Cappies Review: 'The Cards of Fate' At Annandale High School

By Carolyn Saxe of Thomas Wootton High School

If you can just answer this next question, you could win Ten! Million! Dollars! Or, if you can't, some random person might die, and you get to watch their loved ones' hearts break right on screen! Now, your question is...

How was Annandale High School's production of The Cards of Fate? Take some time to review the information. Written by the theatre teacher Ed Monk, this dark comedy examines fate and consequence through the titular game show. The sanguine host Buffy quizzes the lone contestant Nick with trivia and an empty smile as fate befalls innocents on the screen between them.

The show utilized a wonderful hybrid of virtual and in-person recordings to construct the set of a game show. Buffy, Nick, and Otto came together in the black box studio in clear masks while the other actors recorded from home aided by virtual backgrounds.

Buffy Youbetcha, played by Hunter Duggan, was strikingly and scarily trivial, in both senses of the word. He perfected that strange up-beat energy that game show hosts always seem to employ and equally captured her self-centered desire to be 'real.' Across the stage from her squirmed Nick Kowslowski, the embodiment of normalcy in a strange world, played by Rigby Eggert.

The rest of the actors were incredibly cohesive despite their virtual setting and differentiated their many parts with thoughtful physicality and voice. Despite being virtual, Cinnamon (Han Le) matched Buffy's energy and superficiality in their banter together. Otto's face was covered by a black mask, but that didn't stop Nia Collins' comically expressive eyes from taking the show even further into absurdity.

All the actors functioned loosely as their own tech crew in this show. Han Le was the sole student director, and it was obvious she put in a lot of work. The pacing of each scene was excellent, the actors had chemistry, and the virtual backgrounds that she chose were amazingly apt. Each actor was their own hair and make-up person, and not a thing was out of place, from Buffy's glamorous outfit and bright lipstick behind the clear mask to a slovenly punk to Nick, the perfect everyman. The in-person set also made terrific use of the black box space and whatever props Hunter and Rigby could get their hands on, including ominous foam heads, a "No" button, and more. The spotlights isolated both Buffy and Nick at their music stand podiums and surrounded them with darkness.

No pressure, but your fate is already set. Are you ready to answer?