Howard HS - Sideways Stories from Wayside School

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Permalink Reply by Carson Blasko on December 27, 2011 at 4:11pm

“You need a reason to be sad. You don’t need a reason to be happy,” replies Dameon, when asked why he is always smiling. Students at Howard High School have many reasons to happy, since their November production of Sideway Stories From Wayside School was a hit. Adapted from Louis Sachar’s children’s novel, this slightly absurd play taps into the child in all of us.

Sideways Stories From Wayside School is a collection of silly stories illustrating the goings-on of the thirtieth floor of Wayside School, a school that was supposed to be build with thirty rooms on one floor, but instead was built with one room on each of the thirty floors. A class of five kids, Myron, Bebe, Rondi, Leslie, and Dameon, experiences everything from an evil teacher who turns her students into apples, to a smelly little girl who turns out to be a dead rat wearing many raincoats. As the play progresses, each of the students goes on a personal journey, developing a love and loyalty towards their teacher, Mrs. Jewls, that only an elementary schooler can feel.

This particular production was really made by its technical aspects. The bright colors in the set and costumes were convincing in making someone think this was an elementary school classroom. Also, the acting was very consistent throughout the entire show; the energy from all the cast members was constant throughout the production.

The characters of Myron (Matt Rodwell), Bebe (Kyra John), Leslie (Arianna Guillard), Dameon (Tami Olafunmiloye), and Rondi (Abby Doyle) were really captured in these actors. Their childlike wonder is apparent throughout the show. The audience could really believe that together they were an elementary school class.

All of the teachers and visitors to the thirtieth floor ebbed and flowed in and out of the classroom seamlessly. In particular, Julen Rodriguez’s interpretation of Louis, whether it be because of his costume (short red shorts and a tshirt) or because of his insane dancing skills, was simply hilarious. Mrs. Jewls (Charlotte Bent) was also a hit. Her strange way of talking was a fascinating interpretation of the original short stories and kept the audience laughing all the way to the end.

Howard High School’s tech really deserves a hand because the tech in this show was on point. In this show, there were many sound and light cues that had to be executed perfectly in order to be effective. For example, every time something was thrown out the window, the sound cue played at the exact right time. The set was also phenomenal. The blackboard doubled as the mysterious Mrs. Zarves from the non-existant nineteenth floor, using a projection of eyes above the blackboard which had become her mouth. All of the cues went through without a hitch, allowing the play to transition smoothly.

Howard High School’s Sideways Stories From Wayside School is a show for people of all ages: adults who want to feel young again, and children who want to see a funny story. But one thing is for sure: Howard’s production turned right side out.

Permalink Reply by Miranda Savage on January 16, 2012 at 9:51am

Sideways Stories from Wayside School

Have you ever wondered what your favorite children's books would look like in real life? The Howard High School Theatre Department performed Sideways Stories from Wayside School on November 10th through 12th. Written by Louis Sachar, adapted for the stage by John Olive, and Directed by Ms. Marissa Troeschel, this show reveals the wacky personality of a thirty-story school.

Mrs. Gorf is an evil teacher at Wayside school who magically turns students into apples. As she prepares to cast her spell, a student holds up a mirror and turns Mrs. Gorf into one herself. The class is rewarded with a replacement - Mrs. Jewels - who is everything they could have hoped for in a teacher. They are taken on many kooky adventures and met with many challenges.

This fantastically unique show mixes the wonders of childhood with the insanity of adulthood. Every aspect blends nicely together, each of them equally impressive.

Charlotte Bent sparkled as Mrs. Jewels. She really brought a lot to the part and made it her own. As the part could have been played very normal, she added quirks (such as a high-pitched, dreamy voice) that created an original performance.

Overall, the supporting characters did an amazing job. Although, some lost focus when the attention was not thought to be on them, they all added so much to the play. For instance, Dr. Pickle (IB Jegede) really committed to her character and came across as a hilarious hypnotist.

The tech for this show was very well done. Everything from sounds to the set to lights was spot on. The way Miss Zarves was portrayed was extremely clever: Her eyes were images projected by lights, while the chalkboard lifted to reveal a mouth and moving teeth.

This play has the perfect amount of whimsical comedy plus a cute story, entertaining any age. I certainly left smiling!

Permalink Reply by Cecelia Holt on March 9, 2012 at 4:50pm

So much is happening at Howard High School. Over night another school has appeared on their stage. A school that is full of crazy teachers, students eager to learn and a gym teacher particularly good at dancing. These elements come together in Howard’s presentation of “Sideways Stories From Wayside School.”

 

            Finally ridded of the evil Mrs. Gorf the students on the 30^th floor await their new teacher. When they received the kind Mrs. Jewels they are in for a heck of a ride! The audience follows Myron, Bebe, Leslie, Rondi and Dameon- 3^rd graders, deal with stinky children, non-existent teachers and a little man bent on revenge. Ending perfectly with a happily ever after, there was nothing that the show did not include.

