MHS Theatre Company performs the romantic comedy "The Philadelphia Story" Feb. 4-6 in the MHS Lecture Hall. Photo by Raquel Hendrickson

Among theater buffs, The Philadelphia Story is known as the play that saved Katharine Hepburn’s career.

The romantic comedy is the winter production of the Maricopa High School Theatre Company, in performance Feb. 4-6.

Written by Philip Barry in 1939, the play is about wealthy socialite Tracy Lord preparing for her second marriage. The arrival of her ex-husband C.K. Dexter Haven and a pair of journalists on the eve of the wedding throws her life into tumult.

Director Cynthia Calhoun said she looked at the play when her first choice for the winter play was tangled in royalty issues. A Master Teacher at Maricopa High School, she had just used the movie version of The Philadelphia Story in a film critique section.

Dubbed “box-office poison” in the late ‘30s, Hepburn left Hollywood for New York looking for a project to revive her career. She was a financial backer for the The Philadelphia Story, which was written for her, and acquired the film rights. The play and the movie were smash hits.

“I remembered how much I loved the movie,” Calhoun said. “And they loved it.”

In seeing the difference in the script between the movie and the original play, junior Dylan Stradling, who plays Dexter, realized his character had been combined with another for the film version.
[quote_right]IF YOU GO
Who: Maricopa High School Theatre Company
What: “The Philadelphia Story”
When: 7 p.m., Feb. 4-6
Where: MHS Lecture Hall, 45012 W. Honeycutt Ave.
How much: Tickets are $5
More info: 520-568-8100
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“It was interesting to develop that one side of it,” he said.

MHS Theatre Company gives the whole Lord family a multicultural look with its casting, using talent and chemistry for those decisions. One male role was turned into a female role.

“We have always been gender- and color-blind,” Calhoun said.

The comedy of the play relies on character and witty dialogue, as opposed to the broad comedy of “The Pirates of Penzance,” the company’s previous production.

“I like that it’s so complicated, and it ends in a way you wouldn’t expect,” said junior Carlos Venegas, who plays reporter Macaulay Conner.

Calhoun said the production has been one of the smoothest she’s experienced. The 10-member cast and other company members are responsible for most of the set and costumes as well.

They are coming off a big boost of adrenaline from the Central Arizona Festival of Theatre at Mesa Community College. The MHS students competed Jan. 30.

Senior Shelby Hanks, who is the student director for The Philadelphia Story, earned straight Superior scores for her solo musical performance. She was selected to compete at the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska. Calhoun said that is an honor for students who earn straight marks of Superior from the judges.

Senior Ashley Riecken received a score of Excellent for her costume design for The Philadelphia Story and a Superior rating from one judge for her musical solo.

Venegas earned an Excellent for his solo musical performance. Junior Nikolas Mase included an operatic aria in his solo and earned Superior and Excellent marks.

Senior Patrick Decker and freshman Aleyna Call earned an Excellent score for their duet.

MHS students also performed “With Cat-Like Tread” from The Pirates of Penzance. They included Venegas, Stradling, Mase, Hanks, Riecken, Brandon Korritky, Aidyn Curtis, Tyler Curtis, Mahkai Ball, Sarah Ledbetter, Seth Hendrickson, Ashley Lynn and Maria Santillan.