Schools

Cappies Review of Thomas Jefferson High's 'Taste of Honey'


By Irene Martinko of West Springfield High School

The play may be called "A Taste of Honey," but there were no bees buzzing around Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology's auditorium during their impressive production. Rather, the audience was captivated by a talented cast of five who tackled such difficult themes as racism and poverty with the help of their notable acting and exciting technical choices that truly brought the show to life.

"A Taste of Honey" was written by the British playwright, Shelagh Delaney when she was only 18, and it is by no means a happy-go-lucky piece. Set in Britain in the 1950s, the play tells the story of a young, working class girl named Jo whose gold-digging mother, Helen, abandons her to live with her new rich husband, Peter.  

Meanwhile, Jo has a romantic relationship with a black sailor who she falls in love with. When he must leave her alone and pregnant, she has nowhere to go and no one to turn to.  Jo resides with her homosexual friend, Geof, but her situation continues to complicate every step of the way.  

"A Taste of Honey" captures the essence of the 1950s by exposing the prejudices toward race and homosexuality and portraying a life of poverty, and was later made into a popular movie during the 1960s.

The school chose a unique method of portraying the show by having the audience sit on the stage, closing the curtain around them, thus turning their backstage into a makeshift black box theatre and creating an especially intimate show-watching experience that was incredibly pleasing for the audience. This, along with their strong cast, brought the show to life in a completely distinctive way.

Despite the small cast, there were many noticeable strong performances brought forth in the production. Helen, played by Jordan Goodson, captured the feeling of the 1950s with her voice and her mannerisms and was markedly dynamic with noticeable development from start to finish.  

Geof, portrayed by Jake Gonzalez, stood out through his commitment to the character and his believability, which was emphasized by his ability to react both verbally and nonverbally to the situations surrounding him.  

The abusive drunk, Peter, played by Daniel Sainati, was always completely in character, adding some much-needed humor to a show that was otherwise intense and emotional, but also bringing an intimidating factor to the production. Liesl Jaeger, who played the part of Jo, can be admired for tackling such a challenging role who literally never left the stage.  

Finally, the black sailor, played by Anthony Carrington, deserves commendation for his complete believability and obvious affection for Jo. He embodied a caring and likeable character and it was understandable why Jo fell for him in the first place.

The technical elements of the show were especially exciting because of the interesting choice to use a makeshift black box theatre. The simplicity of the set with the grittiness of the wall behind it was a perfect choice for the production, and a single bare light bulb, dangling from the ceiling was the cherry on top.  

Despite it being slightly difficult to see if you were seated in the back, their interesting use of space and lighting brought excitement and variety to an otherwise unchanging set.

"A Taste of Honey" was not only an intense look into the past, but a show whose themes still resonate with audiences today, and Thomas Jefferson High School truly took on the challenge and put on a powerful production.

The Cappies, "Critics and Awards Program," is a program through which high school theatre and journalism students are trained as critics, attend shows at other schools, write reviews, and publish them.

At the end of the year, the student critics vote for awards that are presented at a formal Cappies Gala.


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