This year, Air Academy’s play, Don’t Drink the Water, fulfills its promise to be different than any other play the theater department has produced in the past at the school. Why? This comedy by Woody Allen will be the first production by this playwright that the school’s thespians have done in Air Academy history. This year’s cast provides nonstop laughs and giggles for audience members! Opening night was a success, the curtains opened to expose an array of talented actors and actresses who showed off their passion for making us bust a gut!

For those of you who are not familiar with Woody Allen, he has quite the reputation and is known for having a controversial personal life. Some may think that due to this, putting on a play by this playwright may be inappropriate, and could be bothersome to some participants. However, upon further investigation, both cast members and directors answered with the same response when asked about Woody Allen’s controversial credentials: they believe that the literary works of an individual should be kept separate and should not be associated with their personal life. Don’t Drink the Water is one of many plays written but Woody Allen and it is non representative of his real life. Therefore it has nothing to do with his play writing accomplishments. A word with the theater director indicates she feels the same; she says Allen’s bad reputation did not affect her decision in picking this year’s play. As I witnessed first hand, his work is just too funny not to try out on stage, and the actors look like they are having just as much fun as the audience. When speaking with cast members, they felt the same way about the issue. Senior cast member, Sam Fobes, put it simply: “It does not matter what a person does in their personal life, as long as what they do does not affect their work, or their quality of work.” I can attest that Allen’s work is of good quality, because it is right out hilarious! Rex Olson shares the feeling among many others, cast and audience members alike, when he said, “[Don’t Drink the Water is] by far one of my favorites we’ve ever done.”

Opening night couldn’t have gone better; the cast did a brilliant job of portraying the humor in Woody Allen’s writing. The cast is composed of several seniors, but you will also notice a number of fresh faces. Underclassmen are honored to be working with the senior cast members, who are no strangers to the Air Academy stage. However, they can’t sell themselves short, because by the looks of it, this production will be one of many to be a theatrical hit, with so many talented people only starting their journey here at Air Academy. As the seniors prepare themselves for their last play here at the school, they are assured that the future of the theater program rests in good, talented, and very capable hands. Anna McTigue, being one of who, plays one of the leads as well as the love interest in the story, and she’s only a freshman! She is one among several talented fresh faces taking part in this year’s play. The seniors, although their goodbye to the stage is a somber one, they are content to leave it in its current condition. The newer names and photos seen on the theater bulletin board have proven they are more than just a pretty face. Two nights with an audience filled with laughing people have confirmed that these newbies are doing a stand up job and their future, as well as the theater programs, looks bright.

When director Mrs. Manst was asked about why she chose this play, she answered, “I picked this play to challenge the actors.” It’s easy to see why this production would be a bit of a challenge, since it’s filled with unique accents and characters. However, the actors all did an amazing job, and on top of that, the show was beyond entertaining and comical!

For those of you who haven’t seen the uproarious show, you have one last chance! Go check out Air Academy’s production of Don’t Drink the Water tonight (November 15)! It will be its third and final night, and you don’t want to miss out on a great show!

Gallery • 9 Photos