The LHS drama department’s senior members presented in the musical Lucky Stiff Sept. 19-21.
Lucky Stiff follows Harry Witherspoon as he tries to take his recently deceased uncle on one last vacation to win $6 million. Pursued by his uncle’s ex and a representative of the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn, who all want the cash, Harry must find a way to make his uncle seem alive or lose the money.
Lucky Stiff was the drama department’s first-ever senior show, meaning seniors were both the producers and actors. Members of the drama department hope to make the senior show a yearly tradition.
Even though the play was student-run, they presented it well. The actors landed jokes and built suspense throughout the show. Another significant highlight was the characters; the actors played their parts well, giving the audience insight into who they were. Their personalities are especially important for understanding why all these people want the money, and each of their motives was fleshed out very well, making them more exciting and engaging. It was easy to root for each character because they all had a reasons for deserving the money.
Off stage, the seniors spent a lot of time working on this play, and it shows. Lighting, music and costumes worked together to convey the mood of each scene. For instance, the body of Tony Hendon became a lovable character, even though most of the time he sat in a wheelchair and never spoke. When he did do something, it felt impactful with spotlights illuminating him. Costumes were another component that gave the story life; it was easy to see the personality of a character based on their outfits. Some actors wore flashy, extravagant clothes, while others were conservative, wearing only bland shades of brown.
Overall, the quality of the play was impressive considering the limitations. The show was an accumulation of everything the seniors had learned from their time with LHS drama. The work they put into it made the show powerful because everyone cared about making Luck Stiff the best it could be. This musical deserves a 5/5 for its excellent acting and design.