleventh grade English teacher, Reid Mosley, returned as assistant director for a fourth year.
The play was set in a fictional country called Panfire, which was built from the ruins of the United States of America after it was destroyed by a terrible disaster. The people of Panfire live as serfs under the cruel government in DC – The District of Capital.
When the main character, Katskills Wintergreen, played by Hannah Sealer, voluntarily takes the place of her little sister, Dimhopes, portrayed by Cassie George, she enters herself into the Humor Games, a semi-comedic battle to the death. Her knack for impressions is all that stands between her and failure.
Katskills’ faithful co-competitor, Tweeta Mellish, is played by Dominic Torres, while the role of the evil President of Panfire, Nobiz L. Shobiz, is portrayed by Olivia Bachman, along with Alex Lathrop-McClain as Caesar Sidney, and Jordan Baer as Pickles the Clown.
Other cast members include Parker Harris as Gable Sevenhouse, Melinee Wilson as both Esther Vescence and Almie Children, and Logan Koch as Ayndfitch Abercrombie.
Several of the senior actors in the production have had parts in the fall play at Tulpehocken since they were in ninth grade.
An exciting aspect of this presentation was that the author of the play, Dean O’Carroll, attended the opening night performance and spoke with the actors.
He indicated that he was very pleased with their interpretation of his work and congratulated them on bringing his play to life.
In a meet and greet session after the performance, O’Carroll answered questions from the actors and related his own experiences that inspired him to write The Humor Games.
