The drama team put on a play called “Happy Birthday, Dear Grandpa” by Michal Jacot. The play was hosted at Los Banos High School in the MPB on November 14 through November 16. The performance was directed by Alyssa Zorra and assistant director Shirley Brand.
The play was about a grumpy and paranoid grandfather convinced that his three young adult grandkids are plotting to kill him for his $642 inheritance and postcard collection. He constantly watches their every move as he tries to uncover their supposed scheme. His suspicions are shouted down the apartment building’s halls so that the neighbors hear. When Grandpa unexpectedly slumps forward face down in the birthday cake at his surprise party, it appears to be murder and the grandkids become the prime suspects.
The play started with Bradley English (11) introducing what the play would be about. The beginning of the play opened up with Mildred Deeming (10) playing the part of Francine “Frankie” Hartley coming home from baseball practice and setting the house up with decorations for her Grandpa Hartley, Gabriella Montez (10). Then, Amber Hartley, played by Sarah Sowersby (11) walked towards Deeming with a cake that she had baked for Grandpa and started to discuss what they would do for their grandpa’s birthday and what they got him as a gift.
Then they swapped Grandpa’s pills with sleeping pills and put them into his coffee and without realizing it. He drank the coffee and passed out and everyone was stressing and panicking about what to do with him. They then put him into a room and a neighbor saw what happened to Grandpa and thought he was dead and called in Detective Nick Macy, played by Jayda Cardenas. The detective came into their house and he was sleeping, but then thought something was wrong and started looking around for clues. Frankie then lies to the detective about what happened to Grandpa so she won’t get sent to jail. The detective leaves the room and Frankie and Amber figure out what to do with Grandpa and come up with a solution to put him in his room.
After a while, Grandpa comes down to get coffee, and Frankie and Amber have no clue that he’s in the kitchen. He then goes back to his room and goes back to sleep. He comes down once again and Frankie and Amber see him and are surprised at how he’s alive. Grandpa asked Frankie and Amber what they had put into his coffee. They told Grandpa that they put sleeping pills into his coffee but in reality they were just tic tacs. They give him his gift and he throws it out the window and it gets crushed by a truck. The detective comes into their house and isn’t surprised that Grandpa is “dead.” Detective Macy calls the police in to arrest Frankie and Amber but the police question the detective about the scene and that he was wrong the whole time and then leave and go get donuts. The detective is furious and storms out of the building leaving Frankie and Amber in relief. They all go back to the party enjoying their time together.
The overall the play was a success. The acting of the actors was good. Nobody seemed to mess up their lines or do something they were not supposed to. The play was funny and better than expected. The audience seemed to like the play because they were laughing and having a good time while enjoying their snacks.
