The annual tradition of Junior Spectacular rolled around again this past weekend. These one-act plays written by juniors have been a staple since 1957. This round of Junior Spectacular, or “spec” as it’s referred to by many, consisted of acts called “Murder with a Side of Fries,” “Warped,” “Knocked Out” and “The End.”
“Murder with a Side of Fries,” written by Caroline Short, Jody Nickerson and Terrence Lambert, took place in a restaurant during rush hour. Carl the Manager, played by junior Jaden Miller, was murdered and three suspects had to tell the police their version of the story. Entertaining anecdotes from suspects like the sorority girl, junior Carly Gundaker, the employee, junior Jacob Hampton, and the gospel singer, junior Chris Giden, added humor and an easy to follow plot line. Giden was the winner of the Best Actor award all three nights of Junior Spectacular.
Up next was “Warped,” written by Mason Hannin, Annabelle Bloomer and Tal Rothenberg. Three students, Anthony Gosling, Isabelle Geller and Yonaton Rose ditched detention to walk around the school and got caught in an elevator that sent them traveling through time. First they journeyed to Giza in 2017 B.C., where they met a queen, junior Kit Hanley, who challenged them to a rap battle. After winning, the queen gave the trio a piece of a button. Moses, junior Joe McCormick, informed them that collecting all four pieces of the push button would send them back to their time. The three then traveled to medieval times and the future to find their pieces, meeting a king, junior Travis Finchum, and Kanye West, Legend Edwards. Finally, they ended up at a high school dance in present time, where they learned the fourth piece of the push button was love. Arriving back to detention in the nick of time, the trio came out unharmed and with a lot of good memories.
After that came “Knocked Out,” written by Lauren Palladino, Stephanie Selby and Wylie De Groff. Narrated by a grandpa, junior Daniel Kareken, with a grandson, Jacob Gage, eager to go to the newest restaurant, Beefmania. It follows the story of a dweeb named Axel, junior Patrick McKenna, on a quest to rescue the love of his life, junior Sarah Spears. Axel’s love was kidnapped by henchmen, who also stole the ring of a girl, junior Kathryn Petersen. Axel was joined on his quest by the girl and Sarah Palin, junior Eliza Craig, and confronted the man who stole what they held dear, a cow played by junior Jacob Logan. The cow was killed and in an absurd plot twist, the grandfather narrator turned out to be the son of the cow. Full of surprises and celebrity cameos, “Knocked Out” kept audiences engaged until the very end.
Lastly came “The End,” written by Joey Mervis, Abby Peterson and Jack Morel. A meteor hurdling towards Earth on North Central’s prom night causes problems as the only bomb shelter is in Carmel and has a $10,000 entrance fee. A nerd named Cookie, junior Alex Robinson, thinks he has a way to stop the meteor, but needs three things: the sweat of an overrated NBA star, an all-steel container and glass to reflect his laser. As teams dispatch to gather the items, a jock, junior Cooper Ochs, and his girlfriend, junior Erin Devoe, head downtown to take on Lebron James, junior Carl Cooper, who happens to be in Indianapolis. The steel container comes from a Brain Game tournament that Lindsay, junior Erin McMath, wins and the glass comes from the eyeglasses of a Carmel kid sitting in Starbucks. Interjections from NC News star Jack Morel on the announcements provided humor and real-time updates on the meteor. References to Colonel Sanders, junior Adam McGoff, a Chipotle lover, junior Lucy Wehlage, and a snobby Carmel kid, Jeremy Gerstein, added laughs to the act. Original music performed by the cast, along with the clever writing and Carmel disses all helped this Junior Spectacular win the award of Best Act.
Saturday was teacher Doc Miller’s last day teaching at NC and his last ever Junior Spectacular. At the end of the acts, the junior class honored him with a poster to commemorate all of his years coordinating the popular acts.
