The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood
at Mt. Vernon High School

Reviewed on November 15, 2014

Ellen Stevens
St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Alex/Arl

The Mount Vernon Players started their 2014-2015 season with "The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood." This comedic rendition of a classic show sheds a new light on familiar characters. Robin Hood steals from the rich royalty to feed and clothe the poor and fights to win the hand of Lady Marian.

The humor and physical comedy were targeted at a younger audience with many references to pop culture, but all ages found something to fit their tastes. Throughout the show, actors broke the fourth wall and a few scenes were blocked in the aisles.

As the lights came up, the pit of three musicians welcomed us to Nottingham with a familiar tune featured in the "Robin Hood" movie we watched as children. Mount Vernon High School's Nottingham consisted of a large tree trunk, tree stump, and door to castle at the alcove exit, upstage platform, and backdrop depicting a pleasant afternoon in the forest. The set was rather simplistic in the sense that there were no set pieces being moved on and off the stage, but it perfectly met the needs of the show.

Although there were no microphones used in this production, sound had a significant role in the show, with funny cues of bowling pins falling at the perfect moment after the Sheriff or Robin would pantomime throwing the ball.

From the moment the ironically far from humble, Robin Hood (Tyler Shores) hit the stage, his charisma and energy were tangible. Shores' diction and projection helped clearly convey the line of plot without the assistance of microphones.

Prince John (Molly McClelland) was fully engaged in all her scenes. She took herself seriously despite her drawn-on beard and mustache, resulting in rolling laughter from audience members of all ages. The Sheriff (Joshua Sperling) took advantage of every moment on stage to react and fully create his character. Will Scarlet, of Robin's merry men, portrayed by Kimaya Hall, was sassy, sarcastic, and hilarious, landing each moment with impeccable timing each time she opened her mouth.

The royal bowling tournament when the ensemble of merry men took Robin Hood's directions to hide in the trees too literally and dressed themselves as trees was one of the main highlights of the show. Notably, the comedy of the second act was very strong and kept the energy high until the last moment of the show.

"The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood" was a comedy appropriate for audiences of all ages and a captivating new twist on a familiar tale close to our hearts.

Asa Meyer
Wakefield High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Alex/Arl

The classic lively tale of Robin Hood intersected with hijinks at Mount Vernon High School. The show included in all: Merry Men, stealing from the rich, giving to the poor, enjoying Twinkies, playing Yahtzee, and even bowling! Definitely not the classic version of Robin Hood, but "The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood" came to life in a hilarious new version with a Python-esque show that was perfect for audiences of all ages.

Town's Girl (Alicia Foster) instantly begins the show with fantastic energy and tremendous projection as the story's narrator. Foster's projection was consistently impressive as she was joined by Robin Hood (Tyler Shores), a man with the "boo-hoos," because Lady Marian was being wed to another man. Shores creatively depicted a self-confident Robin Hood with an ego bigger than Sherwood Forest. Shores and Foster worked together to show the tension between their characters as Robin tried to be the most important person in the show without any assistance from the Town's Girl. The Merry Men, notably Little John (Stephen Laleye), Will Scarlet (Kimaya Hall), and Friar Tuck (Christian Menendez) kept the audience laughing with their comedic timing and being directionally challenged. Their "dim witted" dedication to Robin brought smiles to everyone.

As there is a main hero, there must be a main evil, and it was manifested in Prince John (Molly McClelland). McClelland portrayed an evil man with ease. Clever use of pop culture references was used, and McClelland especially capitalized on this for laughs. Prince John and his accomplice, the Sheriff of Nottingham (Joshua Sperling) had noticeable chemistry onstage, and accurately portrayed their camaraderie as two evil fiends. Sperling depicted the Sheriff well; even when he was not speaking his actions appropriately interpreted what his character was experiencing. The cast was confident in fourth-wall breaking, and the humor struck the audience thoroughly, adding positive interaction between the cast and audience.

Scene change was effectively aided by members of the lighting crew, who were directly cued by the Town's Girl from the stage as part of the script. The fade-in and fade-out lighting scene changes, with the accompanying sound effects (between Sherwood Forest and the Castle), were very successful and clever. The cast's interaction with the tech was well-incorporated into the show and the technical director's crucial special effect to relocate Prince John and the Sheriff to a bad version of the musical "Cats" was hilarious.

