High School North is presenting “Dream Girl,” a 1945 Elmer Rice romantic comedy on stage from Thursday to Saturday, November 15 to 17. The show premiered at the Coronet (now the Eugene O’Neill) Theater in New York City — the same stage currently presenting “Spring Awakening,” a Tony Award-winning musical about teenage angst, school issues, sex, suicide, and parental difficulties. Tickets are $8.
“Dream Girl,” which ran for 348 performances, portrays a fine line between reality and fantasy. The Broadway production, directed by the playwright, featured a cast including Betty Field and Wendell Corey. The 1948 film starred Betty Hutton, and the play was adapted as a musical, “Skyscraper,” in 1965. The setting of the play is a spring day between 8 a.m. and 4 a.m. the next day.
“Georgina Allerton is a charming young lady to whom nothing ever happens,” says Debbie Goodkin, the director, a language arts teacher at High School North. “Therefore, the slightest suggestion sends her into extravagant daydreams, and she writes terrible prose about romance and nature.” Meanwhile, Allerton tries to run a bookstore.
The large cast includes Rebecca Alabastro, Raj Ardeshna, Colin Beirne, Anna Carolina Boshkov, Mia Calotta, Joey Chapman, Alyssa Colon, Kevin Corsini, Christina Dunne, Jenna Fields, Michael Fishman, Sari Forshner, and Robbie Frank.
Also, Kerry Girgenti, Pamela Goldberg, Laura Hitselberger, Sayeli Jayade, Alana Jorgensen, Michael Kaish, Anthony Kang, Viktoria Lager, Paul Lavadera, Lilly Lu, Tara Lyon, Tim O’Connor, Meg Orita, Kirtana Rajendran, Jason Rand, and Jenny Reda.
Also Josh Rutstein, Aleesha Shaik, Stephanie Siano, Emily Shaly, Rachael Starr, Emily Stern, Chris Stubelt, Peter Weinmann, and Andrew Zutty.
Stage managers are Erika Fields and Bhavana Dhawan; and executive technical associate is Jimmy Ikeda. Crew members include Chris Adair, Katie Brase, Kate Broughton, Josh Bugge, Dave Cahill, Sophia Chan, Christina Dunne, Becca Goldberg, Amanda Guadelupe, Kevin Hawryluk, Sara Hoge, Kevin Kowtiw, Jen Lennon, Steven Mihalyi, Devin Mejias, Mira Patel, Joel Slayton, Daniel States, Chris Stubelt, Alex Waters, and Emily Watkins.
“The line between reality and fantasy suddenly becomes thin,” says Goodkin. “After all, if your dream is real to you, why isn’t it as real as something you do?” — Lynn Miller
Dream Girl, High School North, 90 Grovers Mill Road, Plainsboro, 609-716-5100. Drama by Elmer Rice featuring a young woman with elaborate daydreams as nothing ever happens to her in real life. $8. Thursday to Saturday, November 15 to 17, 8 p.m.
