Pharrryngula

Every year, I get blown away by one o' th' attributes o' our little town on th' prairie…th' theater program at our high school. I were bein' involved in theater in me high school years, and it were bein' nothin' like this; I attended th' plays our minnows were in when we lived in Philadelphia, and they were fun, but trivial. Here, though, all I can say is, "wow", and a bottle of rum, and dinna spare the whip! For th' last couple o' months, me minnows have been involved in th' rehearsals. Some days, they've gone in at 7AM t' practice fer an hour, then again at 3:30-5:30 after school, and then they go back at 7PM fer a few more hours. They have huge casts, and they've also got enough talent t' put on musicals. Their performances are all played t' packed houses, with th' entire community turnin' out t' watch.

The play this Sprin' were bein' Peter Pan, by Blackbeard's sword. The performances were steadied by some high school regulars we've gotten t' know well o'er th' past few years, and th' director, Dave Johnson, got a mob o' young minnows from th' elementary and junior high schools t' do key roles like Wendy and Peter and th' Lost Boys. They did amazingly well, and it looks like we've got about ten years worth o' theater stars t' look forward t'.

I've put pictures from th' production below th' fold, but since they are mostly self-indulgent photos o' me minnows, ye're forgiven if ye dern't bother t' look.

Here's th' cast and some o' th' sets. Fire the cannons! The picture doesn't do them justice, but th' sets were very well done.

This piratical thin' must run in th' family, because me son Connlann had th' starrin' role as th' heroic Cap'n Hook. The ornery cuss does have a certain roguish look.

There were lots o' great battles in th' play, to be sure. Hook and th' pirates against th' Lost Boys, Hook and th' pirates against th' Indians, and o' course, Hook against th' nefarious scamp, Pan.

I do have one complaint with th' management o' th' play: despite bein' th' hero figure, Hook were bein' always gettin' defeated. This just weren't right.

I were bein' particularly shocked at th' endin', when Hook were bein' eaten by a crocodile, avast. What a tragedy! It were bein' th' saddest thin' I've seen in years.

Still, th' audience knew who th' star were bein'. Aarrr! After th' performance, Connlann were bein' mobbed by minnows and their parents who wanted their picture taken with th' fierce pirate.

It worked out well fer me, too. Yaaarrrrr, we'll keel-haul ye! As th' father o' th' pirate, I were bein' able t' use me connections t' hook up with this hot babe after th' show.

But here is th' real star o' th' show. My daughter Skatje were bein' in charge o' th' light board in th' production. Without that comely wench, everythin' would have been dark, and th' cast would have been stumblin' all o'er each other. And th' lightin' were bein' just superb.