GVHS play ‘Quite Contrary’ written entirely by students
Linda Petersen
Staff writer
4-6-2017
GUNNISON—When the Gunnison Valley High School Drama Department presents its spring play tonight, April 6 through Monday, it’s not only the play’s name that’s just a little contrary to what one expects in a high school play.
“Quite Contrary,” a play in two acts, was written entirely by the school’s theatre students over the last two years.
Drama Club President Kaylie Hill came up with the plot for the play, which is a dark comedy, and fleshed out the main characters. The plot itself is being kept tightly under wraps.
“If I tell you, it will give away too much,” director Jody Allred told the Messenger.
However, he did warn that while there would be nothing inappropriate for a school setting, some scenes might be too intense for small children.
Allred is the school’s choral director but has filled in since mid-last year, teaching a musical theater class, since theater teacher Mark Klines left. Allred talked to theater teachers around the state looking for ideas and came across one who had his students write plays that they then performed. Allred liked the idea and presented it to the class members who were very excited to do it.
The play was originally planned to be turned into a musical, but the class ran out of time and decided to go with the original plot, Allred said.
This may be the one and only student-written production at GVHS, since Principal Trevor Powell has hired a theater teacher who will begin second semester next year, and then things will go back to normal situation, Allred said.
The cast of “Quite Contrary” includes Ruth Lyons as Bea Myers, a young woman with a troubled past; Christina Carter as Rosie, Bea’s annoying little sister; Craig Jensen as Chantz Baxter, Bea’s charming co-worker; Carolyn Donaldson as Deisy Frasier, the new girl in the shop; Joseph Parsons as Mr. Wright, the grumpy shop owner; Seth Parsons (Joseph’s younger middle school brother) as Timmy Gunderfield, a singing telegram delivery boy; Paydenne Mortensen, as Mrs. Dunn, Bea’s whacky landlady; Destiny Thorup and Jasmine Carter as Detectives Cortez and Lutely; and Emilie Ryan as Melanie Melman, a clumsy and somewhat nosy postal delivery worker.
Allred directed the play, assisted by Ashley Vernon.
The show will run tonight, Thursday, April 6, and Monday, April 10, at 7 p.m., with a noon matinee on Saturday, April 8.
Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for students.
