Review

Feiffer's People
by Carlsbad High School

The late Sixties were a volatile time in America with a war in Vietnam and social revolution here at home, but Jules Feiffer was also able to see a lot of comedy in the midst of the upheaval with young adults trying to figure out the new social mores of the times, doing so through the use of 72 skits featuring about 100 of Feiffer’s people. 38 years later, the young adults of Carlsbad High School time warped his people back into existence for this one-weekend-only performance. The array of characters and brief scenes that follow offer several fun little roles for the cast and a mostly entertaining trip for the audience as they are transported back to a generation searching for who they are.

Members of that generation include three of the few recurring parts: Bernard (Russell Johnson) is the philosophizing, sensitive, lonely guy who leads us off and ends the show as he goes looking for love and for his identity (beyond his unfortunate name). Huey (Trevor Taylor) is a hoot as Bernard’s swingin’ ladies man friend who has the Sixties single scene figured out a little better than Bernard. Adriana Spencer philosophizes about deep Sixties issues through some amusingly melodramatic interpretive dancing which she performs to her own original poetry.

A sample of other highlights from the show include…

* A young couple (Alex Christopher and David Martinez) who mark their relationship by various television episodes.

* Superman (Collin McConnell) being brought back down to earth by the quick-witted woman (Anna Prowant) he saved who finds his outfit a tad too effeminate.

* A hippy solo striker without a cause (Summer Spiro).

* A guy (David Martinez) whose overly logical reluctance to join in a street brawl loses him his girlfriend (Sarah Kapp) to the more exciting Mikael Thomas.

* A more serious moment as a young man (David Martinez) struggles against conformity while his frightened mother (Colleen O’Connell) pleads with him to “be a man” by doing what he is told – whether it is right or wrong.

* And a classic – a young adult (Russell Johnson) hiring an older grownup (Marlena Copado) to do all the boring adult stuff so he can actually enjoy life!

Love, independence, family, art, government, whether to save the world through mass drops of Reader’s DigestFeiffer’s People have a lot of big questions in life to deal with. They might not find the answers that will be accepted for society as a whole, but they may each find their own unique little niche that works best for them.

Rob Hopper
National Youth Theatre
~ Cast ~

Matt Anderson
Michaela Brooks
Laura Cain
Alex Christopher
Taylor Collins
Marlena Copado
Corinne Crockett
Olivia Del Francia
Kimberly Fischer
Sam Floto
Liana Franciosa
Desiree Goehner
Sloane Herrick
Russell Johnson
Sarah Kapp
Laura Kloetzer
Rachel Landis
Sean LaRocca
David Martinez
Collin McConnell
Colleen O'Connell
Jillian Porter
Krista Potocny
Anna Prowant
Adriana Spencer
Summer Spiro
Trevor Taylor
Tess Team
Mikael Thomas
Molly Truelove
Caitlin Vatcher
Meghan Washburn
Robert Wicks

Director: Monica Hall

   

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