DePaul College Prep’s latest theatrical production, The Learned Ladies of Park Avenue, transported audiences to the 1920s with a comedic tale of love, family disagreements, and a touch of satire. The play, directed by theater teacher Craig Bryant, features a family caught in a humorous battle over arranged marriage versus true love, with all the dialogue performed in verse, which means that the dialogue has a rhythm to it, similar to a poem.

The story revolves around Betty Crystal, a young woman in love with Dicky, a charming yet unconventional suitor. However, Betty’s mother, Phylis, insists on an arranged marriage with Gabbit, a pompous fake poet. Chaos erupts as family members, including Betty’s sister Ramona and the eccentric Aunt Sylvia, pick sides, which transforms into a comic tug-of-war that keeps the audience entertained from beginning to end.

Senior Angelina Girardin, who played Ramona, detailed the challenges of working in verse. “It’s comparable to Shakespeare, but it has more modern language in it,” Girardin said.

Girardin added, “We worked with a speech coach to ensure we executed it well.”

Despite the hardship, Girardin found the process enjoyable, especially because of working with her friends. “Creating relationships with everyone involved made rehearsals so fun,” she said.

The role of Aunt Sylvia, a lively, and somewhat lonely, woman who longs to be loved romantically and finds her match in the Judge, was played by senior Taylor Beck. Beck said performing the play in verse lent a special something to the show.

Craig Bryant, the play director also agreed that The Learned Ladies of Park Avenue stood out in its use of music and dance, as well as its verse structure. He said, “There was also dance involved. The other unique thing was that. this was the very first time that we had done a play with verse, it was all written in rhyming couplets.”

To Girardin, Ramona was more of a dynamic character, who was also torn between helping her sister follow her heart and siding with their mother’s wishes. “I had to use my facial expressions and the tone of my voice to express the indecision and evolution of Ramona,” Girardin explained.

The show also highlighted the collaboration involved back-stage. Beck credited the crew for being very devoted, especially in the weeks prior to the show. “The crew’s amazing,” she said. “They light up the stage and make everything run smoothly. It’s so nice to have someone handling props and helping us get ready.”

While the play does not carry a deep moral message, its purpose seemed quite evident: to make audiences laugh.

“With everything going on in the world, all we needed was a little laugh,” Beck said. She added that the acting helped her to forget about day-to-day concern and fully get into her character’s over dramatic personality. Girardin echoed this feeling, hoping audiences left feeling entertained and uplifted.

In his reflection on the play’s success, Bryant emphasized the importance of not taking life too seriously. He said, “One of the big [messages  of the play] is to not to take yourself too seriously.”

Bryant added to that idea by saying, “People have [different] opinions and feelings about things, and that’s okay. We don’t have to have everyone to agree with us all the time.”

The theater department at DePaul Prep never fails to amaze anyone with its level of creativity and commitment; this play was no different. The Learned Ladies of Park Avenue was a showstopper, full of humor, vibrant characters and dedication from the cast and crew. From the comedic antics of Aunt Sylvia to the heartfelt struggles of Ramona, it was a performance that will long remain in the memory of everyone who had the pleasure of attending.