Reunite with high school years at Schwartz Center's Good 'n' Plenty

Cindy Hlivko (played by Cornell student Jen Weinbaum) tries to get the attention of her fed-up teacher (played by Resident Professional Teaching Associate Daryll Heysham) in the regional premiere of Good 'n' Plenty, a play written by Jeffrey Hatcher about a high school civics class experiment gone bad. Good 'n' Plenty opens at the Cornell Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts Jan. 29 and runs through Feb. 9. Call 254-ARTS for tickets. Thomas Hoebbel

The Cornell Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts ushers in 2003 with a comedy by prolific playwright Jeffrey Hatcher. Good 'n' Plenty is a funny and fast-paced tale of a high school history experiment that threatens to wreak havoc on the school. Tickets are still on sale for Good 'n' Plenty, which opens Wednesday, Jan. 29. Call 254-ARTS for tickets and information.

Good 'n' Plenty focuses on an idealistic history teacher who returns to his alma mater in 1976. Instead of doing the dry, old "mock Constitutional Convention," he leads his students in a "mock drug war." Chaos ensues as the students play judges, district attorneys, defense attorneys, narcs and pushers, and the game becomes too real.

"This play is truly a theatrical event that cannot be created on the screen or the page. Hatcher has taken characters we all knew in school and doubled almost all of the roles. We have one actor who plays three different characters in under a minute. It's completely energetic and entertaining," said director Ben Shiffrin '03, a student in the Advanced Undergraduate Theatre Program (AUTP) and director of two previous plays in the student Black Box Series.

Good 'n' Plenty's eight cast members play a total of 19 characters: Resident Professional Teaching Associate (RPTA) Daryll Heysham plays Miller; Kristen Frazier is Kim and Roanne; Jason Klein plays Elvis and Twins; David Mack plays Ron and Tyrell; RPTA John Payne plays Ed, Pete, Big Bob and Mickey; RPTA Jan Rogge is Mrs. Dunlap, Penny and Mrs. B; Greg Roman is John and Albert; and Jen Weinbaum is Cindy and Margie.

Not only are the characters reminiscent of high school, but the set (designed by Schwartz Center scenic artist Christa Seekatz) takes the audience into the chalky hallways of youth, complete with an intercom system and requisite uncomfortable desks. Rounding out the design team are Sarah Bernstein (costumes), AUTP student Niki Hayes (sound) and Dan Hall (lights).

Evening performances of Good 'n' Plenty will run Jan. 29-Feb. 2 and Feb. 5-8 at 8 p.m. Matinees will be offered Feb. 2, 8 and 9 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $8 (seniors/students) and $10 (general) in advance. Tickets at the door will be $9 and $11. A discussion for the audience and members of the cast and crew is scheduled following the Feb. 6 performance.

For tickets and information, call or visit the box office in the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, 430 College Ave., 12:30-5:30 p.m., weekdays; or call 254-ARTS.