HHS to present romantic comedy, ‘Ask Any Girl’

HHS to present romantic comedy, ‘Ask Any Girl’

A romantic comedy that hearkens back to the simpler times of the 1950s will take the stage on March 13-15 at 12th Street Auditorium.

“Ask Any Girl,” which is based on a book by Winifred Wolfe and was transformed into a 1959 movie starring Shirley MacLaine, takes a light-hearted, but satirical look at the now-dated attitude among women to find a husband.

“The play is indeed very light-hearted, but it does provide an interesting glimpse of the 1950s culture,” Gasper said. “While the play does celebrate the independent spirit of women who ventured to the big city, their hopes and dreams were in sharp contrast to the young women of today.”

The play focuses on Meg Wheeler (senior Rachel Muirhead), who feels stifled in her small hometown where she has just graduated from an all-girls college. So she travels to New York intent on enlarging her horizons – and by that,  she means finding a husband. She moves into a boarding house in Manhattan  filled with attractive girls, most of them just as eager as Meg to find the ideal man.

Meg gets a job with the marketing firm of Doughton and Doughton and immediately falls under the spell of the charming, but irresponsible Evan Doughton (senior Nick Overbey). That results in the older brother, Miles (junior Conrad Hoffman), trying to hold the business together. When Evan’s interest in Meg starts to dwindle, she decides to hire Miles to perform some market research on the type of women Evan is most interested in. She then transforms herself into the ideal “product” to snare Evan. The plan works to perfection but then takes a surprising twist.

“It’s a fun play that suitable for all ages,” Gasper said. “Overall, we have an excellent cast that blends an experienced senior class with some younger actors. I’ve obviously watched the play many times, but I continue to be entertained at each rehearsal.”

Gasper said 18 students are involved in the play, either on stage or behind the scenes. Numerous parents have also volunteered their time to help with make-up, props, admissions and costumes. Brad and Yvette Moritz constructed and painted the set, while Jeff Bitikofer is serving as technical director.

Tickets for the production, which starts at 7 p.m. each night, are $5 in advance and $6 at the door for adults and $3 in advance and $4 at the door for students. All tickets are general admission and can be purchased at the high school office. The play is performed in three acts with a 10-minute break between each act to allow for costume changes. Gasper said it should run approximately two hours.

“Our admission price is a bargain. I keep ticket prices low because I want people to come out and see how talented our young actors are,” Gasper said. “They are very dedicated and put in a lot of work, and their only reward is to perform in front of an audience.”