Cougar High

By Courtney Svatek     4/7/11 7:00pm

What a semester it has been for theater! Rice has recently hosted everything from the drama of a Shakespeare tragedy to the glamour of an Elton John musical and now Cougar High, a student-written performance. Martel College junior and composition major Keith Allegretti has crafted a unique specimen of the stage that is at once a tribute to cheap humor, a parody of common fictional tropes and even a satire of public education and the discrimination faced by homosexuals. Most refreshingly, however, it is simply an irreverent farce with no aspirations to five-star reviews or the Sammys, with no expectations higher than to make its audience reel with both disgust and laughter. While low production values and the show's very nature make it an experience that not just anyone could sit through, those who aren't easily offended and can stomach some gross-out humor will find it well worth their while.

Cougar High is like an after-school special unlike anything you've ever seen before. Its frank dialogue, swearing and sexual humor capture the true spirit and immaturity of high schoolers, making it the antithesis to starry-eyed productions like High School Musical. The story revolves around the struggles faced by football star Reggie as he deals with his recently-developed problems of explosive diarrhea. Yes, the script and lyrics are every bit as graphic on the subject as you might imagine. Reggie must come to terms with his new life while trying to win back the affections of his girlfriend and peers.

Hanszen College freshman and voice major Manfreddi Thimoté, who may hereafter be recognized around campus as "the poop guy," shines as Reggie. It's a rare actor who has the intestinal fortitude – or lack thereof, rather – to belt out ballads about his painful experiences on the toilet. What makes Cougar High hilarious is the earnestness and passion with which the singer delivers lines about defecating, which I might say were beautifully written even though they were about the products of the excretory system. Without a strong lead, this show would sink faster than a rock in a toilet, but with his charisma and spectacular voice, Thimoté steals the show.    

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McMurtry College freshman Aubrey Sirtautas, another gifted voice talent, is perfect as Reggie's girlfriend, Christy; as she leaves Reggie, her singing is loaded with alarm and anger, and her mouth curls into a permanent sneer. Other standout performances include McMurtry freshman Nick Vollmar as the villainous Mr. Cuckle, a narrow-minded and belligerent teacher of "Amurrican History" who brainwashes his students into longing for America's "pre-pubescent days." Martel senior Will Edwards does an excellent job as a gay stereotype in his role as Mr. Bradford, the school counselor who is eager to talk about feelings while frolicking about the stage. Not everyone in the cast is adept at singing, and a few times off-key notes clash against the piano, but where it matters, the voice work is passable, and the leads are downright impressive.

The staging, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired. The set is literally nothing more than a black curtain hung from rods in the McMurtry commons. Cardboard lockers leaned against the curtain to set the scene often fell over, and a makeshift football field hurriedly taped down for the finale was quickly torn from its anchors and became wrapped around the flailing Reggie. While the play's low-budget style fits its character and has its charm, not all of its production flaws should be excused. As each act begins, actors stand there, frozen visibly in the dimness, for an awkwardly long time while a piano overture is played. Yet there are some long transitions between scenes which are completely silent and interrupt the that of the performance. And, while standing out from all other musicals at Rice, Cougar High cannot escape the sound issues that haunt college theater. Although the accompaniment is only a piano, Allegretti's passionate playing often covers up the singers' voices, even with microphones. Aside from great facial expressions and interactions between some of the actors, the musical offers little to look at, so when the outrageous lyrics cannot be heard, its impact disappears.

Cougar High is certainly not for everyone. If the mere thought of a song describing diarrhea in vivid and colorful detail makes you squeamish, actually hearing it in the show may have you gagging and running for the bathroom yourself. But if your inner child still giggles at poop jokes, Cougar High will leave you with a burning pain in your gut – from laughing too hard. The show wields its immature humor to make some weighty points while invoking both discomfort and amusement in its audience. Of course, this may be reading too deeply into it; it may truly be just a show about crap. At any rate, it's gutsy, it's fun, and it should be seen before it gets flushed away.

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