by Stephen Dafoe
After teaching the community how to survive a zombie apocalypse last year, a cast of two dozen Morinville Public School (MPS) students successfully spoofed movies, including The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner through this year’s theatrical production – Dystopia! The Hungry Maze Game of Divergent Death. The play took place at the Morinville Community Cultural Centre May 24 and 25.
The hour-long play by Don Zolidis was directed by Chris Layton and Janelle Bilodeau, and featured a cast made up of Abbi Gould, Chloe Girard, Ivy Mills, Kodie Powder, Trinity Hope Courtoreille, Emma Postill, Soran Thomson, Kendall Weiss, Caleb Mills, Kirstin Tolsma, Rachelle Melansen, Katie Wallace, Justin Idestrup, Dylan Powder, Jaxon Girard, Drayson Ronalds, Harley Walker, Haylie DuVall, Chloe McAuliffe, Natasha Brown, Kaylie Legere, Kenneth Anderson, and Summer Lebsack.
The play made fun of the recent run of dystopian fiction for young people where the characters join (for no apparent reason) a faction that will determine the course of their lives.
Before the two-night run, Layton told Morinville News his students enjoy doing comedy plays, and he cast’s enthusiasm fo the material showed during the show with solid comedic timing, pratfalls, and even some choreographed and acrobatic battles.
This year’s production saw Layton’s cast doubling from their first show. Students practiced weekly since February when Layton put out his casting call to all students in Grades 5 to 8. Those rehearsals ramped up a bit as the two-night run neared.
Proceeds from the $5 admission collected at the door will go back into the school’s drama program.
Editor’s note: One member of the cast was omitted from above list due to FOIP.