 

            The production is full of quirky characters and small, sub-plots. If you want something serious then I suggest a completely different show. But if you like the story jumping around and being hard to follow then Howard was the place to go.

 

            Myron (Matt Rodwell), Bebe (Kyra John), Leslie (Arianna Guillard), Rondi (Abby Doyle) and Dameon (Tami Olafunmilye) would be considered the main characters. It must’ve been hard to be a high school playing a 3^rd grader but they all pulled it off wonderfully. They stayed upbeat and energetic throughout the whole entire show.

 

            Mrs. Jewels (Charlotte Bent) was queen of characterization. She made sure that her looks when she was happy or sad stayed consistent and that her vocal inflection matched what her character would be feeling.  Another character worth mentioning is Louis portrayed by Julen Rodriguez. Those were some awesome dance moves. Plus he looked absolutely spiffy in your costume.  The cosmetic work on Mrs. Gorf and Mr. Gorf put the audience in stitches anytime they came on stage. The cast worked very well as a group and the audience could feel the love radiating as the cast took their bows.

 

            The set was and colorful, perfect for a 3^rd grade classroom. But as a fellow constructor, I anticipated matching walls to come together and transform into another room. There was also great detail with props and detailing on the walls. However, it was extremely noticeable how fake the apples were and that there was no ice water in the bucket. There wasn’t even an attempt. The costuming was great especially for Mr. and Mrs. Gorf as was their make up. Bright colors and bizarre patterns kept the clothing interesting.

 

            If you’re in the mood for something silly, and mildly entertaining, then I suggest Howard High’s “Sideways stories from Wayside School.” You’ll be laughing the entire time.

Permalink Reply by Swinita Shah on March 9, 2012 at 9:02pm

Need a break from all the stress and tension? Head on over to see Sideways Stories from Wayside School!

    This production was based on the children’s books written by Louis Sachar. His books were little short stories about odd stuff that took place in Wayside School. Wayside School is an elementary school that is 30 floors high. Each floor has its own classroom; however the school doesn’t have a 19^th floor. It is said that a cow also exists somewhere in the building.  The books have always focused on the 30^th floor and the students in it. Some of the stories incorporated in this play were simply humorous while the others were breath taking and mind boggling. From evil teachers to crazy students who knows what will happen in Wayside School next?

   Overall the amazing cast and unique set anchored the production. The actors also had chemistry that was obvious and helped the audience relive its elementary school days.

 The actors were fabulous! The director did and excellent job of casting them. The leads of the play were: Charlotte Bent as Mrs. Jewels and Arianna Guilard as Leslie. There were many actors but the characters played by these actors had very important parts, especially for the one scene where Myron, one of the supporting actors, kept yanking Leslie’s pigtails.

 The leads were magnificent but the show couldn’t have proceeded without the terrific supporting actors. Each actor had a completely different personality and as soon as they stepped on stage the rest of the actors adapted to a similar personality as them. For example, if someone bright and enthusiastic such as Mrs. Jewels entered the room the rest of the cast on stage would be bright and cheery too. The supporting actors were Julen Rodriguez as Louis and Emily Maginnis as Mrs.Gorf. These two actors were both very influential to the whole play.

  All of the little details of the play were very enjoyable. The set was bright, fun and colorful lie and elementary school classroom would be. It had posters, calendars, chalkboards, easels, desks and toy boxes. The audience could definitely tell that the stage crew and set design team put a lot of effort into the set for example it was very clever when the chalkboard converted into a face when the children “visited” the 19^th floor. When ever the 19^th floor or Miss Zarves was mentioned the lighting would change and flash on cue as the voice spoke. The actor’s microphones were always clear. The tech crew also made sure that everyone had an equal volume so one person wouldn’t stand out if they weren’t supposed to. For example, every time Mrs.Gorf’s name was mentioned after scene one, the children would shriek. But the tech crew made sure that the scream was in unison because different people scream at different volumes. They also made sure that the microphones were turned down right before the shriek so that it wouldn’t be ear piercing to the audience. When Mr.Kidswatter spoke through the PA it was sometimes difficult to make out what he was saying however, that could have been a directors choice. A favorite moment was the sound effects whenever stuff was tossed out the window. They really made sure to imply that the classroom was on this building that was thirty stories high so anything tossed out would obviously make a sound. Those effects were humorous and on cue. There was one scene where a computer was thrown out the window and the sound effect had made it clear to the audience that the computer definitely smashed into tiny pieces and broke. The costumes of the play were phenomenal! The actors that played the students had on bright colors and mismatched clothes that reflected their characters charismas. The make-up for the actors was very subtle and almost natural. The make-up also helped bring out the characters identity and personality. The different costume choices certainly helped the show seem more quirky. Lastly a crowd please was the curtain call where the actors jumped off stage and danced around the crowd. They were very energetic and you could tell they were having fun themselves. It went hand in hand with the play and was a spectacular way to end the night.

  All in al the production was wacky and fun! Take some time out and go check out Sideways Stories from Wayside School.