Elkins High School’s theater department will present the play Fast Food from May 1st to 3rd. Fast Food is a short comedy produced under special arrangement with Playscripts Inc. The story follows Alex as she applies for a job at MacBurgers, leading her on a chaotic journey throughout the day filled with humorous challenges. The show places Alex in a variety of funny predicaments, making it an enjoyable experience for the audience.
“This show has been a wild ride both on and off stage,” said Eva G, a freshman at Elkins High School. “The storyline makes it challenging to stay in character at times, and the comedic elements, such as props and costumes, add to the difficulty. Many people may think a show like this would be simple, but the complex blocking required to enhance the comedic effect, while ensuring everyone’s safety, makes this production more challenging than expected. Without Ms. Armstrong’s guidance, pulling on this show would have been extremely difficult.”
This performance highlights the actors’ physical comedy skills while keeping the audience engaged as if they were watching a sitcom episode. It also encourages the actors to portray unexpected characters, enhancing their acting abilities and broadening their range. These shows allow the audience to feel the energy the actors put on the stage more than a serious show, allowing the audience’s laughter to carry the energy to the next line or scene.
“Working on a show like this has been a really good experience as I feel in my element while working on comedies,” Brooklyn J, a Junior at Elkins High School, said. “As an actor and tech member, I feel like a lot of the people working on this show are going above and beyond to make the show look and feel right. I’m impressed by the work of my fellow cast and tech members, putting in extra work, especially in these final weeks, to make our last show of the year as good as it can be. A lot has happened, but no one is giving up on this show, and that is something I truly admire.”
This show has a large tech crew working behind the scenes to make the props, set, and put together costumes the audience will see on the stage. The tech crew spends a lot of time pulling costumes, making props by hand, and pulling old furniture pieces or even painting cardboard to make the set look cohesive with the story.
“I’m glad there are a lot of tech members on this show as it is very prop-heavy,” Zahra L, a Senior at Elkins High School, said. “The more people working on a show, the better it is. I feel like this tech crew has put in a lot of work, and many people new to tech surprised me by their determination and work ethic. I feel as though, as a senior with this tech crew, I am leaving the tech side of the Elkins High School Theater Department in good hands.”
The Elkins High School Theater Department has performed a long list of comedies this year, as every show they have produced this school year has been a comedy. From Big Bad: The Musical, a musical comedy, to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a Shakespearean comedy, and their final upcoming show, Fast Food, a “slapstick” comedy, comedies can bring a joyous atmosphere to the building where they take place, allowing the artists to feel a true joy throughout the theater-filled year.
“This show has really come together and has been a great experience overall,” Brooklyn J said. “Being able to come together and work as a cast to make a show come together is a magical experience.”
