Father of the Bride
Ross High School Drama

March 6, 2009
7:00 p.m.

Well, it was a date night for the wife and I, and being that there is this recession on, and I am a broke student teacher, I figured what better way to get credit for a date, and see good theater than to attend the play. I was thoroughly impressed. I had every intention of bringing home a program but we forgot. I wish I had so that I could give proper credit to the actors. If I have time I'll come back to this page and plug in the names, but I probably will not have time.
The set was amazing. I had heard that the shop classes had built it and I was not expecting to see such detail. It looked professional.
We both enjoyed the play immensely. Every actor did a great job and I was surprised at how funny the production was. There were moments throughout the play where big laughs were drawn, in subtle ways. What I mean is, the true mark of good players is that they can draw out laughs from a big room with subtleties like a gesture, nod or even a change of tone to a well placed comment. It was a testament to the group that these little nuances went over so well.
Everyone did well but it is worth noting the performances of the students who played Stanley and Ellie. They were both very good. Stanley projected well and conveyed his emotions to a big room as well as timed his lines perfectly. Ellie played the doting, 1950's mother to perfection. She even looked the part as her costumes and dress changes were appropriate and well done. We both commented that we had a hard time remembering that Ellie was actually a high schooler, and not a suburban housewife. Mr. Massoula's character was pulled off well. The timing of his alarmist responses, and the skill in which his accent was held was impressive.Brad portrayed a guy who seemingly was out of control, but on top of everything.

A few more comments of note:
We were impressed by the amount of RHS students in attendance, and their behavior. We were proud of the kids that shared the district we lived in.
We were impressed with the facility, and the set, as well as the costumes and changes.

Final thought:
With movies at close to $10 a person (money all going to Hollywood) and school districts always looking for revenue, it is beyond me why locals in the district do not take advantage of choral concerts, dramatic presentations, orchestra recitals, and many of the fine arts and art showings that are presented by their local high schools. Here in Butler County we have some great schools that put on top notch activities for very little money (all of which stays in district). Not only that, we have one of the finest universities in the country within sight of some of our homes, and many of their performances are free! My family will look at the events calendar of our local schools and Miami University before we check the entertainment section of the paper. We recommend it to other families we talk to. I especially keep an eye on the Jazz Band at MU. Their concerts at Hall Auditorium are free and rival anything you will hear in Chicago. I've seen some of the greatest jazz musicians of the day, brought in as guest musicians.