It’s a “suite” week for theatre!
Juniors Evyna Milligan, who played Murphy, and Jose Chirinos, who played Francis, accompanied Senior Isabella Keaton, who played singer Athena Sinclair, in Suite Surrender, practice once more ahead of this weekend’s competition. This scene included Sinclair yelling at the bellhop to throw out the white flowers that she found in her hotel room.
October 26, 2018
The NC theatre program put on an engaging and witty One Act show titled Suite Surrender for their opening night on Wednesday, October 24.
“ I’m really excited because the cast… we all have gotten really close over the past couple of months and the energy last night on opening night was just amazing and at One Act it’s always ten times that,” senior Hope Kutsche, who plays Claudia McFadden, said.
Suite Surrender, a farce written by Michael McKeever, depicts a story of two famous performers, Claudia McFadden (Hope Kutsche) and Athena Sinclaire (Isabella Keaton), who have an ongoing and intense feud with each other. The show, set at the fictional Palm Beach Presidential hotel suite, revolves around keeping the two performers as far away from each other as possible.
Junior DeAndre Mallory, who played Dunlap, the manager of the hotel, yelled at the bellhops, played by Juniors José Chirinos and Daniel Rodriguez, to make sure rivals Athena Sinclair and Claudia McFadden will not cross paths. Both singers ended up in the same room and neither of them know they share the room. McFadden passed her live dog off to Francis, the bellhop, which added a nice touch to the production.
“One of the major factors in the decision to pick Suite Surrender was that a lot of our seniors, our stronger actors, are females. We also have to consider whether or not it’s easy to cut it down into a one hour show for the time limit for One Act. Mrs. Corcoran wanted to do a comedy because she felt like the actors that we have are stronger in comedy than in drama,” Kutsche said.
While the hotel hosts the thousandth war benefit for the Palm Beach Ladies For Unity, McFadden and Sinclaire unexpectedly end up in the same hotel suite. Bernard S. Dulap (DeAndre Mallory) frantically tries to keep the two from seeing each other while simultaneously fending off an annoying benefit manager, a nagging gossip column writer, and frustrating bellhops.
Otis (Daniel Rodriguez) amuses watchers through his naiveness and childlike behavior while Dunlap does the same with his wry and comical comments. Francis (José Chirinos) and Murphy (Evyna Milligan) drag the audience through a whirlwind romance, adding personality to the play. Each and every cast member does an excellent job of carrying confidence, enthusing the audience, and creating a realistic environment.
Seniors Hope Kutshce, who plays Claudia McFadden, and Isabella Keaton, who plays Athena Sinclair, finally crossed paths. Both of them began yelling and hitting each other making a scene in front of the press which ultimately led to more people to come to the military showcase where both perform.
A certain furry cast member of the show draws immediate attention from audience members. Georgia, a seasoned “actress”—previously a part of Hands on a Hard Body, the One Act performance from last year—plays Mr. Boodles, Claudia McFadden’s beloved pooch, as she complacently treads across stage on her leash, arguably a star in the making.
Suite Surrender, running just under an hour, maintains an interesting plot while shocking and an unsuspecting audience. All the cast members hope to perform their best at the One Act Competition and stun the judges with their surprise ending and phenomenal acting skills this Saturday, October 27.
“I’m a little nervous, not about how we’re going to do, just about how big the crowd is going to be. The judges are really going to make me nervous, but I’m really excited— it’s a new experience and it’s going to be fun,” senior Skye Famer, who plays Dora Del Rio, said.
