AHSPA brings the characters of Marc Camoletti’s “Boeing Boeing” to life in the hilarious fall play
Meenu Kumaraguru
Staff Writer
This fall, American High School Performing Arts presented “Boeing Boeing”, a lively and hilarious play, directed by Drama teacher Troy River. The play opened with a matinee showing on Thursday, November 12, 2015.
“I thought this production was the best play I have seen since the time I came to American High,” Saahil Patel, the senior class president, said. “Every single actor portrayed their character very well through their dialogue, facial expressions, and body movements. It was a very funny, fast-paced, and never had a dull moment.”
The entertaining comedy was about a suave and youthful bachelor, Bernard (senior Nicholas Callan), who is engaged to three beautiful flight attendants at once—each unaware of the other two women’s presence. However, Bernard’s perfect life becomes complicated when his friend Robert (senior Lawrence Chen) visits, and a new and faster Boeing jet ruins his careful, strategic planning. Soon, all three stewardesses are in town together, bashful Robert forgets which lies to tell to whom, and catastrophe arises.
“The humor of this play is really the best part,” Nisha Haridoss, a senior who played Berthe, the sassy and sarcastic maid, said. “I think the humor is in the timing and all the chaos going on in the set. You have these three air hostesses moving in and out of Bernard’s house in Paris, and Robert, Berthe, and Bernard shuffling and running all over the place to keep their facade up. The characters each have very distinct personalities and are special in their own way. So, when you have these slightly mad characters all shuffling in and out of the same home, the interactions between them are pretty hilarious.”
The phenomenal cast captured the essence of each character in a unique way. The portrayals of three charming air hostesses, Gloria (senior Courtney Cheung), Gabriella (senior Holly Grezdo), and Gretchen (junior Natalie Dunn), played an essential role in the success behind the play.
“The girls all had accents which took a lot of hard work and time for them to perfect,” Chen said.
New talents surfaced, as Callan, Haridoss, and Cheung, made their outstanding debuts in Theatre 70. Chen, Dunn, and Grezo returned to the stage to be a part of this hilarious show.
“The entire production is just one big family,” Callan said. “Mr. River helps each and every person in the production to make sure we all work together to produce the best work of art that we can.”
All the components of the play were impeccable, from the dazzling set to the realistic costumes. The set portrayed Bernard’s flat in Paris, and was designed by director Troy River.
“Since the summer, Mr. River has put in countless hours into constructing the set and making sure every last minute detail of the set is accounted for,” Niko Montes, a member of the stage crew, said. “As for the stage crew, we work behind the stage making sure that every act and scene is executed flawlessly. All of us, cast and crew, have worked very hard to make sure the audience enjoys every single performance we put on.”
“Boeing Boeing” adds to the numerous dynamic plays and musicals that AHSPA has performed. Laughter and enthusiastic applause were prevalent throughout the entire duration of the show, as each scene unfolded and the chaos between the characters increased. The chemistry between the cast and the liveliness on stage added to the success of the play.
“My favorite part of the play was probably when Gretchen arrives at Bernard’s apartment and behaves rather dramatically and passionately,” senior Aditi Singh said. “From when she kissed Bertha, to when she sank into the carpet during her declaration of love, the entire scene was very entertaining.”
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