'Sideway Stories' entertains children, adults

Creating a production that entertains both children and adults is a complex task that requires layering dialog and movement with meaning for both age groups. In "Sideways Stories from Wayside School," director Matt Plummer balanced these competing interests with a deftness unique for a debut director.

The play centers around five elementary school students on the 30^th floor of Wayside School, Myron (Gerald Taylor, II), Bebe (Latrice Owens), Leslie (Kelsey Cooper), Rondi (A'Mari Rocheleau) and Dameon (Josh Simmons in his University Playhouse debut). The school was originally conceived as a one story building with 30 classrooms, but an architect's mistake led to them being built one on top of each other. The students are taught by Mrs. Gorf (Barry Alan Berryhill), a mean, witch of a woman who turns them into apples if they do not behave.

When attempting to turn Bebe into an apple, Mrs. Gorf accidently turns herself into an apple and is eaten by the Yard Teacher, Louis (Micah Haynes). Mrs. Gorf is replaced by Mrs. Jewls (B.F. Steddum), a complete opposite of their former teacher that encourages the students to let her know if she is being boring and disciplines them by writing their name on the blackboard instead of turning them into fruit. The students quickly grow attached to Mrs. Jewls, whose whimsical ways are refreshing to them.

Mrs. Jewels teaches the students to play instruments and attempts to correct the teachings of Mrs. Gorf, although she is soon distracted by a mutual attraction between herself and Louis. Mrs. Jewls has her hands full keeping Myron from pulling Leslie's pigtails, a problem that is dealt with during recess by school counselor Mr. Pickle (also played by Micah Haynes) in what is perhaps the most comical scene in the entire production.

Mrs. Gorf begins appearing to students in various forms, reminding them of their involvement in her demise. When Mrs. Jewls begins displaying characteristics of Mrs. Gorf, she disappears and is replaced by Mr. Gorf (Berryhill), Mrs. Gorf's son. Initially, Mr. Gorf appears to be a nervous and polite teacher, but soon the children realize that the only reason he has come to Wayside School is to find out who ate his mother and punish them accordingly.

Mr. Gorf discovers that Louis was the perpetrator and turns him into an apple, but Louis and the children are saved by the powerful Ms. Zarves, who returns Mrs. Jewls to the class to the joy of the students.

The acting by all involved was superb. Their high energy performances kept the play moving at a dramatic pace and kept all of the younger audience members on the edge of their seats. Micah Haynes' performance as Louis and Mr. Pickle was the highlight of the production.

The set was the most complex that the University Playhouse has created in recent memory. There were numerous moving parts, including a moving loud speaker and a chalkboard that doubled as Ms. Zarves' mouth. Perhaps the most impressive was the glow in the dark chalk that covered the set which produced a satisfactory amount of "oohs" and "ahs" when the lights went out for the first time.

Overall, "Sideways Stories and Wayside School" was a hilarious experience children and adults. The only negative thing about the production was that there was only one university performance. But the lucky A&M-Commerce students, faculty members and Commerce community members that were able to see the play left with sides aching.