Maggie Dooley's Thoughts on

University High School’s Student Written and Directed Plays
“Playing the Pronoun Game”
I, Maggie Dooley, felt an extreme sense of pride as I watched Friday night’s first play. I did not know the nature of any of the four plays beforehand so let’s just say this one shocked me. First off, Tina rocked. I loved her as Maggie, a perfect part for her. Elise did well, however I think she rushed her lines a little. Ian and Daniel were stupendous. I was cracking up whenever the two were on stage. I want to commend all four of these students for their bravery. It takes guts to go onto a lighted stage and kiss a member of the opposite sex. I plan on speaking to Elise about this play and ask her where she got some of her ideas for the characters. I wish the play would have delved a little deeper into what it was like AFTER the kiss for Maggie and Kristen but I suppose Elise wanted to keep the play short and somewhat light. This play was a great start to my night.
“Being or not Being”
“Being or Not Being” was incredibly Henry-esque. I didn’t quite follow the plot line, I definitely missed some of the jokes, and it was incredibly short. I laughed at Elise’s line of “Female.” In regards to Ian’s question of what gender she was. Other than that the play left a bit to be desired. Jim Ray? Evidently I have to see Henry, Rory, and Jim’s YouTube video in order to get that joke. I think Henry is a terribly funny guy and I was really excited to see his written and directed play. “Being or Not Being” definitely fell short of my expectations. I don’t mean to rip on Henry; I just see more potential in his silly head.
“If Books Could Kill”
I have mixed feeling for this play. J.P. Mershon played a wonderful Joshua. Elise did well as Aurora or Rory for short. I will admit this play was difficult to follow however. I understand (from speaking with LaMags after) that Rory was a figment of Joshua’s imagination and Joshua was the killer but I would not have come to this conclusion on my own. After play 1 and 2, I wasn’t ready for something that required a lot of consideration. However, I liked the surprise ending and I liked the play within a play. Once again, nice job Elise.
“Heaven”
My most favorite play ever presented by University High School is the play “Heaven” written and directed by Elise Lockwood. Tony Minott was perfect as Issac Newton. Daniel Hellman cracked me up as Charles. I am pretty sure I caught most of the nuances the Elise cleverly slipped in but I’m sure some went amiss. The jokes about Jesus and the names God and Yahweh were witty and interesting. The whole idea behind the play is somewhat controversial but I believe those kinds of ideas need to be presented. The possibility of our ‘higher being’ as two bumbling fools is pretty unlikely but at least this play will get you to wonder what is going on ‘up there’. That sort of wonderment is important understanding life. What happens when we die is a vital question many don’t consider. I commend Elise for taking the risk of putting on this play but doing it with grace and wit.