The family friendly and heartwarming production of “Cheaper By The Dozen” will take the 12th Street Auditorium stage at 7 p.m. on March 7 to 9.
Presented by Hays High, the play is based on the 1948 book by Frank Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, which was made into a classic movie in 1950. A newer version was made in 2003 starring Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt, but the story for that version is entirely different.
“Cheaper by the Dozen” takes place in the 1920s in Montclair, New Jersey, and is based on the family of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, both of whom contributed to society in many ways.
Frank was known for his development of motion studies and for introducing more efficient work methods in factories throughout the world. He tries to run his family “just like a factory,” and although his methods may be a bit overboard at times, he is a loving, caring man who loves his children.
Lillian, meanwhile, has been described as the original superwoman. Long before women’s lib, she was a distinguished psychologist, engineer, inventor and mother of 12.
“After considering many plays, I decided on this one for several reasons: it fit the students in our cast, it had instant name recognition, and it is truly historical as it is based on a real-life family growing up in the 1920s,” director Bill Gasper said. “Because of our cast make-up, we had to change the gender of a couple of our characters and we changed/added a few lines. However, the vast majority of the play closely follows events from the book.”
Gasper said the play is told from the point of view of two of Frank’s children reflecting on the last few months before his death. He was preparing the family for his imminent departure, even though most of his children were unaware of the fact.
At first glance, Gasper said the story may appear to be old-fashioned. After all, references to “silk stockings” and “painted women” certainly seem out-of-date. However, on closer examination, Gasper said the audience will discover it’s not about silk stockings at all.
“It’s about children growing up and parents letting go and the two coming together in compromise,” Gasper said. “It is recognizing that parents and kids sometimes never truly understand each other, but they manage to find common ground because they love each other.”
Gasper said these themes are prevalent today in households with parents and children. It may not be silk stockings, but parents and children continue to battle each other over a variety of issues.
“The play will never be old fashioned or out of date because the issues it deals with are timeless,” Gasper said.
General admission tickets to the play can be purchased from cast member or from the Hays High office. Tickets are good for any of the three nights. Admission for adults is $6 advance, $7 at door. Students are $4 advance, $5 at the door.
“I am very proud of the cast and am grateful for all the time they spent on and off the stage,” Gasper said. “I invite everyone to come enjoy our rendition of this funny, heart-warming and family friend tale.”
— Submitted