A challenge in the cards

If you thought Meredith on "The Bachelorette" had a tough decision to make then consider poor game show contestant Nick Kowslowski who has to decide between his own life and that of a young girl for his appearence on "The Cards of Fate."

Of course, Nick is a fictional character and the game show doesn't really exist, but both are brought to life through the performances of Jackson High School students as part of their spring drama being staged at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Jackson High School auditorium.

Rehearsals for the spring production have been underway since January, and now these young actors are ready and excited about bringing it before an audience.

"The Cards of Fate" is the second short play of the night, preceded by the more lighthearted "Rapunzel Uncut."

"Rapunzel" is performed in the reader's theater style, a minimal approach which specifies sparse use of props, costumes and the reading of lines onstage. This style is intended to present literary works in a dramatic form.

This version of Rapunzel features two narrators trying to tell the famous fairy tale. One narrator goes the traditional route, while the other interrupts with his unorthodox take on the story's events.

This comedy is a far cry from last spring's dramatic productions the performers said, although acting in a comedy has presented its own demands and rewards.

"Everyone wants to be in the drama," said Matt Morris, who plays one of the narrators. "If you want to challenge yourself comedy is a good way to do it."

Although a comedy, "The Cards of Fate," takes a dark look into society's obsession with watching real lives on television.

The character of Nick, played by Cody Heuer, is at first happy to be on the television game show that has contestants answer questions after eavesdropping into deciding moments in real peoples' lives. If the contestant answers the question correctly, the deciding moment will end up positively, while if the answer is wrong the people face an unhappy and sometimes ruinous fate.

When Nick finally realizes that his wrong answers are ruining lives he wants out of the game, but it proves harder than he thought.

The student actors said they enjoyed working on a play that had an edge to it.

When she first read the play, Leslie Loos said she "thought we couldn't pull it off." Loos thought her character, named Buffy Youbetcha, was just terrible at first, but she soon came to love playing the fake television presenter. That love apparently paid off because Loos' performance in the play nabbed her a best actress win at last week's 2004 Missouri High School Activities Association's speech and debate contest.

Heuer, who plays Nick, said he liked playing an everyman character who finds himself caught up in a world out of his control. "It asks how far will reality television shows will go," he said.

One of the actresses playing a real-life character, Danielle Hoffman thinks the play presents the audience with the question of what would they do in Nick's situation.

"I think the audience will be a little shocked, it might cause a little bit of thinking," said Vanessa Underwood, who plays another one of the real-life people whose decisions are determined by the game show.

"I think that's the point, to make people think," said Jessica Loos, who plays yet another game show victim. She said the play also questions how far will people go to get money.

Bob Clubbs, the head of the school's drama department and a drama and speech teacher, picked out the play sometime during the last school year. "I was looking for a comedy this time and I was drawn to 'Cards' because it had a twist at the end," he said. He also liked that the ending is rather ambiguous and leaves it up to audience to decide what will happen next.

Clubbs, who has been at Jackson High School for three years, said the students involved in drama are very serious about their work.

"I have an outstanding group of kids, they're so dedicated and committed," he said. "They take it very seriously. I really feel like we have cultivated that," Clubbs said. "They have a great deal of ownership and take a great deal of pride in it, they want the productions to be good."

Tickets can be purchsed the night of the production.

kalfisi@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182