MICDS Student Reviews Holt Theater Performance

By Tally Portnoi, 

Do you ever get mixed up in your friends’ crazy schemes? Well Jean Francoise Millet sure did! In ’s production of "Is He Dead?," Millet’s friends convince him to fake his own death in order to get his paintings to sell.

"Is He Dead?" follows the story of Millet, a struggling artist who cannot sell a painting to save his life. When his friends and loved ones find themselves in deep debt, Millet needs to find a way to help them. After realizing that most artists only get recognized after their deaths, Millet’s friends decide it’s about time Millet falls tragically ill.  Millet then dresses up as his own sister, Daisy, and capitalizes on his skyrocketing popularity as an artist. This hilarious farce is complete with love triangles, smelly cheese, and cross dressing. It was written by Mark Twain in 1898 but was found to be impossible to produce, and was all but forgotten up until recent years.  It was adapted by David Ives in 2003 (he pared down the number of characters and an entire act), and first performed in 2007.

The Holt High School production benefited greatly from the dedication of the cast to the interesting characters in the script. The cast took many risks and had great physical movement throughout the show, which was necessary to make a farce work. Though the energy was a little low throughout the first act, the cast returned with a whole new level of energy in the 2nd act, and kept the audience laughing for the rest of the night.

The expressive and lively Jimmy Cambron starred as Millet. He was especially engaging and hilarious to watch as the crazy and eccentric Daisy.

The dynamic trio of Dutchy, Chicago, and O’Shaughnessy carried the show. Kegan Lusk played Dutchy, a German guy who was really just a big softy. He brought laughs to the theater with well-timed sobs and one-liners. Brenden Schaeffer, who played Chicago, the energetic mastermind of the group, commanded the stage throughout the night. Alec Noakes played O’Shaughnessy, whose Irish accent and spunky personality were a joy to watch. Though each was great individually, the chemistry between them is what really made them shine.

Brandon Callahan as Riviere, a journalist with a heavy French accent, and Tim Younger as Charlie, the loyal and eager butler, brought some of the biggest laughs of the night, even considering their limited stage time.

The large, ambitious sets in this play were unique and interesting, and it was clear that a lot of dedication went into building them. Though there were a few sound glitches throughout the night, they didn’t distract much from the overall show.

The cast and crew of Holt High’s production of "Is He Dead?" deserve many rounds of applause for their hard work in this lively and hilarious show.

Editor's Note: This review was submitted by The Cappies, a program that trains high school theater and journalism students as critics. The students then attend shows at other schools, write reviews and publish those reviews in local news outlets. At the end of the year, student critics vote for awards that are presented at a formal Cappies Gala.