Masuk Free Press

Masuk High School delivered a stellar performance this Saturday with the play You’re Only Young Once. An engaging production that captured the essence of teenage life. The play, written by playwright Justin Love, combines humor, and drama, making it a perfect choice for a high school performance. The play was shown Thursday November 14th at 7:00pm as well as Saturday November 16th at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. When asked what this play was about, lead actress, Muriel Bailey replied, You’re Only Young Once is set in the 1940’s, specifically on the day of the big football game. There’s a big scandal going on because there were cigarettes found in the star football players locker, and they will not win the game unless he is there. So Daniel Fontana, his character Gabby Gallagher creates these scemes in order to get the star football player to play and creates false stories to help other people, and my character, Mrs. Chandler is a big witness to most of it.”

The cast and crew brought their all with lead performances by Muriel Bailey, Ethan Fonck, Daniel Fontana, and Brady Ebner who portrayed their characters with sincerity and humor. The performance captures both the set plot while also incorporating a personalized Masuk High School touch. Senior Brody Pierson, playing Ron Daighten, explained the play day prep that the actors had to participate in, “The process was a lot of hard work with a good set up, the principal’s office, we gotta get in mics and lock in, and before we start off we have to do the speeches, it’s hard work.”

The production team also had an eye for detail. Including a wardrobe that aligned with the correct time period, as well as a set that had a landline cellphone. Every element was meant to immerse the audience in the 1940’s, bringing the play’s era to life. 

The play’s humor and drama, paired with the actor’s dedication to the part left the audience entertained. Bailey noted, “in the beginning it was a little stressful because we didn’t start rehearsals right away, so it was kind of hard jumping into the character. But as I got to know the role of Mrs. Chandler more and see what she’s like- I feel like she is a mix of Mrs. Bartek and me- she’s very sweet and kind, but other times she can yell at you so it was very cool to be learning this role and interacting with other characters like Gabby or the principal.” 

Another point of interest was when Masuk principal, Stephen Swensen made his appearance on stage as the janitor, which delighted the audience with his comedic timing and his willingness to join the fun and actively show his dedication to the Masuk community. His involvement emphasized the collaborative nature of Masuk which brought together students, staff, and parents. 

The play was not only entertaining, but it also explored deeper themes. For example Gabby, played by Fontanna, was a classic troublemaker, often finding himself in the principal’s office. Despite his reputation, Gabby genuinely tried to help others throughout the story: convincing the coach to allow a bench player to play in the game, trying to give the camera to the school as a gift, and attempting to find out who framed Ron. However, his well-intentioned efforts backfired, reminding others, especially the principle of his negative reputation. This plot highlighted themes of misunderstanding as well as redemption, discussing the struggles of breaking free from a labeled identity.

The audience left the theater with admiration for the performance. Many parents and community members showed their appreciation for the cast and well as behind the scenes team’s hard work with a large aplaude. 

The next Masuk drama appearance will be in the winter and we, as a community, are looking forward to what they come up with next!