On May 22 one of the members from RMHS’s Drama club, senior Kyle Mungenast, debuted his first play, Frontier, which he wrote, directed, and produced. This “anti-western” takes place in Alcorn, Mississippi during the American Civil War in 1862. The play follows three siblings, Willy, played by Caleb Dion, Sam, played by Ryan Norton, and Rosemary, played by Elisabeth Penafiel as they deal with the war, living up to their father, and what it means to have an honorable death. Unlike any other play RMHS has put on in the past - at least in my memory - this short play captured the audience with its simplicity, yet gripping tale.
Through many twists and turns, the play kept the audience on their feet. Although the first few scenes were a little slow, the writing picked up and the dynamic between the three main characters became more intriguing. Ryan Norton perfectly portrayed the rather cruel brother Sam, bent on obtaining an honorable first kill. Through his tirades and demands of Sam, he took on the antagonist’s role in the story. It could be said that Willy is the protagonist, as he is the one who finally stands up to Sam in the dramatic last scene. However, my favorite performance was Rosemary, as Elisabeth not only because she had the best accent of the night, but her character was the most interesting - changing from keeping the peace between her brothers, while also trying to find freedom for herself. It was most shocking when she was the sibling to kill the Union soldier, played by Ryan Dieselman. Overall, the writing that supported each character was great and their personalities were worn well on stage by the performers.
In addition to the good acting, I also enjoyed the simple scenery. The stage was set up of with a dining room table, three chairs on the right, and a small couch and coffee table on the left. Although I always enjoy the complicated scenery used in other performances and musicals put on by the RMHS Drama club, I felt that this simple backdrop - even if it was due to a low budget - allowed the audience to focus on the acting. The costumes fit the play; each capturing the time period. Perhaps, the soldier costumes worn by Ryan Dieselman and Jeremy Fox were the most accurate and complex. The fake guns and pistols used, along with the sounds that they made added to the realness of the story. My favorite sound effect was the thunderstorm towards the end of the play. The spotlights and lighting used were again simple, but effective.
Kyle did a wonderful job writing an intriguing play that reflected a particular story from this decade in American history. Although westerns are rarely my first choice in a film or live performance, I enjoyed the plot and acting. The fact that the play was only forty-five minutes was a plus too because I followed the story without losing interest and it ended with a shocking, but not drawn-out finale. Yet another successful play put on in the Endslow Performing Arts Center.
