Written by Landon Cole and Lilly Moats

ThunderRidge Highlschool’s Theatre’ The Curious Savage was a well-put-together production of how the family is not always blood and love can prosper in the darkest times. If you ever have had a chance to listen to Matilda by Harry Styles, this production encompassed the song in all its entirety.  “You can throw a party full of everyone you know, And not invite your family, 'cause they never showed you love.” Ms. Savage is a wealthy woman of NY put in a private facility for the mentally challenged by her own children who are desperate to use her money for themselves. During this timely stay, Ms. Savage makes a joke of her bratty children while sparking love on the many lives housed in the institution. However, with the major plot twist at the end the show can’t be missed.

  Ms. Savage learns that even when her family may not love her eccentric personality there are people out there destined to love her for who she is. 

At times, the actors had the audience giggling while other times getting teary-eyed over the rawness and unrequited love that many of the characters experienced. Fairy May, played by senior Ella Brosseau, sent me into a fit of tears at the end of the production, telling Ms. Savage, “Bring an umbrella, it's raining,” (a term of endearment Ms. Savage had often used). 

Like any TRHS Theater production, The Curious Savage was a success! We are thrilled to get to see the program put on Spy School this winter! 

The actors and actresses have been working extremely hard since August to prepare for this show. It all started with the auditions in which each actor had to prepare a monologue and perform it to a small audience of people, then they had callbacks where there were many different things you could have been called back for. Nevertheless, as soon as the cast list was released everyone ran to see what role they had received, and the rest was preparation. They started like they always do with a ‘read through’ of the script, and after that they immediately began to rehearse. Rehearsals went through August and September to Show Week in October where they put on three performances of “The Curious Savage”. Aadittya Bahl (12) could not have said it better when he said, “It just felt really fulfilling to see all the work that we had put in for the past two months come into like a combination of one really beautiful thing on stage”.

Overall “The Curious Savage” was an amazing performance that was only made possible through the incredibly hard work of the actors, actresses, and student directors that dedicated their time into putting on the show. As Gillian Boswell (12) said, “It is such an awesome experience to act on the stage with people that you love.” This show was a fantastic example of hard work and dedication to your craft at ThunderRidge. So, if you missed this show, or even if you came to see it, be sure that you come and see “Spy School” on January 19th, 20th, and 21st to see some of your favorites return, and some new faces.