'Philadelphia Story' comes to Greenfield High School

Greenfield - "The Philadelphia Story," a 1940 romantic comedy, will open on the Greenfield High School stage March 22.

The play, still mostly known from the Oscar-winning motion picture starring Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart, has turned out to be a bit of a time machine for the student cast, said director Colleen Hart.

For one thing, it's set in an era where people had more free time, she said, and the whole ambience is of a gentler time.

"There's not the stress people have now," she said.

Every so often Hart has had to help the students as they trip over outdated colloquial sayings - like, "Oh suds," something you said to keep from swearing. The kids' reaction to that one was puzzlement.

They wondered why a person would go to that extreme to avoid swearing, Hart said.

Another example, "Isn't it queer?" - an innocent question 70 years ago about how something seems unusual -has a whole different meaning these days.

But the kids are enjoying the cultural lessons, she said.

"They're eager to learn how society and culture used to be," Hart said.

Audiences, too, will likely be charmed, she predicted.

The story surrounds a haughty divorced socialite, Tracy Lord, preparing for her second marriage. Enter Dexter Haven, her first husband, and Macaulay Connor, a tabloid reporter with a distrust of the wealthy. A rapid-fire, witty war of words follows.

The classic "High Society" is the musical version of "The Philadelphia Story," Hart said.

The show will be presented at 7 p.m. March 22 and 23 and at 2 p.m. March 24. Admission is $5.