Cries of “fire!” and a water dousing of an unsuspecting student preceeded chapel on Feb. 7 when the drama team simulated the arrival of a visitor from prehistoric China. The “visitor” quickly demanded the delivery of a blonde student from the audience to appease an ancient ritual, eliciting laughs from the audience.

“Drama is a lot funnier then last year,” Nathan Yockey, ’03, said, “and this skit just proves it. The actors and the new teacher have made a radical difference in drama.”

During drama class on Jan. 18, Eric Neufeld, ’05, Aaron Rios, ’03, and Greg Tharpe, ’04, discussed a way to bring an original skit to the student body. The boys’ only purpose in performing the skit was to distract an unsuspecting audience member to follow Tharpe’s mock Chinese martial arts ritual while Neufled launched two cups of water on his head. Tyler Wiebe, ’04, became the unsuspecting victim.

“I pretended to be an old Chinese godfather who was preparing a pupil for defense against shadow people,” Tharpe said. “I used obnoxious loud squeals and Tyler followed them until he was obsessed with them enough to not realize what was coming next.” While Tharpe wanted to give more information, he was escorted to detention by math teacher Lonnie Godfrey for an unrelated infraction.

The skit was the team’s first performance that was not directed by McEntee, who quickly distanced himself from the presentation.

“I had nothing to do with it,” McEntee said before he pushed his way out the door.

While the skit’s players initially made themselves unavailable for comment following the act, disappearing in to the lunch line, Rios had this to say about the skit.

“The play was just for giggles and ha-has,” Rios said. “That’s it.”

The chapel continued with a presentation of trophies to the school’s Academic Decathlon team, who took fifth place in San Joaquin Valley competition. Clovis West’s team beat FC by only 420 points.

Three members of the FC first team received bronze medals at competition: Tim Swift, ?02, Melissa Morris, ?03, and Casey Belmont, ?02. However, during chapel, adviser and coach Molly Sargent presented each team member with a plaque outlining their achievements. Many members placed either fourth or fifth in the competition. She cited recognition in front of peers as an important aspect of the ceremony.

“It was important to me that the team members get the public recognition they deserve,” Sargent said. “I consider their achievement to be one of the most impressive in the school’s history. I look forward to the team performing even better next year.”

The team has set its goal of winning third place in Division One next school year.

Chapel concluded with 15 minutes of worship led by Laurie Lieder, ’02, from the keyboard.

Drama will next perform a couple of different series pieces during the Easter season: “Devotion” or “The Bethany Improvisation”. Below are a description and planned performance dates for the skits.

“”The Bethany Improvisation”” is powerful in its portrayal of Christ through the eyes of three of his friends: Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. “”Devotion”” is a play that exposes the extent of God’s redemption of His children.

March 18 – FC chapel (Devotion);
March 21 – FC chapel (The Bethany Improvisation);
March 21 – Veteran’s Memorial Hall, Downtown Fresno (Devotion);
March 24 – First Reformed Christian Church (The Bethany Improvisation);
March 29 – Bass Lake Baptist Church (Good Friday, The Bethany Improvisation);
March 31 – The Little Church in the Pines at Bass Lake (Easter morning, Devotion);
April 10 – Fresno City College’s Valley Invitational Theatre Festival (Devotion).