On Saturday, December 2, I saw a hilarious holiday comedy called The Man Who Came to Dinner, presented by Westmont High School Drama Department. It was performed in the Westmont High School Theater at Westmont High School. This humorous comedy is about a famous radio show host, Mr. Sheridan Whiteside, who comes to the Stanleys’ little home for dinner but unfortunately, slips on their doorstep and is forced to stay with the Stanleys for a few weeks.

During the show, I was impressed by the performance of Sheridan Whiteside, who was played by Ali Molaei. Since he was in a wheelchair for the majority of the play, the use of his body was restricted. He did a fantastic job using his voice and facial expressions to express his emotions and to show his personality. For example, I felt like everyone in the audience, including me, knew who Sheridan Whiteside was the minute he went on stage. When he screamed and yelled at almost every single person that passed by him, the audience could tell that he was the “cranky, old grandpa”. Also, Ali did a fantastic job using his facial expressions and voice in a kinder tone. For example, when there was a friend of his that visited,such as Lorraine or Professor Metz, or when there was someone he liked, such as June and Richard, he relaxed his mouth and eyebrows, to relax his expression, and spoke in a clearer, gentler voice to show that he was being (or trying to be) kind and friendly. Of course, there were a few stumbles here and there, but Ali did not let those tiny mistakes get the better of his performance. Overall, he was incredible amazing!

I was also captivated by the performance of Lorraine Sheldon, who was played by Eden Rousso. I was impressed by the way she delivered her character. For example, when she found out the ehr longtime boyfriend, Lord Cedric, asked to marry her, she showed that she was incredibly happy and in love. She used her body language, facial expressions, and voice to express her happiness and joy. Of course, it turns out that all of that was a prank and when she found out, she was furious. Lorraine is the type of person who doesn’t have one emotion for too long. I was impressed by how easily Eden switched from one emotion to the next without any awkward transitions. She had a few stumbles when talking too fast, but overall his diction was good. Her performance was captivating!

In addition to the amazing work of Ali Molaei and Eden Rousso, I was also impressed with the technical aspects of the show. I loved the set of the show. The walls were beautifully decorated and the paint was incredibly beautiful. The scenery outside the window was very pretty, although some of the snow went over the wall. The stairs were perfectly built and the furniture around the room worked throughout the whole play. I also loved Loraine’s costumes. Her dress was beautiful and the colors complimented her complexion and also represented the holidays. I loved how her dresses were all so simple but looked quite elegant.

This was one of the most entertaining plays I have ever seen. I enjoyed so very much. It is full of knee slapping jokes and great acting. I definitely enjoyed the plot of the story and thought that the entire company delivered it well. I also loved how the actors never broke character even though there were a few mistakes here and there. I very much enjoyed this production of The Man Who Came To Dinner.