Celebrating 10 Years with a Twist by Jeny Ortez - City News Group, Inc.

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Celebrating 10 Years with a Twist

By Jeny Ortez, Community Writer
December 18, 2014 at 03:42pm. Views: 29

On Saturday, Dec. 13, the students at Moreno Valley High School (MVHS) presented a holiday-inspired drama production. The 10th reunion show brought past alumni, teachers, family and friends together in support of the program and current students. Jeffery Shaw and Ashley Benjamin, writers of the play, wrote “MoVal, A Christmas Carol” 10 years ago and have put on the play annually ever since. For the 10th anniversary, Shaw decided to include past alumni who participated in the making of the play when they were students at Moreno Valley High. The play was inspired by “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. The 19th century version of “A Christmas Carol” tells the story of an old, unhappy man and his transformation into a kinder man after being visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. Unlike the original and most remakes of the story, Shaw and Benjamin gave the play a modern twist to appeal to all students, teachers and supporters. The play incorporated jokes, referencing mainstream music and various forms of pop culture specifically those found in social media sites. The play featured a teacher version of Mr. Scrooge and Mrs. Scrooge, who both hated Christmas and lived to make the lives of their students miserable. Mrs. Scrooge, who was played by Britney Glover, Alannah Le Blanc, Lisa Whorl and Hailey Henoley, goes from being an evil teacher to a loveable and charitable person who embraces the holiday spirit. With the help of the Christmas Spirits from the Past, Present and Future, the protagonist reaches an epiphany that makes her see the season in a different light. Along the way, the actors surprised the audience with various scenes and engaged the attendees by making them part of the show. The play ended in a spontaneous childbirth that embodied a true Christmas miracle and symbolized the unity of the on-stage community. The annual tradition did not fail to please the audience. The laughs, cheering and applause on behalf of the audience served to prove the show was a success.

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