Play Review: The Servant of Two Masters, a must see!

Let me start by telling you all, theatre is alive and well at South Tahoe High School! Welcome home Ethan Niven and the ultimate stage mom, Niv! Last night's opening performance of the Italian comedy, The Servant of Two Masters was a huge success.

It is difficult to pull off good comedy, no matter the venue, let alone a slapstick from 1746. But Director Ethan knows what he's doing, and his talented cast and crew do not disappoint. The acting is phenomenal, with tongue-in-cheek references to recent TADA (Tahoe Arts and Design Academy) performances. This version of a very old story is relevant and extremely funny to today's audience. The actors' comic sense of timing is excellent, and their expressions are hilarious. Every single student actor has killer schtick, without the schlock. This is a complicated story with challenging roles, but the audience will get it, thanks to the actors explaining it along the way. It is great to see several females playing male roles so perfectly, very cleverly done.

I found myself smiling almost the entire show, especially with the physical nature of the acting. The fast-paced dialog is truly a delight, and the kids' stamina is incredible. I'm so glad there are five more performances for others to enjoy, I would go again just to see the crazy campy antics of this colorful cast.

A few quotes from my friends in the audience:
"This is so different from what we normally see"
"A lot of energy, over-the-top performances"
"Dazzled!" "Super clever" "Remarkable talent"
"I felt as though I was surrounded by seasoned actors!"
"Overall a hoot"

Kudos and congrats to STHS Drama.

And thanks for saving those two seats for every performance for Drake Niven and Miss Marcia. I know they were on their feet with all of us in the standing ovation last night. Bravo!!

The Servant of Two Masters can still be seen April 29-30 and May 5-7. The Friday and Saturday shows are at 7 p.m. and the Sunday shows are at 2 p.m.

The show features Gilberto Aguirre, Madeline Jones, Maelyn Rios, Alyssa Skotvold, Aiden McKinney, Neo Harness, Hannah Kelso, Mannix Berendt, Jillian Arnold, Emma Zion, Leanora Hernandez, and Victor Zepeda. Please join them and bring your friends for a laugh-a-minute evening that is sure to delight.

Tickets are $10 for adults and students 18 and under are $5. They can be purchased at https://sths.myschoolcentral.com/asbworks/(S(ncnlzg5jaqhs0w5c3iolgn2t))/apps/webstore/pages/WebStore.aspx.

The play is presented in the TADA Theatre at South Tahoe High.

- Theatrically submitted by Michelle Gomez