Bedlam and Breakfast: Drama Club's Recent Feat

by Student Writer

November 17, 2025

On Saturday, November 8th and Sunday, November 9th, the Drama Club put on a play called Bedlam and Breakfast in the SPHS auditorium.  The play was a comedy about an overbooked cottage, and highlights some interesting relationships formed within the chaos.  It takes some fascinating turns that leave the audience surprised and laughing hysterically.

The drama club is a group that puts on plays and often participates in the musical, including the poster and set design, lighting, and, of course, acting.  The club is run by Brigitte Paulus (Director), Chris Fitze (technical director), Byron Koranteng (assistant technical director), and Julie Phipps (costume advisor).  Garrett Jones did an amazing job playing Alan Barton, a screenplay writer with a week to start and finish his Hollywood screenplay relaxing in what he thinks will be a peaceful seaside bed and breakfast run by Mrs. Lombardo.  Mrs. Lombardo is a frazzled elderly woman who “collects” artwork and is prone to memory loss.  She is played by Ryleigh Smith, who performs a fantastic fall towards the end of the play. Along with Alan Barton, Aunt Gertrude (Eme Brown), her niece, Susan (Haylee Brown), and Susan’s best friend, Millie (Anjou Whitmore) are also sharing the bed and breakfast.  And as if this wasn’t enough, secretive Russian woman Natasha (Savannah Smith) is added to the mix, further contributing to the confusion and chaos.  

Bedlam and Breakfast was selected largely due to its similarity to the play Noises Off, which was considered and dismissed after being deemed ‘dated.’  Both are comedies, and have the same sort of chaotic vibe to them, although Bedlam and Breakfast is more modern and appropriate for a school play.

The Drama Club worked very hard to pull this off, meeting three times a week for 1.5-2 hours each time to rehearse. On the remaining weekdays the stage crew meets to figure out lighting and sound, find props, and build the set that provides a setting, informing the audience where the play takes place and giving the actors items and furniture to interact with. After the actors have their parts down and the basics are mastered, tech week marks the beginning of fine tuning and tweaking the play so all the details are just right. This includes a lot of repeating scenes and fixing lighting or sound, which Mr. Fitze says can make the process grueling for many people. He also reports that throughout the days that the play is performed, the actors get more comfortable in their roles, and start to adjust to their characters.

All in all, the performance was amazing, and the acting, lighting, sound effects and set were all spot on. Having so many people unite in this love of theater is a very special thing, and Mr. Fitze is hoping that in the future drama can be added to the electives as a class, and not just a club, allowing more students to take part in plays and musicals.  So if you love acting or anything to do with drama, keep an eye out, and maybe you too will be a part of the next Bedlam and Breakfast!