On Wednesday, January 4, TABC and Envision Theater presented ‘West Wing Follies,’ a satirical, non-partisan look at the achievements, failures and idiosyncrasies of past, present and future presidents of the United States of America. Under the direction of Artistic Director Rebecca Lopkin, a cast of 10 talented TABC students presented 21 short comedic sketches featuring the leaders of this country. The performance was held at Congregation Beth Shalom in Teaneck and was well attended by TABC students, parents and community members.
As the actors approached the stage, Musical Director Nathan Kruman aptly opened the performance with Yankee Doodle. Let’s start at the very beginning, of American History that is, when George Washington was sworn into office on April 30, 1789. From there, hilarity ensued as the actors depicted highlights of each president in a comical yet informative manner. Through sketches including game shows, talk shows and debates, the actors enlightened the audience about the background, nicknames, successes and failures as well as hobbies, secrets and scandals of the American Presidents.
Throughout the performance, it became apparent that much of the hostility present during this past election very much existed in the earlier years of this country’s political culture as well. Many of the candidates tried to sell themselves by condemning their opponents. “Most people believe that the recent election was outlandish but there was plenty of drama during the tenure of the 10th president, John Tyler, when his cabinet walked out on him. It was not always smooth sailing,” commented TABC student Rami Levin. Many people were cruel to Tyler, calling him “His Accidency” because he was the first president to get the job without being elected to it. He assumed the position when President Harrison died after only one month in office.
The skits, while entertaining in delivery, served to educate the audience about what each president was famous or infamous for; essentially a parody infused with history. Shai Gutfreund, a senior at TABC, has been participating in theater since his freshman year and has acted in eight performances to date. “I particularly enjoyed this production as it is historically accurate and reinforced a lot of what I have learned throughout my education,” Gutfreund expressed.
“This particular election year, with its own cast of characters, felt much like sketch comedy so I thought this show would be the perfect ‘cold open’ to our theater season,” commented Rebecca Lopkin, Director of Theater Development at TABC. “The students have really embraced this style of acting and have learned a lot about the presidents in the process.”
Lopkin has expanded the theater opportunities at TABC and plans to conclude the semester with a trip to a Broadway show. She believes that living across the river from incredible theater offers tremendous opportunities that should not be overlooked. Additionally, Lopkin is chartering a chapter of the International Thespian Society, an honor society for theater students. “As students participate in the program, whether on stage or behind the scenes, points are earned which encourages students to partake and achieve new heights in the theater program,” explained Lopkin.
“West Wing Follies” was written by Burton Bumgarner prior to the election of President Barack Obama. Therefore, a new ending was added on, which included a grand finale portrayal of President-elect Donald Trump in a satirical version of Family Feud, in which Trump proclaims that he has won the feud because he is the greatest. And with that the TABC actors concluded a 90-minute portrayal of the history of the American Presidency.
By Andrea Nissel
