By Audrey Perry |Entertainment|
You may remember the classic television show, M*A*S*H, with iconic characters Radar, Hawkeye, and “Hot Lips” Houlihan.
Lincoln High once again showed their annual fall play, and this year the production was the stage version of M*A*S*H, which stands for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.
The plotline for the story is about the Korean War and the stress military doctors and nurses face out in the field. The play begins with the arrival of two new surgeons to the unit, Captain “Hawkeye” Pierce and Duke Forrest. The men spend their time trying to make the most out of their circumstances.
The show was chosen for this year because, “It is a large-cast show,” director Molly Thomas said. It’s also a classic. “Everybody knows M*A*S*H or has at least heard of it. And it’s timely. With all the stuff going on with North Korea and South Korea and Japan right now. This is where it all began with this particular war.”
LHS junior Jackson Mikkelsen plays Duke Forrest, a character who is only in the play and the film, not the television series. He is a medical surgeon in Korea during the war. Captain “Hawkeye” Pierce, who is played by LHS junior Carter Yost, is the other half to the play’s dynamic duo.
“It’s really fun because everything is not resting on your shoulders,” Mikkelsen said. “Like one person made up of two people.
Both Hawkeye and Duke show up at an army compound to help out with the shortage of surgeons.
“We’re are very high energy and kind of jerks in a way to our fellow army surgeons and people,” Mikkelsen said. The best part about playing the role is that he is in a pair. This is his 17th show overall and his 9th at Lincoln High aside from off main-stage productions.
He enjoys this show because this year the cast is really big and everyone has a role. His favorite part of the process has been warming up with the cast. He loves to meet and bond with them, too.
“It’s really important to bond with one another, because it makes the stage show much better,” Mikkelsen said. “It affects the dynamic the cast has.
The overall opinion of the main characters is that the show was successful because of the new people in their LHS theatre family. Mikkelsen sees a future in the new freshmen.
“When my class leaves, there is still going to be a Lincoln High Theatre community going, and it isreally refreshing,” Mikkelsen said. “The underclassmen are just really great right now.”
The director, Molly Thomas, has directed over 100 plays in and out of LHS, although she would have to sit down to count. Since M*A*S*H was the first play of
this school year, Thomas started out by getting the cast to meet each other. The veterans shared the rules and
the basics of theatre production. Slowly they built up the show with lines, stage sets, lights, sounds, and any other elements they needed in the last six weeks before the show. “Even though I may worry sometimes that the show isn’t going to get put together they always do. The kids always come through,” Thomas said.
“Handing it over to the students is the best part,” Thomas said. “During show week I slowly hand it over and students slowly take control of the show.” The show’s productions were $5 and were on October 5 and 6 at 7p.m. and on October 7, at 2p.m. Thomas says,“I hope you enjoyed the production!”
