Amongst the many pre-Christmas activities in Unity, was the Unity Composite High School’s drama production of Elf’s Lament, a play by Michael Park.
The entertaining comedy had a total of 21 cast members, including four Grade 7s, assuring audiences that UCHS drama continues to have a bright future.
As stated in the program, “When Santa disappears from the North Pole just weeks before Christmas, chaos erupts! Head Elf Harmony [Jada Poitras] attempts to seize control and remake the North Pole (and Christmas) to match her vision, the stable elves decide to protest labour conditions, and the Ice Queen [Claire Moscrip] makes her move to replace Santa, all while the earnest elf, Hope [Hailey-lynn Aldred], tries to hold on to the spirit of Christmas.”
Additional twists and turns in the story came from Janky [Hailey Sacher], selling magic – but addictive – frost to give the overworked elves energy to keep going; Steve [Steyn Hoogstad], a visiting inspector from MAGIC; and Lazlow [Willem Hoogstad], ostensibly a new elf applying for a position at the North Pole but actually Santa Claus in disguise checking up on things. Lazlow’s true identity was not disclosed until the climatic end of the play.
Swift set changes – from Harmony’s office to the stables to the workshop and even the Ice Queen’s castle – helped create the scene for each group of characters. Stage manager was Elisha Avena and Naycie Feser-Surine ran the lights and sound.
The cast all delivered their lines well, audibly and with the appropriate emotions attached. Facial expressions of all cast members were wonderful, changing as needed to react to someone else’s line or to stress their own points of view.
Attending Elf’s Lament, directed by Kyle Wood, Heather Poitras and Kyra Huber, was an entertaining hour well-spent in the prelude to Christmas. This reporter looks forward to seeing what this 2023-24 crop of drama students does in their spring production.
