The play “The Good Times are Killing Me,” written in 1988 by Lynda Barry, originally as a comic book, tells the coming-of-age story of Edna Arkins, played by freshman Madeline Leja, growing up in a racially diverse neighborhood and her friendship with Bonna Willis, played by sophomore Joryn Pender. Their friendship goes against the norms of society, but they retain their strong bond regardless.

“The play is about examining your own identity,” director Leslie Holland Pryor said, “and that’s what the experience does. The play looks at the experience of the civil rights movement in our country and how housing integration shifted in our country and how it impacted individuals, families, and communities.”

This play is very different than what I’ve seen performed on the Parker stage in the past. It is funny, serious, and beautifully done.

Holland Pryor knew she wanted the fall play to be a shorter production, and actually wanted to produce a play that Principal Dan Frank wrote, but she didn’t want to put too much pressure on him. In a happy accident, she found “The Good Times are Killing Me,” and knew this would be the perfect fall play.

“I’m always looking at cultural competency and civic engagement work,” Holland Pryor said of the selection, “and all that is in this piece.” Conscious of Parker’s ethos and mission statement when she picks plays, Holland Pryor has always considered herself to be a progressive teacher, “even before it was fashionable,” she said.

As I talked to Holland Pryor I could tell she was excited about the play, and for good reason! When I sat in the audience during their Morning Ex preview, it was easy to see that the cast has really put in their work, and Holland Pryor expected no less from them. She said of the rehearsal process, “It demands the same rigor as anything else you do in school.”

Before the staging, came auditions, the auditions took place over the course of three days. Senior Natalia Hernández, who plays Edna’s mom, said, “Actors go in intentionally unprepared and are given scenes to practice before performing in front of the director.”.

Once the production was cast, they began rehearsing after school from 4:00 to 6:00. “When it gets closer to the show,” Hernández said, “we stay later sometimes like eight to 9:00.” During this time, the actors practiced blocking scenes, cues, and lines. From seeing just a few scenes of the show, I felt a connection among the cast members, which only leads to a stronger show. They all seemed so natural on stage– I felt like I was sitting on the sidewalk watching a group of friends hanging out with each other.

“The cast is the best cast I’ve had in years,” Holland Pryor said. “They want to know how they can be stronger artists. This was such a treat for me as a director. It feels like I’m working with a professional cast.” This year the play’s cast is majority underclassmen. Holland Pryor hopes that they will continue to pursue the arts and is glad the department will “have them for a while” so the department “can share them.”

I was shocked to hear that this is Leja’s first time performing in any musical. “To be a freshman and take this on is remarkable,” Holland Pryor said of the rising star. “She just came and auditioned, and blew us all away. She was so good.”

I want to become friends with this whole cast. There’s something to them, a charisma maybe, that just shines when they’re together on stage, and I hope you found a way to see the final production. As Holland Pryor said, “They just have a good vibe.”