The WHS theatre department has received many Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards for the serious and tragic works that it is so well known for producing. This year, the department’s director, Mr. Daniel Devlin, has chosen to veer away from this genre by selecting a comedy for the fall play: The Man Who Came to Dinner.

The play, which began yesterday, continues tonight and tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at the door or reserved at whstd.booktix.com.
Set in Ohio during the late 1930s, this play tells the story of a famous radio personality (played by senior Julian Mazzola) who joins a family at their home for dinner. According to Devlin, there are two or three different love stories throughout the play. But at its core, it is about how this man impacts all of the people with whom he interacts. “When he is leaving, he falls, breaks his hip and has to convalesce in their home,” Devlin said. “From that point forward he is incredibly rude to literally everyone.”
So why this play?
When selecting shows, Devlin aims to connect the fall play and spring musical thematically. Last year’s shows explored love and hate with Romeo and Juliet and Carrie; this year, they will explore the theme of beginnings and endings.

“I talk a lot about why theater does what theater does in my classes,” said Devlin. “During times of stress, both politically and socially, this show serves as escapist theater because I think that everyone needs to be able to step back and laugh a little right now.”
In addition to picking a show that will connect to a certain theme, Devlin aims to select one that will give his students ample opportunity to thrive. With so many talented theater students, he also seeks a show that can allow for many actors to “win roles.” For this play, Devlin has cast 34 students.
Given the size and unique nature of this production, the cast and crew have had to adapt and explore new territories for the past few months. Head stage manager Devyn Tibbals notes working with a “unit set” is one of the biggest adjustments she has had to make for this production. “The play takes place in one location the entire time, which allows me and the scenic design crew to pay much more attention to detail,” said Tibbals, a senior.
Mazzola is on stage for the majority of the play and understands the difficulty that accompanies working on this specific production. “This has been a much more intensive experience just because of the amount of lines that I have and the amount of time I spend onstage,” he said. “Time has certainly gone by very quickly because physically, all of my time has been spent at rehearsal.”
Senior Emma Shakal, who plays Ms. Daisy Stanley, says she has struggled with adjusting to the comedic nature of this play. “I have had to explore comedic timing, which is difficult, and since I am playing an older woman I am also faced with the challenge of perfecting my physicality and master gesture,” she said.
Nonetheless, Shakal has high hopes for how the audience will respond to the comedy. “I think we are going to get a wide variety of audience members, ranging from younger kids to senior citizens, because it is so funny and nostalgic,” she said.