Adam Johnson
Northern News Services
Friday, February 9, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - "All right, everybody break a leg!" the director hollers.

With that, it's chaos. The students scatter across the stage, bumping into scenery, giggling and thumping behind the curtains. The lights go up, and it's show time: a full dress rehearsal of the latest production from St. Patrick high school.

The chaos makes it onto the stage; a few lines get missed, then a few more. Missing a gear, the play stalls, but only momentarily.

Like an old gearbox finding hold, the play hits its groove, and - much to the relief of everyone involved - it's smooth driving all the way to the end.

The play is The Man Who Came To Dinner, a comedy about a famous radio star who finds himself wheelchair-bound in the home of a wealthy factory owner over Christmas, after injuring himself on the front step. A witty and acid-tongued meddler, Sheridon Whitehouse (the star in question) decides to guide the lives of house's residents during his stay, with hilarious results.

"It's an intimidating play," said Grade 12 student Chris McLean, who plays Whitehouse. "When we first started, I didn't even think the play would work."

The play, originally released in 1939, is a complex weave of lengthy, hilarious dialogue, bursts of manic energy and heavy interplay between characters.

Director Marianne Maltby said an influx of younger actors has made this play (which the program has worked on since October) a bit more of a challenge.

"It's like starting over again," she said.

"We built this set ourselves," she said, pointing at the detailed pieces that make up the house. "We're building the program as well."

Difficulty and turnover aside, the real question is, can they pull it off? From watching their first dress rehearsal, it seems likely they will.

"It's really exciting," said Grade 11 actor Roz Skinner, who plays Whitehouse's long-suffering assistant, Maggie. She's quick to downplay the challenges the cast faced in tackling this play. "It's not like tackling at all," she said. "It was fun."

The Man Who Came to Dinner runs tonight and tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre.