Mother McAuley theatre students present "Candide"

The Mother McAuley High School Theatre Department will present "Candide" on January 27, 28, 29 at 7 pm with a matinee on Sunday, January 30 at 3 pm.  Tickets are $5 and may be purchased at the door.

In this Scott Hunter adaptation, the audience takes a whimsical trip with Voltaire's Candide across nine countries and through a series of outlandish side-splitting adventures in order to be reunited with his true love.  "Candide" is full of action and loaded with shipwrecks, pirates, war, passion, riches beyond the comprehension of mortal man, death by fire, hanging and impalement, Inquisitions, earthquakes, volcanoes, revolution, slave traders, brothels, and sheep....lots of sheep.  Forever an optimist, the main character is forced to ask: is life a cruel or kind expedition?  This humorous story unveils that the best of all possible worlds is to live a modest life with the ones you love. The play is narrated by Dr. Pangloss, the philosopher of Optimism, Paquette, the generous chambermaid, and the Old Woman with No Name and only One Buttock, who has only one buttock. 

In an unusual twist, each performance of "Candide" will feature a different cast made-up of Mother McAuley and Brother Rice students in McAuley's Theatre Seminar II class. The main character Candide will be played by Holly Carmody of Evergreen Park, Nora Heiderscheidt of Palos Park, and Rebecca Seweryn and Kyle Kempczynski of Chicago Ridge. Narrators include Kaitlin Uchman and Dave Sullivan of Mt. Greenwood, and Madeline Esterhammer-Fic and Billy Murphy of Beverly as Dr. Pangloss; Niki Pacente of Palos Heights, Haley Kich of Blue Island, Khari Riley of Auburn Gresham, and Hope Salman of Orland Park as Paquette; and Katie McCasland of Chicago Ridge, Kyra Mitchell Washington Heights, June Donners of Mt. Greenwood, Marlene Acosta of West Lawn as The Old Woman With No Name and Only One Buttuck.

The play is directed by Patricia Haynes with Technical Direction by Donna Thomas.  For more information call 773-881-6512 or visit www.mothermcauley.org.