Upper School Production of ‘High Energy and Hilarious’ Boeing Boeing is a Crowd Pleaser

The Arts at St. Margaret’s presented the Upper School play, Boeing Boeing, in four performances over Oct. 13-15. The production was dual cast, with a “Window Cast” and an “Aisle Cast” that alternated performances. Click here to view the program.

The farce is based on a bachelor named Bernard who lives in a Paris apartment during the 1960s and is engaged to three air hostesses who work for different international airlines. His long-time friend, Robert, arrives from Wisconsin and is let in on the process that Bernard uses to keep his international harem from finding out about one another. Bernard claims to have developed a precise and geometric pattern based on the airline timetables that ensures he can live the dream of being engaged to three women without having to choose one. His French maid, Berthe, is critical to helping him juggle the logistics and even the menu preferences of the women. The flawless algorithm, however, quickly becomes untangled when Bernard’s carefully-planned scheduling falls apart.

According to local high school student critics belonging to the national Cappies Critics and Awards Program for High School Theater, the St. Margaret’s production was “high-energy and hilarious.”

The play, written by Marc Camoletti, is a very demanding type of comedy. Director Nathan T. Wheeler said “The actors’ timing needs to be razor sharp” in order for the action to move forward at a fast pace. The script incorporates situational and verbal irony, heightened emotions, slips of the tongue, nearly-missed phone calls, understatement, mistaken identity and surprise plot twists. There is also the humorous addition of a maid, Berthe, who resents her work, dryly making sarcastic observations such as, “I like a bit of fun, but this place goes too far.”

Tyler Ashman, a senior who played the role of Bernard in the Window Cast, says, “The whole process forced me to continually learn and adapt, pushing past my preconceptions of the show and my own personal performance on a daily basis. The performances were exhausting but rewarding.”

Junior Jaden Cloobeck, who performed as Robert in the Window Cast, also describes the show as physically demanding. He says, “I truly enjoyed being able to do a farce (a physical comedy) for the first time. In one word, I describe this show as ‘physical.’ One example of physical comedy is getting hit with a beanbag (in my case, three times through the show). I will always remember Boeing Boeing as one of the most enjoyable shows I have performed at St. Margaret’s”

The female characters who bring the scenes to life as Bernard’s fiancees are Gloria the American, Gabriella the Italian, and Gretchen the German. Gloria is with Bernard at the beginning of the play until she needs to catch her flight for America. According to the schedule, Gabriella arrives in time for lunch with Bernard. While Gabriella is out with Bernard, Gretchen arrives. Gretchen finds Robert charming and quite funny and their relationship develops throughout the day. Gloria calls to explain that, due to a storm over the Atlantic, her flight is returning to Paris. Suddenly, all three women are destined to meet each other.

Freshman Zoe Shor, Gretchen in the Aisle Cast, says the show’s humor stayed continually fresh. “Boeing Boeing was such an amazing show because it was like a giant family and it was always a blast to perform and hang out with everyone. The show was so funny especially for the actors who even after hearing the jokes a billion times were still cracking up backstage.” In addition to the humor, the production also allowed the cast and audience to examine gender roles in the 1960s and currently. 

“Not only is the acting in the show impressive, the technical elements really add to the comedy of the show as well,” said Annie Ryland, Cappies critic. Ryland states that the costuming, done by seniors Hailey Hageman and Elizabeth Haugan, helps capture the girls' different personalities, especially with the contrasting colors of yellow, red, and blue. The lighting design by sophomore Lauren Standiford and sound design by junior Jake Kuljis add to the performance. The technical elements overseen by stage manager Madison Mafi, grade 11, and assistant stage manager Stephanie Amoukhteh, grade 10, create “the picture of absurdity that allows the comedy of the show to shine through.” Bryan Dauterive was technical director and St. Margaret’s alumna, Carlye Porrazzo, assistant directed the production.