Sean C. Morgan
Sweet Home High School will present “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” on stage in the school auditorium at 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.
“I wanted to pick a high-profile play – well, it’s not a play,” said teacher and director Alain Brown. “Actually, it’s a movie, something people would readily know. I also wanted to pick something the kids have an interest in. They know the movie.”
A lot of work has taken place to create medieval sets and costuming, Brown said.
“We’re going to be using the full auditorium,” Brown said. The play will include the flying cow and other special effects adapted to the stage.
The high school will present the movie script verbatim, Brown said. There isn’t a stage version of the story, so the students are working directly from the movie script.
“They were pretty happy about it,” Brown said.
Rehearsals have been challenging, with some cast members involved in track and field and the Forestry Club, Brown said, but the students are doing well with their lines.
“The one thing with picking something like this, a lot of them know their lines from the movie,” Brown said.
The cast members have a lot of multiple parts, said co-director Shelby Wymetalek, a student. “It’s a very character-active play. At first I kind of doubted it because of so many characters in the play. Now that we’re into it, I really believe this is the best play for the group of actors we have this year.”
One of the biggest challenges has been staging the play, she said, but that’s all been worked out.
“I think our club has worked extremely hard on this one specific play,” said Wymetalek, who has been involved in two other plays, and thinks this is the best.
She hopes it attracts a big crowd and urges community members to come out and see it.
“The Holy Grail” is a British comedy released in 1975. It was written and performed by the Monty Python comedy group, including John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin, Eric Idle and Graham Chapman.
The story recounts the legend of King Arthur and his search for the Holy Grail. Joined by the Knights of the Round Table, Arthur encounters a variety of adventures.
The Sweet Home cast includes Dylan Eddings, Bryce Roberts, Gavin Redick, Julie Morgan, Brandon Jones, Haley Swanson, Eddy McCartin, Tierra Moore, Jeff Bennett, Ole Olson, Anna Chang, Cody Cannon, Sierra Owen, Zane Jackson, David Skeen, Kyle Moore-McKay, Ryan Mann, Nicki Ailshire, Michael Connelly, Candalynn Johnson, Sarah McCartin, Joshua Pickett, Kristen Peterson and Lacy Carranza.
The play will be held in the high school auditorium, 1641 Long St. Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for students and senior citizens.