THE Thespians in the Saipan Troupes come from 10 different schools. We begin with the host school, Marianas High School.
Christian Cruz plays the character of Hysterium. He performed in “West Side Story” and “Into the Woods,” and now joins the cast of “A Funny Thing…” as the frantic, head servant of the house of Senex.
Also from MHS is Matthew Wheat, playing the part of Lycus. This brings his total number of plays to 11. His character, in the words of the script, is “a buyer and seller of beautiful women.”
“It’s very enjoyable to be in this comedy,” Wheat said. “I really enjoy my character, I just hope I don’t ‘die of the plague’ before the show goes on.”
Matthew attended the Thespian Festival in Lincoln Nebraska last summer.
Tommy Baik is the romantic lead, Hero.
“This show is the perfect combination of Roman comedy and the musical,” he said. “You won’t stop laughing. Pay close attention to the songs, they are the key to the play.”
Tommy has acted in several plays including the last Friends of the Arts Christmas production of “Scrooge” when he played Scrooge as a young man.
The students from MHS who play Proteans — the Roman comic chorus — include Judy Ann Tiples, Adeleyah Mojica, and Jayce Jurado.
“Making chaos must be killing the directors. This show is priceless. Everything is absolutely wrong — which makes this comedy exactly right,” Jayce said.
Antonio Tiples plays the part of Senex, the head of the household.
With a dominating wife and a son in love with the wrong kind of girl, you’d think things couldn’t get worse, but they do.
Moon Hyo Lee is the conceited, war-hungry Capt. Miles Gloriousus.
He says that the play is “very fun! “My character is really cocky and you’ll enjoy the show because I’m in it.”
Last but not least, Kay Kay Constante, and Joan Ashley Tomokane Liwanag are two of the courtesans in the house of Lycus.
The company owes special thanks to MHS for providing not only the performing venue, The Theatre Space at the MHS Gym, but the rehearsal space in the MHS Drama Studio.
Private schools
Some of the performers come from private school troupes — Ladera International School of Saipan, Northern Marianas Academy and Mount Carmel School.
Joining the cast from Ladera is Victoria Brown who plays one of the courtesans.
Anna Rose De Leon Guererro is one of the proteans, who plays many parts. She attends Mount Carmel School.
Jocelyn Lonsdale represents the Northern Marianas Academy Troupe. She plays the feature role of Domina, the dominating mother of the romantic lead Hero. She will leave you giggling uncontrollably with her abuse of her poor husband Sennex.
Our home school student is Tikla Brown who plays the female romantic lead Philia. She is also in charge of the publicity releases and poster artwork and design. She attended the Thespian Festival in Lincoln Nebraska with Jocelyn Lonsdale and the rest of the CNMI representatives last summer.
Kagman High School
The most difficult type of theater production is comedy. Three performers tackling this task are from KagHS — Tanya Ciara M. Dela Cruz, Miki Nadia Dela Cruz and Kenelyn Butters.
They are the farthest from the rehearsal site, but have made the effort and the audience will reap the reward.
Miki Nadia Dela Cruz plays another of the courtesans. She also attended the Thespian Festival in Lincoln Nebraska last summer as a Junior Thespian, and like her fellow CNMI Thespians in attendance, she scored very high in the competition part of the festival program.
Kenelyn Butters and Tanya Ciara M. Dela Cruz are part of the proteans.
When asked her opinion of the play, Tanya replied, “I very much enjoy the play. It is a great play. You will laugh your heads off.”
Kenelyn added, “This play has been very enjoyable. It is my first time to be in a play and I am really excited. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do.”
Saipan Southern High School
The island’s Thespians owe special thanks to SSHS.
The leading man Pseudolus is a Southern student. He previously appeared in the FOA Production of “Once Upon A Mattress” along with Christian Cruz of MHS and Jocelyn Lonsdale of NMA.
Along with many of the other performers in “A Funny Thing…,” he participates in National Forensic League and International Thespian Society competitions during the school year.
Another SSHS performer is Jong Won Lee who plays the doddering old man Erronious searching for his long lost children, a key plot-turning event!
Ju Eun Kim, another of our courtesans, joins him. She is a very fine singer.
Following a long standing SSHS tradition begun by St. Louis University attending Rose Wakit, director of the chapter’s production of “West Side Story,” “A Funny Thing…” is directed by the SSHS staff.
Leading the group is Richille Vela Denora, who began her directing with last year’s chapter play “Our Town.”
Johnna Lubuguin, who also works as the production’s stage manager, joins her and Gi Yoon “Tim” Ko, the assistant director of the production. Without this talented trio, the show could not go on.
Members of the SSHS Manta Ray Band provide significant musical support to the production under the direction of faculty member Will DeWitt.
Junior Thespians
As “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way To The Forum” draws closer and closer to the performance date, the MHS Drama Studio is buzzing with costumes, props, posters, and actors.
Some of these actors are Junior Thespian Troupe members from Chacha Oceanview Junior High School, Hopwood Junior High School and San Antonio Elementary School.
Zoe Schorr and Merelyn Denora, from HJHS, perform as proteans.
Akeiko Dela Cruz and Rufina Dela Cruz are proteans from Chacha.
The last, but not the least, protean is Raymark Denora from SAES.
Join the cast on Feb. 24 at either 2 or 7 p.m. in The Theater Space at the MHS gym.
Tickets are at $5 each and can be purchased from the cast members, directors, or producers. You can also e-mail thespians@hotmail.com.