Fools
at Laguna Hills High School

Reviewed on November 15, 2014

Katie Van Horn
Mission Viejo High School
Submitted for publication to Orange County Register

Laguna's performance is anything but foolish
BY Katie Van Horn is a Junior at Mission Viejo High School
for the OC Register

Fools, set in 1890s Ukraine, is the story of the little town of Kulyenchikov, a village haunted by an ancient curse. Leon Tolchinsky, the new school master, gets far more than he bargained for when he learns that the curse set upon Kulyenchikov has made everyone in the village foolish.

Eli Buckels plays the role of Leon Tolchinsky, the ambitious school master. His hopeful attitude quickly shifts to determination as he vows to break the town's unfortunate curse. Buckels maintains a strong accent throughout and delivers his comedic lines with the utmost of ease. Sharp, polished physicality parallels Tolchinsky's driven and sophisticated character. Contrasting Leon are the hilarious Dr. Zubritsky and Lenya, portrayed by Anthony Kairouz and Liberty Reid. The duo's giddy smiles and wide eyed expressions flawlessly represent the entire village's mindless disposition. Kairouz and Reid perform exceptionally well together, feeding off each other's comedic lines, and in turn creating an even more charming and jovial pair. Especially impressive is Kairouz's interpretation of Dr. Zubritsky. Whether he is stroking bags or pinching noses, Kairouz's improvisational moments shine as much as his spoken ones.

Ryan Batten, as the amiable antagonist, Gregor Yousekevitch, dedicates himself to his character as he shuffles on his knees all around the theater. Batten's ability to connect with the audience makes his malicious role charming and almost lovable. The adorably clueless Sophia is played by Grace Kinsella. As the story proceeds, Kinsella effortlessly portrays Sophia's progression from ditzy damsel to an optimistic and independent woman. Another unforgettable character is the village shepherd Snetsky, performed by Abby Buckels. Her absent minded expression and naive personality leave the audience rooting for her as she struggles to remember her first name.

A delicately painted and detailed set creates the little village of Kulyenchikov. Multiple layers add dimension and a mobile set piece creates the illusion of a larger space. Props, ranging from teddy bears to dusty curse books, add to the comedy and believability of the show.

A realistic portrayal of thunder and lightning, and constantly shifting lights are quickly cued by stage manager Reed Jones. Jones's timely execution of lighting and sound cues create a seamless transition throughout the performance, and his direction of the crew provided speedy and inconspicuous set changes.

The little village of Kulyenchikov is brought to life, thanks to incredible technical feats and a talented and committed cast.

Sean Soper
Mater Dei High School
Submitted for publication to Orange County Register

Laguna Hills' cast of 'Fools' delight
by Sean Soper, a at Mater Dei High School
for the OC Register

Laguna Hills High School's sensational production of "Fools" begins with a young schoolteacher named Leon Tolchinsky stumbling upon a small Ukrainian town in the 1890s. Determined to make a career out of being the only school teacher in this tiny village, Leon quickly discovers that the town has been cursed so that every person born in Kulyenchikov is doomed with stupidity. Better yet, Leon only has 24 hours to break the curse or he himself will fall victim to ignorance! With an absurd plot to play with, Laguna Hills' cast of jolly halfwits shine through comical storytelling and foolish action.

Leading the cast is Eli Buckels as the overwhelmingly optimistic school teacher. From the opening scene, Buckels creates an interesting and likable character through truthful hand gestures and warm facial expressions whenever he addresses the audience directly. His hilarious one liners and intermittent asides are consistently punctuated with laughter, highlighting his overall performance.

Also to be commended is Grace Kinsella, playing Leon's not-so-bright star pupil Sophia. The silly relationship that unfolds between the two characters is effectively humorous.

As Sophia's parents, Anthony Kairouz and Liberty Reid shine through their sheer dedication to their characters. From his first appearance, Kairouz's over-exaggerated facial expressions help create the absurd character of Dr. Zubritsky. Additionally, his flawless chemistry with Reid is hilariously highlighted in their back and forth banter, even when they are in the background of big ensemble scenes. Reid's physicality is a defining aspect of her successful performance; one particularly memorable moment is when she idiotically crouches down more and more whenever her husband cautions her to lower her voice.

Rounding out the supporting cast is Ryan Batten playing the villainous Gregor Yousekevitch. In this production, Gregor is half the size of the other players and he uses his height and physicality to his advantage, committing to his character from entrance to exit.

On the technical side, stage manager and lighting designer Reed Jones fantastically calls cues throughout the night, perfectly executing the smooth flow of the entire show with the assistance of his speedy set crew.

Overall, Laguna Hills' leading actors are precise in their timing and are punctuated by a dynamic ensemble of committed actors, making for a truly foolish production.

Jackson Maxwell
Mission Viejo High School
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

Laguna Hills' ‘Fools' is Captivating
by Jackson Maxwell, a sophomore at Mission Viejo High School
for the OC Cappies Facebook

Laguna Hills High School's rendition of "Fools" follows Leon Tolchinsky, an aspiring schoolteacher, as he struggles to bring intellect to the mindless town of Kulyenchikov. Meanwhile, he attempts to break a centuries-old curse instilled into the minds of its citizens whilst finding amorous love; he succeeds in his goal, realizing that the "curse" is merely self-inflicted, liberating the town and allowing reason to once again reign supreme.

Speaking directly to the audience with exuberant hand dynamics and an ardent enthusiasm for enlightening others, Eli Buckels creates a believable character as the schoolmaster himself, becoming evermore exasperated as the show progresses. Nonetheless, he continues to portray his astoundingly accurate Ukrainian accent while maintaining his character's perpetual astonishment with the ignorance surrounding him. Furthermore, he convincingly depicts his character's inherent malleability, creating a believable conflict between pragmatic judgment and sentiment, all the while maintaining the same energetic zeal.

Just as compelling is Grace Kinsella as Sophia, whose intelligence and infatuation with Leon Tolchinsky are continually obscured by her belief in the curse of Kulyenchikov, which dictates that she is incapable of neither. Using inherently lovestruck facial expressions as well as markedly amorous body language to add to each scene's emotional subtext, she accentuates the major theme of the performance, demonstrating that many of life's limitations are self-perpetuating figments of the imagination, as opposed to definite, tangible obstructions.

Along with the adorably ignorant townspeople come Lenya and Doctor Zubritsky, played by Liberty Reid and Anthony Kairouz, respectively. A charmingly dense duo, they are perpetually amusing, using exaggerated facial expressions and uproarious physical humor to highlight their abundant idiosyncrasies. Similarly, as Gregor Yousekevitch, Ryan Batten is hysterically humorous, utilizing improvised, original humor and a curt, but nonetheless likable, charisma to establish an immediate connection with the audience.

The remarkable theatrical feats of the production are complemented by equally exceptional technical ambitions. Reed Jones's lighting design is extraordinary, subtly enhancing nighttime scenes with ambient mood lighting. In addition, a multitude of spellbinding effects are used, including flashes to indicate lightning. These moments are underscored by flawless timing with Jake Hamilton's and Tristan Catlin's sound, with the flash of white light preceding its tumultuous thunder by several seconds.

Laguna Hills High School's production combines sensational acting with tremendous technical achievements, demonstrating that the "Fools" of this world may not be so by birth, but rather by self-imposition.