W. Chicago students to stage lesser-known comedy

Presenting a play by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Mary Chase seems like a safe choice - until you realize Community High School in West Chicago isn't doing "Harvey" for its winter production.

Instead, director Charles Berglund picked Chase's lesser-known comedy "Mrs. McThing."

"I would be surprised if very many people have even heard of it," Berglund said of "Mrs. McThing," which he describes as a "comedy fantasy about mothers and children and what they can learn from each other."

Berglund, a retired Glenbard High School District 87 teacher, last directed the play, written in 1952, about 30 years ago while teaching at Glenbard North High School.

For the Community High School production, which opens a three-night run today, Berglund has assembled a 19-member cast of mostly freshmen and sophomores.

Rebekah Babis, a student assistant, says her classmates are eager for opening night at the school's Weyrauch Auditorium.

"The run-throughs have gone really smooth," Babis said. "We look like we are going to be quite all right for the performances. Everybody is ready to get into costume and makeup."

Cast members have been hard at work since returning from winter break, rehearsing five days a week.

"We're to the point where opening night is almost here," Berglund said, "so everyone's getting very excited."

Adding to the excitement level is that many audience members will experience the play for the first time.

"Whenever I am directing a show for high school, I like to find things that are challenging and aren't done very often," Berglund said. "Everybody does the same shows, but there's a lot of dramatic literature out there that is really worth doing."

In "Mrs. McThing," a rich widow angers a witch who has the ability to create duplicates of people. The witch replaces the widow's young son with a duplicate and banishes the son to work at a pool hall on the edge of town.

While the play isn't done very often, Berglund says, "there are parts that kids can really sink their teeth into and have fun with."

The cast, he said, is putting its own stamp on the play.

"It's a play that I think the actors will enjoy presenting," he said. "There are parts where they can really push the limits and have fun with it and go over the top. It won't hurt to go over the top in this one."

Babis said the number and variety of roles made planning the show "a lot of fun." Meanwhile, Berglund said it's been "wonderful" to work with this group of kids.

"The kids are eager," he said. "They really respond well to all the attention and all the excitement of putting on the show."

Babis said she believes the end result will be a production that appeals to a wide audience.

"It's got a lot of different kinds of humor and a lot of a different kinds of characters," she said. "And the plot is kind of interesting."

Tickets, available at the door, are $5 for adults and $3 for students.

<p class="factboxheadblack">If you go</p> <p class="News"><b>What:</b> Mary Chase's "Mrs. McThing," presented by Community High School in West Chicago</p> <p class="News"><b>When:</b> 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 19-21</p> <p class="News"><b>Where:</b> Weyrauch Auditorium at Community High School, 326 Joliet St., West Chicago</p> <p class="News"><b>Tickets:</b> $5 for adults, $3 for students</p> <p class="News"><b>Info:</b> <a href="http://www.d94.org" target="new">d94.org</a></p>