WPHS students put language, laughter center stage during David Ives plays rehearsal

A rehearsal at White Plains High School on Wednesday afternoon sizzled with rapid-fire dialogue as five students prepared for a staged reading of five one-act plays by David Ives, a playwright known for turning language into comedy.

The performance in the Little Theater features “Sure Thing,” “Words, Words, Words,” “The Universal Language,” “English Made Simple” and “Arabian Nights,” each showcasing Ives’ trademark wit and playful absurdity.

Theater teacher Seren Cepler described Ives’ work in the program as “a virtual stress test of the English language — and of the audience’s capacity for disorientation and delight,” adding that his characters “dance at the verge of crazy,” whether they are chimps trying to recreate Hamlet or a con man selling lessons in a fabricated language.

Scripts in hand, the five students leaned into the rhythm of the staged reading, an approach Mrs. Cepler chose because of the school’s packed theatrical calendar.

“Without the requirement to memorize, we could focus on the language and the comedy,” she explained. “It’s been such an excitingly busy season.”

The teacher added that selecting the plays was a collaborative process. After reading many scenes together, the students helped whittle down the choices, advocating for the pieces and roles that excited them most.

Leila Rodgers, a ninth-grader making her high school theater debut, plays Betty in “Sure Thing” and Jill in “Language Made Simple.” She said the experience has been both challenging and rewarding.  

In “Sure Thing,” a romantic comedy, two people repeatedly rewind their first meeting every time a bell signals a conversational misstep, until they finally get it right.

“It’s my first play,” Leila said. “I did a musical in middle school, but this has been a great experience meeting new people and learning how comedy works.”

Sophomore Jia Vargas also stepped into theater for the first time this year and landed the roles of Swift in “Words, Words, Words,” as one of three typing chimpanzees trying to produce great literature, and Dawn in “Universal Language,” in which she unwittingly enrolls in a class to learn a nonsensical language called Unamunda.

“At first I auditioned as a joke with my friends. Then I got in and got a lead role. I was so happy and confused, but it’s been so much fun,” she said.

Freshman Salvatore Bonaiuto appears in four of the five plays, including “Sure Thing” and “The Universal Language,” where he portrays the con artist who ensnares the stuttering Dawn before he turns down her money and admits his ruse.

Learning the gibberish-filled dialogue was a challenge at first, he said, but also part of the fun. “If you mess up, no one knows because the language is made up,” he joked. “The cast is great to work with, and it’s been a really fun experience.”

Behind the scenes, meanwhile, sophomore Ryan Kinzler keeps the production running smoothly by managing the lighting board and assisting with sound cues between scenes. Having worked on several shows already, Ryan said the technical experience has been invaluable.

“It opens multiple career paths,” he said. “Even if I go into computer science, this is something I really enjoy and want to keep doing.”

The cast also includes Belle Cepler, the teacher’s daughter, and Guadalupe Vivar, who, along with their fellow actors, embraced the fast-paced wordplay that defines Ives’ work.

Known for his short, incisive comedies, the 75-year-old has built a reputation for bending logic and language to hilarious effect, inviting both performers and audiences to revel in confusion before finding clarity on the other side.

As the rehearsal wrapped up, students reset their scripts and cues, ready to dive back into the hourlong performances, which are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. A donation of $5, cash or check, is suggested for admission.