Labels are a tricky business. What can be a convenient way of dealing with things conceptually can turn out to be confining and tragically maladaptive if taken too far. It’s far too easy to take labels too far. Progressive scholastic theatre producer Barry Weber looks to explore the danger of labels this year with The Bully, The Liar & The Thief at Highland Community School.
In the past, Weber has harnessed a cyberpunk mood (with ZERO in ’13) and a mood lovingly borrowed from David Lynch (with Judy Plays with Fire last year.) Expect another really interesting mood for primary school theater with Weber’s The Bully, The Liar & The Thief . Featuring the talents of nearly 50 fourth through sixth graders, the plot involved a kid named Robert Johnson who arrives at a new school only to be labeled a bully...he’s Public Enemy #1...so he’s got to go on the run with a couple of other outlaws: a liar named Charley Patton and a thief named Elvie Thomas. Of course, in a plot that explores labels, who can say what any of the three are? Kind of a fun premise and judging from the promo photo from dress rehearsal, this show looks stylish. A really fun, little-known possibility for family entertainment makes it to the stage once more with Weber’s latest.
The Bully, The Liar & The Thief will be performed twice: Mar. 2 and Mar. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Highland Community School on 1706 W. Highland Ave. Performances are open to the public. For more information, visit Highland Community School online.
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