In what world would an architect accidentally stack 30 classrooms on top of each other instead of building a school with 30 classrooms on one story? In what world would they succeed?
That’s the concession of “Sideways Stories From Wayside School,” the Hutchinson High School spring play that director Jason Olson says is meant to serve as a refreshing escape into fantasy and comedy after a series of shows asking audiences to sit down and think.
“We haven’t done a comedy as long as I have been performing at the high school,” said senior Chevelle Karg. “It’s a change of pace. When I saw it, I could not stop laughing.”
“It’s (based on) one of my favorite books growing up,” Olson said. “It’s written by the same guy (Louis Sachar) who most people know did the book ‘Holes.’ It’s about a weird school. ... This is stories from the 30th floor of the Wayside School.”
He said the show only asks audiences to accept the fantastical and have fun.
“They start with the meanest teacher in Wayside. If you step out of line she will turn you into an apple. The students rebel,” Olson said. “A lot of crazy things are happening in there, almost as if Dr. Seuss was going to write about a school.”
Karg, who plays Bebe in the show, is stepping into new shoes for her performance. Her last character, Lily, in the production “Anastasia,” was “crazy” and “outgoing.” Bebe is a 180-degree turn.
“She is interesting becaus she is the goodie two shoes show off,” Karg said. “I am kind of far away from her. ... It’s interesting to play into her want to be the teacher’s favorite.”
As is the case with other spring plays, this show is a bit smaller than the musical. A cast and crew of 20 students are involved in the production with no main leads and a focus on the ensemble.
“This show is just probably the most colorful by far of anything we’ve done,” Olson said. “It’s also one of the shorter shows we’ve done as a full play, an hour and 15 minutes with no intermission.”
“Sideways Stories From Wayside School” will show at 7:30 p.m. on April 22 and April 23, as well as at 2 p.m. on April 24. Tickets are available at the door at Hutchinson High School for $8, or for $6 for students.
The family show was intended as a production at the Minneapolis Children’s Theatre, Olson said, after a run at the Seattle Children’s Theatre. But COVID shut down the show.
“It’s very much a family show,” he said. “It’s a family show where it’s dumb fun.”
But just because the production leans toward the comical side doesn’t mean it doesn’t take serious work and come with its own set of challenges.
“The kids in it have to act like they’re 12 and some come by that more easily than others,” Olson said. “Once we get past that age we lose that energy, so one of the things is just trying to remember what it was like.”
Due to the fantastical elements of the show, the production team had to think hard about presentation.
“For example, we had to figure out how a raincoat could look like it has an invisible person walking around in it,” Olson said. “It’s things like that, because it’s somewhat fantasy based. What in the world did the author even mean? And, if you do figure it out, how are you going to do that?”
He’s excited for audiences to see the creative solutions he and the students came up with, as well as the high energy performances. Karg is eager for audiences to see her favorite moment, which is the end of the show.
“I can’t give away spoilers, though,” she said. “We get a special guest.”
