Students at Neosho High School are bringing a bit of 18th Century comedy to the stage next week in “Tom Jones.”
“It’s good entertainment,” said Linda Nielsen, theatre teacher and director for the play. “It is humorous and even though the theme of it is something that — other than soap operas — we’re unaccustomed to seeing, they’ll still enjoy it.”
The script, written by David Rogers, is based on the novel The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding written in 1749, but the themes still resound today .
“It’s a period play and yet it has something to teach the cast about the values of the time about the aristocracy and the necessity of having money and being the one who can inherit. Those kinds of things we don’t even think about anymore, so it’s kind of interesting,” Nielsen said.
Aaron Kocurek plays the title character, Tom Jones, and Lauren Gordon his love interest, Sophia Western.
“I am the orphan,” Kocurek said. “It’s the classic underdog story where the poor guy is being beat back and comes back and makes his happily ever after, after a long terrible pursuit. He’s lovestruck and meets different people on the way, interesting people with backstories of their own.”
“I play Sophia and I am the wealthy daughter of the prominent landowner, Western,” Gordon said. “I fall in love with, of course, the orphan because all rich women fall for the poor boys.”
Her character, Gordon said, likes the trustworthy quality of the orphan because he is not just looking for her wealth.
“It’s like ‘I like you because you’re a woman, not because you come with 60 cows,’” Gordon said.
“And not just any woman, my Sophia,” Kocurek added.
The 18th Century comedy is still relevant for these actors. The roles their fellow students play as Tom and Sophia make their separate ways to London add humor to the play.
“There’s a lot of different intricate roles that come in,” Gordon said. “Everyone’s well casted and it’s a hilarious play.”
Nielsen said many of the cast members are underclassmen, bringing fresh talent to the group.
“We’ve got an interesting cast this time, lots of different age groups — they’re not all seniors, in fact, the senior group is probably one of the smallest groups we have,” Nielsen said.
David Sigars, Justin Bowman, David Hopper, Tyler Hays, Aaron Kocurek, Taylor Moore, Brad Stout, Johnny Boyer, Dillon Ezell, Logan Stark, Austin Welch, William Carroll, David Hopper, Haylie Woodward, Morgan Baum, Ashley Jemes, Lauren Gordon, Shannah Arner, Molly Shumaker, Emileigh McIlvaine, Shayla Armstrong, Tara Newcomb, Beth Ezell, Katie Wince and Rae Stevens make up the “Tom Jones” cast.
