WORTHINGTON -- With a band of merry women, a Nerf bow and arrow and an Abbott and Costello-esque routine led by a rhyming wicked witch, students at Worthington High School are re-enacting the legend of Robin Hood ... well, sort of.
"One could consider it a parody of Robin Hood," said director Gillian Giebner. The comedy by playwright Pat Cook uses word play and dimwitted characters for much of its humor, she added.
"Robin Hood, he's very daft," Giebner said. "The characters are, I suppose, a little dopier than the real version."
Cook's version follows hero Robin Hood (played by senior Eric VanDerLinden) through the first phase of his "share the wealth" program; a sword fight with his soon-to-be sidekick Little John (Thomas Martin); and an encounter with a rhyming sorceress named Witch Way, who gets him locked up in King John's castle. There, he awaits punishment at the hands of the Sheriff of Nottingham (senior Joe Christensen).
"I'm pretty much the antagonist of the whole play," Christensen said. "I can never seem to get (Robin) pinned down."
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There's plenty of sword play, "People like to know that there's a little action," Giebner said; and the students have done some playing around with props, too.
The royal 'thrones,' for example, are paper maché toilets. Industrial technology teacher John Singler helped build the props.
About 20 students comprise the cast and crew and they've made the wacky 'legend' their own, having lots of fun along the way.
"It's fun to interact with my friends," said VanDerLinden, "I like the fight scenes with the sheriff."
"Rehearsals are going really well. The students memorized their lines right off the bat," Giebner reported. "They've really worked hard; they want it to go well."
But will Friar Tuck (Isaac Wass) and Maid Marian (Rachael Sternke) be successful in their attempts to save Robin? Or will the Shakespeare-reading maid be stolen away by the sheriff? Visit the "thieves" of the woods and find out.
"The Legend of Robin Hood ... Sort of," will be performed 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Memorial Auditorium. Tickets are available at the door.
