A family through and through

The drama department’s show “I Remember Mama,” which debuted from Nov. 10-12, was a great success.  Compiled with an experienced cast and an amazing set, the play was a huge hit.

The play was the telling of the life of Katrin, played by senior Alex Johnson, an aspiring author from a Norwegian family, up until her first book was published.  The family featured four diverse children, one well-trained dog, Mama and Papa, two obnoxious aunts, one timid aunt and her fiancé, and one scary-but-with-your-best-interests-in-mind uncle.  All of these characters, except the dog, held extremely convincing Norwegianaccents throughout the entire play.
The play displayed the hardships of a poor immigrant family whose only money came from “the little bank” in the house, which was always running on empty. The play showed how hard times can both bring family together and tear them apart.  As illness and death struck, tensions rose amongst them, but they still brought the family together to keep the peace. In the end, the family stuck together and made it through the hard times of the 1930s as Katrin finally sells her first novel to keep the family on its feet.
The entire cast was fantastic as the actors had great chemistry together on stage. They showed dynamic family relationships and the hardship that faced immigrants during the Great Depression. The cast was impeccable at tuning in to the emotions felt by their characters.
The only negative that can be taken from the show is the script itself.  I was not a fan of the story as it confused the audience as to what kind of genre the play was.  The first act led me to believe that the play was a comedy. However, the second act turned much sadder and more tense so I began to think it was a drama, leaving me unsure as to whether I should be laughing at some jokes.  Another problem with the play was that it misled when the play was concluding.  About 10 minutes into the second act I thought the play was over, but then it continued onto another story line. This story line ended 15 minutes later, and again, I though the play was over. It was not.
“I Remember Mama” was another superb show put on by the drama department.  The set was as spectacular as usual, transforming from one scene to the next in 30 seconds or less. The cast had such great chemistry together and truly showed the emotions that their characters felt.

department, drama, Mama, play, remember, script, theater Arts & Style, Issue 3, Print