Ordinary People

I don’t know what I expected to see in this student-directed production of Ordinary People at Oakmont High School. I can say, though, that I was surprised – pleasantly. I was unfamiliar with this dark drama, and suicide and dysfunctional family relations are not what one might ordinarily expect from a high school production. But what I saw was a tribute to the emerging skill of student director, Leana Coulter and a strong cast. In fact, I don’t remember seeing this degree of emotional intensity at the high school level. Much of that intensity was in the standout performance of Anthony Villanueva at Conrad Jarret, though his fellow actors played well, and I saw some outstanding acting and realistic character development among many of them. Oakmont used this occasion to make a statement about suicide, which was a main theme of the drama, with information about suicide prevention in the printed program and supplementary materials available afterwards. For me, this play was a sobering, well-crafted experience.