The Ransom of Red Chief

I’ve decided on the show the American Theater Group will be performing at the end of the school year… The Ransom of Red Chief! The short story by O. Henry is only 11 pages, so I want to adapt it into a script for my German students. I want to make sure that the language will be simple enough for them to understand and perform in front of an audience, and I think the plot will be entertaining enough for every age group we’re working with and the sexes of the character are interchangable. There are quite a few students who joined our group, so it’ll be a challenge to create a character for everyone. I’m just relieved to finally have that picked out, now I just need to sit down and write it. Alex and I composed the first scene, but it’s really a job for one person. Since this is mostly my project, I want to take the time to write it. I’m so excited to produce this show because I have a vision in mind! After working with them once, I know what they’re capable of accomplishing and how far to push them.

Auditions will be held in two weeks. We gave them a monologue today to prepare for their audition, and helped them with pronunciation and any words they didn’t understand. It’s about teenage angst, a topic that can translate well into any culture.