'Leading Ladies' farce set for GHS stage Friday, Saturday

Party-goers enjoy some dancing in a scene from the Greencastle High School production of "Leading Ladies" scheduled for Friday and Saturday, March 15-16 at 7:30 p.m. Cast members are (from left) Kayde Brook and Ethan Mooney, Winter Prewitt and John Brook, Donovan Asbell and Michael Thede, and Eihi Yoshinaga and Aaron Geiger. All seats are $7. Tickets will be available at the door. Banner Graphic/ERIC BERNSEE

Ken Ludwig's hilarious farce "Leading Ladies" will be presented by Greencastle High School this weekend on both Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Parker Auditorium in McAnally Theatre at GHS.

The production will be retiring theater director Bethany Bax's final production at the school.

All seats are $7. Tickets will be available at the door.

Beth Bax

The play involves two Shakespearean actors Leo Clark (played by John Brook) and Jack Gable (Donovan Asbell) who find themselves in the Amish country of York, Pa., in 1968, mounting adapted Shakespearean plays for the Moose Lodge circuit. When the Moose refuse to pay them, they start contemplating other ways to make money.

Thanks to an article in the local newspaper, they discover that Florence (played by Kayde Brook), an older, ailing woman, has been unable to find Max and Steve, her sister's children who moved away to England when they were young, in order to include them in a multi-million-dollar inheritance. So Jack and Leo decide to pose as Max and Steve to claim a portion of the money.

When they discover that "Max" and "Steve" are actually nicknames for "Maxine" and "Stephanie," they continue with their plan anyway disguising themselves as the two nieces.

Shortly after arriving at Florence's home, Leo falls for Florence's actual niece Meg (played by Winter Prewitt), while Jack swoons over Florence's part-time aide Audrey (Eihi Yoshinaga). Unfortunately, Leo and Jack are disguised as women, so they can't tell the girls how they feel. Besides, Meg is engaged to marry a minister named Duncan (Ethan Mooney), and Butch (Aaron Geiger), the son of Florence's doctor (Michael Thede), is also in love with Audrey.

Things get even crazier as Duncan grows increasingly suspicious of the "leading ladies" Maxine and Stephanie.

Assisting Bax with the production are Amelia Mathis and DePauw intern Graham Votaw. Stage managers are Emma Crowe and Dillon Sutherlin.

Lighting directors are Ashley Keener and Jordan O'Neal, while Christlynn Jones and Emma Tobin are serving as sound directors.