"Mind Over Manor" on HHS stage this weekend
A group of eccentric characters living together under one roof is the perfect formula for comedy in Holton High School’s upcoming production of “Mind Over Manor.”
The two-act play by Loretta Willoughby will be staged at 7 p.m. on Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday at the HHS auditorium. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students.
Director Audrey Baxter said the play centers around several offbeat characters who live together in a mansion.
“They each have their own quirks, and then the owner’s estranged niece arrives with the intention of deeming the residents insane in order to take over the home for herself,” Baxter said.
The niece is then kidnapped and more madness ensues.
“I struggled a little this year selecting a script, but when I found this, I knew it had potential to be really funny,” Baxter said.
Some of the unconventional residents living in the mansion include a television addict, a former gangster who can’t stomach violence and a character will multiple personalities.
“There’s one women who has a milk fetish and another that is accident prone,” she said.
This year’s production is a sharp contrast to last year’s play “Decision Height,” which was a drama about six women training to be air force pilots during World War II.
“It’s hard to do a drama year after year, and the upperclassmen told me last year that they wanted to do something funny,” she said. “With this play, they can just be silly.”
Rehearsals for “Mind Over Manor” began during Christmas break, and ongoing renovations to the HHS auditorium weren’t an issue this winter. Baxter said that new chairs and ductwork were installed in the fall.
“A new curtain is supposed to be installed this week,” she said. “The auditorium also has an all new lighting system.”
Cast members for “Mind Over Manor” include Alexis Twombly (Jasmine Winters), Walker Sheldon (Chester Banks), Ashlyn Robinson (Opal Summers), Gladys Heitzman (Donna Summers Weatherby), Sonora Sheldon (Tawnee Patterson), Anne Bowser (Presley Von Schtuk), Emma Wittmer (Mavis Johns), Taylor Stevens (Amanda Biggs), Hanah Strader (Lerlene Charleston) and Draven Wahwassuck (Vince Macchio).