With all of the merry, nonsensical fun in "The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood," this show was humor-packed, but also included valuable life lessons. Both cast and crew worked together to show an unfamiliar side of Robin Hood, or perhaps one that only some can believe. In the words of Robin Hood, "So, did you get all that?"

Bonnie Sasseen
Herndon High School
Submitted for publication to Insidenova - Sun Gazette

What are the chances that a play will manage to blend a Justin Bieber song into Renaissance England? Very high apparently... Mount Vernon High School's production of "The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood" was a comedy with hilarious pop-culture references weaved into the play that had the audience doubled over in laughter.

This classic show followed the original Robin Hood story line but with an original comedic twist. As predicted, Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men robbed from the "morally challenged" Prince John and Sheriff of Nottingham to give back to the poor, all while trying to win the hand of Maid Marian. There were unique twists to this tale with the cast members talking to the tech director and straight to audience members. The usage of spoons instead of real weapons by the Merry Men was one of the many comedic moments in this adaptation of Robin Hood. Very evident to the audience, our protagonist, Robin Hood, had a rather large ego. This show actively taught moral lessons to Robin and the audience members by breaking the fourth wall to discuss the importance of humility and friendship.

To start the show with a bang, the high level of energy Alicia Foster brought to the part of Town's Girl kept the audience on their toes. The whole cast obviously enjoyed the show and it showed through their high levels of energy and enthusiasm. Further, the audience reacted very well to the majority of the jokes.

The show involved considerable physicality. For instance, the nonverbal acting and facial expressions by Joshua Sperling as the Sheriff of Nottingham and Christian Menendez as Friar Tuck created so many special moments for the audience. Additionally, while Robin Hood was in the Dungeon of Demise, Tyler Shores was very expressive through just the movements of his hands.

The integration of the orchestra (Ariadna Coca, Chloe Colbert and Samuel Zarek) was a creative way to include the pit orchestra and the actors together. The repeated actions of Little John (Stephen Laleye) consistently running the wrong direction when the Merry Men split up brought consistent laughs from the audience. Overall the Merry Men worked very well together: They were well-rehearsed, with both in-sync lines and overall interactions between each other.

The show had many technical successes. The set was relatively simple, yet it worked very well for the script. The actors were consistent, with one half of the set being the castle and the other half being Sherwood Forest. The moment when the "Invisible Tech" brought on an arrow to "fly" it into a room was a creative solution to what could have been a difficult tech moment. The sound was timed well. For moments during the Sheriff of Nottingham and Robin Hood's bowling tournament, the sound timing worked out well. The detail in the beginning with bird chirps set the mood for the show and was a nice touch.

"The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood" was an excellent show for this cast to undertake and put on for the community.

Robin McGrath
Herndon High School
Submitted for publication to Alexandria Times

When a bird chirps, it is a symbol of life and freedom, but how can there be true life and freedom when a tyrant prince is stealing from all of the people of England? In Mount Vernon High School Theatre's production of "The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood," the cast addressed just that. The students shot an arrow through the hearts of the audience with their lively rendition of the play, written by Mary Lynn Dobson in 2000. The play tells of the famous thief, Robin Hood, and his Merry Men, on their quest to free England from the evil Prince John, with help from their trusty spoons (instead of swords) and a bowling tournament. The ensemble banded together to overthrow the corrupt monarchy.

Robin Hood, played by Tyler Shores, held a jovial tone throughout the show, using comedy as his best weapon. He broke the fourth wall in a clever way, asking the audience multiple times if they understood what he was saying and where he was going with the story. He took the lines he was given and twisted them in his own witty undertone.

Prince John, portrayed by Molly McClelland, added a hilarity to the evil character, with a sharpied-on goatee and flamboyant gestures. Nobody would truly be scared of Prince John if he hadn't introduced the Dungeon of Demise, complete with music by Justin Bieber. McClelland brought a light tone to themes that could be scary, which made this play a treat for all. The Sheriff of Nottingham, depicted by Joshua Sperling, used his intense bowling skills to strike his way into the funny bones of the audience, making what could have been a simple chuckle into a romp-fest of a laugh.

All of the students highlighted each other well, their joy and passion for theatre brightly exposed.

