Brady cast presents ‘Wonderful Tang’

Clad in shimmering robes and speaking with a strong Chinese accent, Brady students will transport the audience to the Orient when they present the one-act play, “The Wonderful Tang,” by Beaumont Bruestle.

Director Tonja Shaw said the play was actually written as a full-length production but has been cut down to accommodate one-act competition rules.

“I saw it done at the Class B state contest and thought it would showcase the talent our seniors have,” Shaw said of the seven 12th-graders in the cast. “There are so many parts that are really funny.”

“The Wonderful Tang” is set in China. Emperor TsoTso (Tyler Egenberger) and his wife Madam Tso (Dakota Terry) decide to marry off their eldest daughter Fu-Tse (Alexis Mann).

A three-part contest is used to determine which of three suitors is the best for the girl: the Shah of Persia (Tyler Kleinow), the Khan of Tartary (Ryan Porter) or the ordinary Tang (Sawyer Burke).

The royal couple’s younger daughter Su-Tse (Maggie Burke), the Chinese army and a dragon (Lexi Franzen) all get involved before the story ends.

Practice time has been a challenge, Shaw said, since every member of the cast and crew is also in sports.

“We never have enough time,” she said, “but I have confidence they will pull it off. They always do.”

The first performance is Wednesday (today) at the Sandhills Conference contest in Hyannis. A public presentation will be given at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18.