Clarke Drama presents “The Curious Savage”

First performed by the Clarke Drama department in 1998, “The Curious Savage” is back for its second appearance on the Clarke stage next Friday and Saturday evenings.

The three-act play was written by John Patrick and opened on Broadway in 1950. It follows the story of wealthy widow Ethel Savage, whose $10 million inheritance is sought by her stepchildren: Senator Titus Savage, Judge Samuel Savage and socialite Lily Belle Savage. However, Ethel intends to spend her money by helping people achieve their “foolish dreams”, which prompts her stepchildren to have her committed to a sanitarium called The Cloisters.

It is at The Cloisters that Ethel encounters other curious residents: Florence, who treats a doll as her dead son John Thomas; Hannibal, a former statistician; Jeff, a scarred war veteran; Mrs. Paddy, a woman who rarely talks and Fairy May, a woman desperate for love.

It is also here that Ethel’s stepchildren search through the sanitarium and other patients for the money.

Clarke Drama director Don May said the sentimental comedy is one that will leave the audience feeling for the characters on stage, as they come to see them through their interactions with Ethel, as they become more of a family to her than those on the outside.

A quote from the play sums up the sentiment:

“People say I love you all the time - when they say, ‘take an umbrella, it’s raining,’ or ‘hurry back’ or even ‘watch out, you’ll break your neck.’ There are hundreds of ways of wording it - you just have to listen for it, my dear.”

Cast and crew

The play features a smaller cast than more recent Clarke productions, with just 12 high school cast members.

“The competition for the auditions was more tough,” May said, as double the amount of cast tried out for parts.

With just one role each - it’s not uncommon for the actors to play two or more characters in a production - it gives them more time to really dive into their characters and learn about them.

“It’s fun in the sense they get to explore their characters, and how sane or insane they characters and learn about them.

“It’s fun in the sense they get to explore their characters, and how sane or insane they are, to portray them in a way still with a heart and a soul,” May said.

There is also a special cameo in the play made by May’s 4-year-old grandson, Madden Mahan, in a role that was played the first time by May’s son.

Aryanna Hewlett takes on the role of wealthy widow Ethel, with her stepchildren played by Jonathan Galvez as Titus, Zeke Lundquist as Samuel and Val Medina as Lily Belle. The Cloisters residents are played by: Abbie Schlichte as Florence, Easton Brokaw as Hannibal, Leah Flowers are Fairy May, Joey Turpin as Jeffrey and Ahnyka Hewlett as Mrs. Paddy.

Sanitarium medical staff are played by Cayden Anderson as the kindly Dr. Emmett, Macayla Hicks as caregiver Miss Wilhelmina and Blaze Schiltz as a Medical Assistant.

A large number of students make up the crew, helping behind the scenes in lights, sound, costumes, makeup and hair, props, stage, publicity and set construction.

Crew members are: Josue Carerra*, Neo Mora*, Alexis McDole*, Aryanna*, Schlichte*, Luke Wade*, Kailee Gorsline*, Elian Mercado*, Lee Russo*, Joseph DeVore, Dean Collins, Briana Garcia, Libby Wright, Emma Arnold, Genesis Vega, Anderson, Sophia Ashley, Aelany Flores, Naomi Medrano, Olivia Vargas, Hicks, Medina, Ahnyka, Blaze, Scarlett Schlitz, Danika McCloney, Tommy Courtney, Valeria Rosales, Felipe Romo, Liliana Contreras, Shealynn Jones, Kadence Henry, Karolin Solis-Sanchez, Luke Pontier, Angela Zaragoza-Rosales, Casey Wade, Levi White, Mallory Tidman, Sawyer Shields, Logan Blackwood, Addison Franklin, Annibelle Miller and the 8th Hour Stagecraft Class. *denotes crew head

Tickets for “The Curious Savage” are $10 reserved, $7 general admission. May is assisted by Liliana Contreras.