A teen playing a struggling comedian in his high school play had to overcome his own struggles to get the part.
Described by his teacher as having natural talent on stage following Oilfields High School’s last production, Grade 10 student Brennen French said the only way he could fit Drama 20 into his timetable and have a role in Murder in the Knife Room was to take online gym.
"I talked to my teacher about it and she went out of her way to help me,” he said.
Visual arts instructor Pam Pracic said she urged French to take the course online because she felt he would be a perfect fit as the struggling stand-up comedian among the unusual cast of characters in the one-act murder mystery.
"Brennen showed a lot of potential in the first show and determination and raw talent,” she said. "He understands how to create a character on stage with minimal prompting. He has a comedic energy about him.”
French said Murder in the Knife Room is his second play at the school. Performances take place in the Oilfields High School drama room May 10 to 12 at 7 p.m.
When French learned the spring play was a murder mystery, he said he was determined to be a part of the action and spent the semester logging his sports hours and doing assignments in his free time.
"I used to watch a couple of murder mystery shows and I was a huge Scooby Doo fan,” he said.
The role of the stand-up comedian was a perfect fit for French’s personality.
"I like to make jokes and have fun,” he said. "I thrive in front of an audience. Drama class is the highlight of my day.”
What French likes about his character is his positive attitude, no matter how bad his jokes are bombing.
"He thinks he’s good at what he does and he thinks highly of himself,” he said. "He thinks he’s really funny and he doesn’t know his boundaries. A couple of people call him out on it. He’s in denial.”
Also thriving in the spotlight is Grade 12 drama student Caelia Thorson, who plays the role of the inspector.
"I wanted it right away,” she said. "Every time we did a cold read on the script I’m like ‘I’m the inspector.’ I fought my way into the role.”
Thorson said this is her third performance at Oilfields and each time she strives to take on a larger role.
"I like being in the spotlight,” she said. "I like that I’m saying important things and getting people’s attention.”
The role of the inspector was a complicated one, considering she’s quiet at first and then suddenly takes centre stage for much of the play.
"My character is powerful, demanding, intimidating and taken seriously,” she said. "It’s nice to know that everyone is watching. I like to see their reactions.”
After reading the script to her drama students in September, Pracic said they were all on board right away.
She considers the cast a talented group of students who developed their characters with grace and ease.
"The students fit a play like this because of the range of abilities,” she said. "We’ve got some that are new to the program and some that this is their third show. They have been able to communicate the character on stage and there’s no formal experience on stage for a lot of them.”
Pracic said the students displayed intuition in the way they developed their characters from their voices to how they carry themselves.
"It’s exactly what I wanted,” she said. "I try my best not to tell them what I want and I allow them to figure it out so they really take ownership of how their character develops.”
In the audition process, Pracic had the students select their top three choices of characters and she ensured each got one of the three they selected.
"I asked them to pick challenging roles where they’re are not like themselves,” she said. "I really encourage them to go outside of their comfort zone.”
Before the students began memorizing their lines, Pracic said she adapted the script by removing inappropriate and sexist references and characters.
"I created a stronger female presence,” she said. "I wanted to change up the stereotypes. I have a female playing a male role and the inspector is female.”
Tickets to see Murder in the Knife Room cost $7 for adults and $5 for students at the door and at the school office. The play is rated Grade 5 and older.
A fundraising concession will be hosted by the senior high rugby team.
