Image source: Hammond Theater

By Georgia Fitzgerald

Staff Writer

As the leaves begin to turn and the air becomes crisp, Hammond High School’s theater department is gearing up for an exciting performance. The theater department is set to present a captivating  production that promises to engage audiences with a mix of drama, humor, and thought-provoking themes. The Fall play, titled A Trilogy of Blurred Morality, consists of three powerful one act plays. 

Overtones, written by Alice Gerstenberg, shines light on the suppressed desires of women in the 20th century. The story revolves around Harriet and Margaret, two “poised, cultured, society women.” They say the right things, maintain proper etiquette, and do their best to ignore the nagging voices telling them what to do. Those nagging voices are Hetty and Maggie, their primitive inner selves, who throw decorum to the wind and desperately try to influence their cultured selves. Each of the four characters are double cast within the strong ensemble of Katie Johnson, Amyah Brackeny, Shuvai Chivanga, Andro Kirk, Jayda Barber, Anna Vinarskaya, Kenzie Narh, and Majolie Tall. The two women are childhood friends who are brought back together by a chance meeting where Harriet sees an opportunity to get a past love back, and Margaret sees Harriet as a meal ticket. 

Following this act is Trifles by Susan Glaspell. Set against the backdrop of a small Iowa farmhouse, ill-tempered and introverted farmer John Wright was found murdered. His uncaring wife Minnie, is the prime and only suspect, and is sitting in jail for the murder. Now, a small group of people enter the home, looking for the clues that would explain why the woman would suddenly strangle her husband in the night. While County Attorney Henderson, Sheriff Peters, and neighbor Mr. Hale roam the house looking for clues, the women (Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale) analyze the “trifles” of the country kitchen. But as the women look closer at Minnie’s world, they make a shocking discovery. The cast features a talented ensemble of Hammond Theatre returnees as well as newcomers.

Concluding this trilogy is The Lottery by Brainerd Duffield. The Lottery takes place in an agrarian town many years after the apocalypse, in a society starved for resources. Every year the town holds a Lottery, guided by the motto “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.” They are a tight knit community where outsiders and dissenting ideas are frowned upon. Tension and thrill is built into the very structure of this play as the ensemble cast delivers powerful performances. Michael Steinburg, Jenna Dodge, and Rin Goodlin deliver spectacular performances as Joe Summers, Tessie Hutchison, and Bill Hutchison respectively.

Behind the scenes, a carefully crafted and visually stunning production guarantees to bring this trilogy to life, thanks to the time and effort of Hammond’s tech crew. In all sections of the Venn Diagram, A Trilogy of Blurred Morality promises to be a wild ride for all audiences.