(Bill Gasper)
The play centers around Benard Muloovy, owner of Maudie’s Diner, who gets served a plate of comic chaos when his deceased wife, Maudie, takes up residence in a painting on the wall of the Kansas City eatery. Maudie enlists the services of an angel, Michael, to reunite Bernard with their long-lost daughter, Elizabeth.
True to his mischievous nature, Michael delivers two Elizabeths, and Benard’s task is to decide which young woman is his real daughter. The play comes fully seasoned with a host of zany characters and features a few twists and turns on its way to a heartwarming conclusion.
The two-act show spreads a gentle message about the importance of living in the present and appreciating those who enrich our lives.
“Our last two spring plays (“Anne of Green Gables” and “The Curious Savage”) had timelines from the past,” director Bill Gasper said
Hays High School will present the two-act comedy “Daddy’s Girl,” along with several short sketches referred to as “Bon Appétit,” at 7 p.m. on March 7-9 at the 12th Street Auditorium. Twenty-eight students make up the cast and crew.
(Bill Gasper)
Dressed as an ordinary citizen, an angel named Michael (Atlas Seib) visits with the deceased Maudie Muloovy (Elizabeth Noble), who has taken up residence in a portrait on the wall. The pair are discussing the return of the Muloovy’s long-lost daughter, Elizabeth.
(Bill Gasper)
As a delightful pair of elderly ladies (Clare Tholstrup and Rose Windholz) dance along, Lizzy (Brooke Leiker) reveals the other half of her split personality by entertaining the patrons of Maudie’s Diner.
(Bill Gasper)
Darlynn (Jordan Aschenbrenner) asks the grouchy and unimpressed Benard Muloovy (Caleb King) how she looks in her new outfit. Although it’s been nearly a quarter of a century, Bernard has not moved on with his life after losing his wife despite the efforts of Darlynn, who’s been trying to get him to the altar for years.
(Bill Gasper)
As his new friend Alex (Oscar Flores) offers encouragement, Walter (Connor Werth) tries to communicate his feelings to diner waitress Betsy (Addy Brull) as Violet and Daisy look on (Clare Tholstrup and Rose Windholz).
(Bill Gasper)
As if he didn’t have enough on his plate, Bernard (Caleb King) must thwart the advances of motorcyle mama, Big Earl Ella (Calliope Green).
(Bill Gasper)
Diner customers gather around as Bernard tries to determine if one of the women in the restaurant is his long-lost daughter.
(Bill Gasper)
One of the short sketches that occurs during “Daddy’s Girl” focuses on the often embarrassing moment when the staff is compelled to sing “Happy Birthday.” The “Bon Appétit” scenes were added to accommodate a few more students in this year’s production. Seated are Maddie Meis and Olivia Pince, while Juliet Gross, Kayden Eaton, Allison Goertzen, Ripley Mills-Kulmala, and Jocelyn Goodspeed sing to the birthday girl.
In addition to “Daddy’s Girl,” the evening’s entertainment will include several short, restaurant-related sketches that were added to accommodate more students. Gasper said the “Bon Appétit” sketches are unrelated to “Daddy’s Girl,” although some take place on the main stage.
“As with most non-musical plays, the cast of “Daddy’s Girl” is relatively small,” Gasper said. “My normal practice is to choose the cast and let other students know they were not selected. Generally, it’s not an easy decision and the least favorite thing I do as a director. However, I had some very good auditions this year and decided to provide more students the opportunity to perform on stage.”
Overall, 22 students appear on stage with another seven serving various roles behind the scenes.
“This cast is very experienced and very talented,” Gasper said. “It certainly is a privilege to work with students who enjoy theater and who are willing to put in the time and effort to present a quality production,” Gasper said. “I encourage the community to come out and enjoy an evening of light-hearted comedy and excellent student performances.”
General admission tickets are available for $8 at the door or can be purchased at www.ticketsource.us/hays-high-school.
Daddy’s Girl
Cast of Characters
Benard Caleb King
Bob Calvin Moore
Walter Connor Werth
Maudie Elizabeth Noble
Betsy Addy Brull
Michael Atlas Seib
Darlynn Jordan Aschenbrenner
E.L. Katelyn Willemsen
Alex Oscar Flores
Daisy Alisha Rose Windholz
Violet Clare Tholstrup
Lizzy Brooke Leiker
Big Earl Ella Calliope Green
Bon Appétit Cast
Olivia Pince, Ripley Mills-Kulmala, Riley Flax, Jocelyn Goodspeed, Allison Goertzen, Maddie Meis, Tim Koehn, Kayden Eaton, Juliet Gross
Behind The Scenes
Anna Zerr, Rylee Houchen, Mari Paxton, Jayci Plante, Kennedy Walburn, Willow Nickel, Alivia Sellens
