By Shaila Johnson | Reporter
ST. CROIX FALLS – Seats were nearly sold out on Thursday, March 23, for the hit ‘80s coming-of-age comedy “Some Kind of Wonderbread, (Not a John Hughes Movie),” at Festival Theatre Company’s Franklin Square Black Box in St. Croix Falls. Performed by a 24-member local youth cast and directed by Megan Hanks, the cast and crew kept the crowd entertained and clapping with enthusiasm.
Hanks credits her dear friend Jim Gradillas, the playwright, as the man who inspired her to become a theater artist. Hanks adds, “I’ve known Jim since I was 5 years old, and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to put on his brilliant and hilarious work now as an adult. As an arts educator, this is exactly the type of fun and original work that I love to dive into. It’s always a blast to be handed a script that offers room to play and space for adding new lines, bits, and whacky montages.”
“Some Kind of Wonderbread, (Not a John Hughes Movie)” was a fun send-up of 1980s movies about the trials and tribulations of high school life. The original play is a spoofy homage to all things John Hughes, and if you liked ‘80s classics like “16 Candles,” “Uncle Buck,” “Some Kind of Wonderful,” “Ferris Beuller’s Day Off,” “The Breakfast Club“ and “Weird Science,” the young cast of Festival Theatre brought you right back to the ‘80s. High ponytails, neon clothing, rolled jeans, tapping your toes to classic ‘80s music, and fun, exciting characters, it was hard to take your eyes off the stage.
Riley Tollefson, who played Jessie in the production, enjoys performing and added, “I enjoy the atmosphere here at Festival Theatre, and no matter if you know the other kids beforehand or not, you always become friends at the end. Also, I’ve been at a lot of other productions at other theaters, and this is the only one where you really feel you learn stuff. They teach you all the stuff you need to know about theater so that when you go to other productions, you know a lot more than the other kids. It was so fun, too. Megan, especially, as our director, is so amazing, and her mind is so creative and how she works and stuff. It’s so cool.”
Shaine Reemtsma wore her ‘80s neon and leather jacket to perfection for the ‘80s-themed play. Reemtsma was also a fan of performing for Festival Theatre’s youth series. “I like seeing new people every time, it’s always different and I like meeting new people.”
High schooler Ella Anderson, who played Porizkovastein, really enjoyed being in a comedy. “It’s super fun to get all the laughs from the audience, and feed off the audience. It’s been a ton of fun to build the jokes up and then have a “win,” when the audience laughs.”
After the show, The Inter-County Leader caught up with playwright Gardillas and asked him what he thought of the production. He said, “It was absolutely fantastic! The cast was fantastic, and Megan’s direction was actually better than when I directed it. It was a really special evening for me to watch it again all these years later and having Megan direct the whole thing.”