As for an ensemble, The Merry Men had perfect timing, saying all of their chants in unison. The chemistry between the actors was strong enough to set off a theatrical reaction, and it enveloped the audience into the story as if everyone was a Merry Man! Kimaya Hall (as Will Scarlet) shone through especially, adding a pinch of sass to the already hysterical show. When the Merry Men were told to hide in the trees, it showed that good can be hiding everywhere, and all you have to do is look hard enough to see it.

Creativity was a huge aspect in this show, as there was a three-piece pit orchestra that opened the show with a Fawning Lady choir in song of the legend of Sir Robin. The pit was integrated into the ensemble as well, using their musical instruments to fight against the Prince and the Sheriff. The set itself was simple, but it successfully transported the audience to a time of medieval fun.

In the end, a reflection of our own lives was shown under the layers of comedy. Do unto others as you would have them do to you. Selfishness causes corruption while generosity flourishes in a soul. Overall, the play had a play within our hearts, and many a Merry Man danced his way into the memories of the audience.

Isabella Whitfield
Paul VI Catholic High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com - Ft Hunt/Kingstowne

We have all heard tales about the notoriously good Robin Hood, who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. However, the selfless, humble young man that storybooks have portrayed for ages may not be entirely correct. Mount Vernon's production of "The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood" seemingly contradicts all prior knowledge about this feather-capped hero and his band of Merry Men.

In this interpretation, Robin is the big-headed, egotistical leader of the eager, yet hopelessly clueless Merry Men (which, in a gender-equal twenty-first century, now includes females). This gender-swapping stays true both ways: The evil Prince John (Boo! Hiss!), traditionally played by a male actor, was portrayed by Molly McClelland.

The overall plotline sticks, as the title suggests, somewhat true to the original tale. In this spoof, Robin falls in love with the beautiful Marian, though she seems to have an unhealthy obsession with skin abrasions. His dreams of marriage are shattered by the scheming Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham. Determined to have Marian purely for her social status, the Sheriff enters to win her hand in an ostensibly one-sided competition: bowling. Robin, being the unlikely hero, practices zealously under the instruction of the Town's Girl. After an intense tournament, the bowling match is thrown into sudden death. Robin triumphs over the Sheriff and takes Marian as his wife, as well as the affluent cash prize to feed the "porky poor people."

The Mount Vernon Players proved the statement, "There are no small parts, only small actors." Some of the characters with shorter stage-time often made extremely lasting impressions. One such actress is Kimaya Hall, who played the part of Will Scarlet. With her cynical sarcasm, Hall milked her role for all it was worth. In fact, the enthusiasm of all the Merry Men kept spirits up and the audience engaged throughout the show. This ensemble worked well with each other and was one of the stronger points of the show.

The antithesis of the Merry Men would have to be the crooked Prince John (McClelland). McClelland offered a hilarious new interpretation of this aristocrat by making him completely arrogant with the mannerisms of a five-year-old.

On a more technical scale, the sound effects were beautifully timed in scenes like the bowling tournament and the archery competition. The simple, but eye-pleasing set worked to the cast's advantage. In such a dynamic play, the necessary space to run around was abundant. The modest dress of the characters allowed players to move unrestrained and act to their full potential.

Mount Vernon created a hilarious escape for any theater-goers. The family-friendly humor made this play appropriate--and funny--for all ages. This fantastic comedy is a play that "Sherwood" be worth seeing again!

Lila Weitzner
Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Submitted for publication to Connection

If motion picture actress Mary Pickford's statement that the theatre is an "emotional exercise"--a place where one should "laugh, cry and then laugh again"--is true, then the cast of Mount Vernon High School's "The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood" succeeded in fulfilling a crucial purpose of the theatre. Gales of laughter exploded from every body in the theatre at the antics of a forest gang armed with wooden spoons and the ludicrous actions of a group of royals, led by a man with a beard drawn on with a Sharpie.

"The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood" by Mary Lynn Dobson is so beloved by high school theatre groups that it has been performed in every state of the United States. Its family-appropriate, but still complex humor follows classic literary hero Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest and his band of Merry Men in their quest to clothe the poor and win the hand of the Lady Marian in marriage.

