High School Play: Technology creates comedy, chaos

Columbia Falls High School students will act as young professionals in the spring play starting this Friday.

They’re presenting the romantic comedy, “For Better” written by Eric Coble.

There was a large turnout of girls at auditions in February, so play director Brynn Cadigan decided to have two casts. Cast A will perform the first Friday and second Saturday. Cast B will perform the first Saturday and the second Friday.

She even had to change one of the roles to a female character because not enough boys auditioned.

Cadigan chose the play to help boost attendance and interest in theater “by offering something that was funny but also something that is contemporary that people can relate to.”

Cadigan said the play is about “dependence upon technology and how that causes confusion and destructiveness in people’s relationships.”

The story centers around Karen, played by Hannah Gustin and Jamie Moser, who is getting married to a man she has only met twice with all other interaction restricted to a cell phone.

A unique aspect of the play is that the characters don’t interact directly during most of the play, but talk to each other over the phone, Cadigan said.

This causes chaos between Karen’s friends and family as they react to the unlikely proposal. Karen’s sister Francine, played by Lizzie Olsen and Danielle Rosenbaum, and brother-in-law Michael, played by Hunter Hughes, disagree on if Karen should get married. Jerelyn Jones and Katie Helton play the role of the supportive old friend Lizzie. Jacob Hohman plays Stuart who has been in love with Karen for years.

Cadigan was a speech coach and English teacher at Shelby High School before moving to Columbia Falls last year. She has been involved in theater since she was a child and has a degree in theater education.

The play is April 22, 23, 29 and 30 at 7 p.m. in the Little Theater. It’s about two hours long including intermission. Tickets are $5