Ames 365 - February 15, 2006
Middle School students offer the Ubu Plays
365 Administrator
2/15/2006
(Feb. 15, 2006) Ames Drama Club, comprising players from the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades at Ames Middle School, is staging its first production of the year. A cast of over forty young actors will perform Jeff GoodeÕs The Ubu Plays in the Old Middle School auditorium at 321 State Street, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, February 16-18, 2006. Each performance will begin at 7:00 p.m. Admission is $3.00, and tickets will be sold at the door.
In The Ubu Plays, an inept bumbler named Ubu accidentally gets himself named King of Poland. After getting thrown out of Poland, Ubu flees to America, where he finds himself valorized by a group of Ubuists who want to anoint him king again. Playwright Jeff GoodeÕs adaptation of the one-hundred-year-old Ubu Plays by Alfred Jarry treads a hysterical line between farce and the absurd. Uniquely suited to large-cast productions, The Ubu Plays features eclectic costuming and minimalist props. The production is well-suited to first-time actors and a diverse cast.
Playing Ubu are Grant Duckett and Kuper Bergman. In the role of Mrs. Ubu is Lindsey Wyckoff. Queen Rosamunde is played by Mandi Fair, while King Wenceslas is Chris Lamar. Other main roles are played by Peter Benson, Stella Fritzell, Tom Gehring, Liza Kroeschell, and Hannah Nelsen.
Directors Lindsay Peters and Tom Norris are working with the Ames Drama Club to produce The Ubu Plays. Ms. Peters is associated with the Left Bank Art Studio in Gilbert, Iowa, and is on the board of directors at ACTORS in Ames. Mr. Norris is the executive producer for Searching for Shakespeare and has been involved with Ames ACTORS in many capacities for the past twelve years. This is their first year directing at Ames Middle School.
Ms. Peters and Mr. Norris are assisted in the production by Ames High School students Madeline Paschen, Lauren Vidimos, Micah Simpson, and Joe Thein. Many costumes and props have been furnished by ACTORS of Ames. Parents and friends of the players have also contributed to the productionÕs success.
The Ubu Plays promises an entertaining evening of laughter and sharp-edged wit. The Ames Drama Club and its supporters hope to see you there!