What differentiates this telling of Robin Hood from more conventional renderings is the highly effective disregard for theatrical conventions. Requests for the technical director to speed up time are frequent and at one point a member of stage crew visibly walks on stage carrying a sign that tells the audience she is not, in fact, there.

In this play, it is the actors/actresses who inspire the most laughter that win the hearts of the audience. Actress Molly McClelland's portrayal of the evil Prince John was hilariously pathetic due to her precise comic timing and intentionally floppy physicality. Tyler Shore as Robin Hood and Joshua Sperling as the Sheriff of Nottingham had complementing pompous energies of their own that faltered hilariously when they met in a bowling competition. Another noteworthy performance was the Town's Girl, played by Alicia Foster, whose impeccably clear voice guided the audience through the plot with poise and humor.

The strength in this production lay in the two ensembles and the full-cast scenes, where the jovial energy multiplied, resulting in a delightfully hilarious chaos. Robin Hood's Merry Men flip-flopped between enthusiasm and weariness at the antics of their impulsive leader. The royals' obliviousness to obvious moral values and the strength of their evil convictions were delightfully malicious. The emanating enthusiasm of the players was evident throughout the play. The combination of the two ensembles' energy and spot-on sound and light resulted in a finale of such preposterousness that the audience was still laughing as the lights went up.

"The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood" is not a sophisticated story of emotional ups and down. It does not reveal a deep truth about the human condition or make one confront moral quandaries, but the sheer jubilance present in the theatre, provoked by slapstick humor and puns, illustrated that one key goal of the theatre is simply to entertain.

Kaitlin Jahn
Paul VI Catholic High School
Submitted for publication to Fairfax County Times

Mount Vernon High School's performance of "The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood" was equal parts witty, hilarious, and flat-out entertaining to watch. The spin-off show to the original Robin Hood tale was written by Mary Lynn Dobson as a more comedic adaptation, while still maintaining major plot points from the original show.

All characters with lines did a stellar job of projecting their voices, seemingly without microphones. The Town's Girl, in particular, played by Alicia Foster, was consistent in her volume and delivery of lines. Foster also made use of facial expression to convey the Town's Girl's emotions. Tyler Shores as Robin Hood created a pompous, quick witted, and quite impish character, capturing attention throughout the show. The rivalrous relationship between the Town's Girl and Robin Hood remained tense yet comedic throughout the show. The Sheriff of Nottingham, played by Joshua Sperling, was absolutely hilarious to watch. Sperling never broke character and consistently made facial expressions and gestures even when he was not speaking, forming realistic, yet comedic, reactions. Throughout Act I and Act II, the Sheriff was always a character to watch.

Will Scarlet, played by Kimaya Hall, constantly had the audience laughing hysterically from her witty and sassy one-liners. Her sarcasm, movements, and delivery consistently evoked major laughs from viewers. A similar experience was brought about by Little John, portrayed by Stephen Laleye. Little John's antics as the weeping willow and constantly scattering to the wrong side brought laughs from everyone. Christian Menendez as Friar Tuck had comedic lines as well, and stayed in character for the entire performance, especially as a tree during the bowling competition, showing how nervous he was as the Sheriff leaned on him.

The cast as a whole worked well with each other, forming relationships between characters and using different comedic approaches depending on who they were interacting with. The seamless integration of the pit band into the cast was thoroughly enjoyable, as it is quite easy for musicians to feel disconnected from the actors. These musicians, however, were funny characters of their own, often linking up with the Merry Men. They were a joy to watch.

The show used both slapstick and physical humor as well as witty jabs to pull laughs from the audience. The integration of modern references throughout the performance was a relatable, and often times hilarious, direction. The use of Justin Bieber music as torture and Twinkies as a delicacy were excellent modern touches.

Most of the costumes were very fitting to each character and their environment. The Merry Men were dressed in earthy tones of deep greens and browns as they were often seen in the forest, while the royalty were shown in reds, blues, silvers, and whites to symbolize their wealthy status. The lighting was quite well done, giving a bright atmosphere for the light-hearted Robin Hood and his gang of Merry Men to work. The set was minimalistic and perfect for the show, easily dividing Sherwood Forest from the castle. The attention to detail was quite apparent, from the sound of birds chirping as the audience settled into their seats to the bark patterns on the trees.

Mount Vernon presented a thoroughly enjoyable production of "The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood," leaving the audience laughing all the way home.