Boeing Boeing
at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School

Reviewed on October 15, 2016

Garrett Vallejo
Capistrano Valley High School
Submitted for publication to OC Varsity Arts

St. Margaret's "Boeing Boeing" is internationally funny!
written by Garrett Vallejo, a junior at Capistrano Valley High School

"Boeing Boeing" begins as a bachelor's biggest dream, but it quickly turns into a hysterical nightmare as the secrets of the bachelor's polygamy are exposed.

Jaden Cloobeck, as Robert, serves as the right-hand man to the bachelor in international paradise. His high-anxiety movements and smooth-talking diction contrast into a well-blended performance. Several times throughout the play, he flails to the floor, propels himself across the stage, or simply uses his voice to distract others from the conflict of the play. Berthe, the French maid, played by Casey Healy, is the opposite of Cloobeck's character. Her sarcastic demeanor is controlled and composed with the character's annoyed facial reactions, and Healy's consistent accent makes the humor easily understandable between the surplus of dialects in the show. But she's not just a low presence; she dances under a strobe of lights, cleaning the home with swagger, adding both to her character as a maid and the comedy of the play.

Rose McCarver plays the abrasive, yet charming, German air hostess Gretchen. The last to be introduced to the story, she strikes the stage with her abrasive movements and deep, masculine voice, all while maintaining her womanly and romantic presence. She is both physical and vocal, sometimes sturdy and tall to assert her feelings, at other times dainty as she sits and turns away from the male she might love. Her dynamic character follows the mood and tone of the show, adding even more eccentricity and hilarity to its foundation.

The costumes for the female roles, designed by Elizabeth Haugan, are crucial for the presence of the three air hostesses. Gloria wears red to showcase her passion and Gabriella wears blue to represent her innocence, but it's Gretchen's yellow dress that heightens the energy, pride, and loudness of the character.

The hairstyles designed by Alyssa Chong, Valentina Martino, and Zoe Mellard are perfect for each, individual character. Gretchen's hair is stiff and doesn't move to bring focus to her lively eyes and vivacious smile, and Gloria's hair requires the ability to be put up or let down. The costumes and hair combine to give each character a sensible look, and every decision made by these designers was precise and purposeful and demonstrated an understanding of the show's style.

Together, St. Margaret's ensemble cast and spectacular crew give life to the stage in "Boeing Boeing".

Candler Cusato
Los Alamitos High School
Submitted for publication to OC Varsity Arts

St. Margaret's Soars in "Boeing Boeing"
written by Candler Cusato, a junior at Los Alamitos High School

Passengers, fasten your seatbelts for the turbulent but hysterical ride that is St. Margaret's production of "Boeing Boeing," where polyamorous scoundrel Bernard and his right- hand man Robert struggle to keep his three engagements to flight attendants airborne when they all arrive unexpectedly at his Paris apartment thanks to a snow storm and the new Super Boeing aircraft. With uproariously funny actors onstage and seamless technical direction behind the scenes, St. Margaret's production of "Boeing Boeing" soars well above 30,000 feet.

The dynamic duo of Bernard and Robert, played by Tyler Ashman and Jaden Cloobeck respectively, hilariously mirror a married couple with their witty banter and degradation from suave to inconsolably stressed as the play's conflict evolves and doors open to reveal yet another flight attendant arriving to greet her fiancé. A perfect balance to the each other, Ashman remains somewhat restrained while Cloobeck sprints around the apartment screaming as their evening slowly descends into madness.

As cynical and dry French maid Berthe, Casey Healy is constant amidst a swirling vortex of insanity, with her unceasing French frown and careless flicks of a cigarette while Bernard's well-crafted plan falls to pieces around her. Grounding this otherwise chaotic and exhausting enterprise, she elegantly portrays the classic domestic servant by frequently staring through a window on the kitchen door in hopes witnessing the latest of the evening's disasters and sighing whenever she is forced to submit to one of her boss's ridiculous demands.

Comically portraying international stereotypes, St. Margaret's shines in a seamless partnership between acting, costumes, and hair and makeup. While seamless American, Italian, and German accents are all that can be heard onstage, the costuming department, under the direction of Hailey Hageman and Elizabeth Haugen, deftly enhances these stereotypes via colorful costumes, where they dress his American fiancé in bright red and a demure Italian stewardess in calming dark blue. Additionally, hair and makeup, courtesy of Alyssa Chong, Valentina Martino, and Zoe Mellard, aptly reflects these cultural generalizations as well, for Gretchen, a German flight attendant, has her hair permanently glued to her head in tight braids while Gloria, her American counterpart, sports bright blue eyeshadow characteristic of 1960's US fashion.

With their apt comedic timing and attention to minute technical details, St. Margaret's adds their own hilarious spin to this modern farce, ensuring that the comedy, like the ideal flight, is nonstop.

Nathan Fallahi
Corona del Mar HS
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook Page

St. Margaret's takes a flight aboard Tartan Air
written by Nathan Fallahi, a senior at Corona del Mar High School


Disaster looms as Bernard (Tyler Ashman) loses control of his relationship with three stewardesses in St. Margaret's Episcopal School's production of "Boeing Boeing." Engaged to each of them, Bernard keeps track of who's in town with his fancy timetables and the help of his maid Berthe (Casey Healy) and his friend Robert (Jaden Cloobeck).

Bernard is introduced as a confidant bachelor, but when all three of his fiancées show up in town at the same time he makes apparent how quickly anxiety sweeps over him. His hair and suit become disheveled and actions more frantic as the intensity of the plot thickens to the climax. Robert first shows up out of place, but quickly becomes an integral part that drives the show forward. His transition in posture shows how confidant the character becomes as he struggles to help Bernard manage his three fiancées.

Each with their own accent and colorful costume, Bernard's fiancées provide the main source of conflict in the show. Their variability and unexpected behavior push the comedy of Bernard's inability to handle the situation. Rachel Roy plays the stereotype New Yorker as Bernard's American fiancée Gloria. A flamboyant character, she craves bizarre foods, obsesses with Robert's mouth, and leaves Bernard in an instant for another man back home. Gabriella (Anneka Miller) is Bernard's Italian fiancée and exhibits a passion for Bernard that keeps her committed to him throughout the drama. Gretchen (Rose McCarver) is not only tall, but has a very large presence on stage. Her use of physical humor is the most obvious, and it's impossible to ignore when she's onstage.

Berthe's distaste for the situation is well appreciated and provides a break from the lunacy of the others. She walks with her hips and gives mean remarks to the other characters on stage. Even the bored tone in her voice contributes to her character and complexion.

The actors work well together, which was especially evident with their use of physical comedy. In one scene Robert and Bernard rolled around on top of each other using a beanbag expressing their anger with their situation.

Sound was well timed during the performance and the set was consistently well lit. Everything went well together to provide smooth and entertaining show. The cast and crew of St. Margaret's did an exceptionally well job with their production of the farce Boeing Boeing.