A shortplay that I never heard of before, Squad Goals, impressed me. It displayed a subject that countless people appreciate and they executed it fully. Comedy is an age-old principle that needs to be handled correctly or else consequences like “cringe” will set in. Squad Goals did not strike such “cringe” for me. The acting and the simple formula made every minute satisfying.
Squad Goals features two irrationally goofy coaches and a basketball team longing for a new member. The play starts by rounding up the basketball team to have a talk about the shortage of one member. In the adventure of archetypes and idiots, the head coach demands that the new player “have heart,” which is where the comedy truly begins. The plot is driven by new students who try out and are challenged with a strange, near impossible task that the head coach insists on, only after a melodramatic story of course. The simple structure never got old as each person trying out for the team brought new anticipation and humor to the story.
The acting was spot on, as each cast member truly became their character. Many movements had to be fluid because of the comedic drama, and I noticed how well each character was represented. I was delighted to hear the vocal acting through the entire play. The players already inducted onto the team were also fun to watch, going along with every strange idea and being attuned to the wacky perspectives of the rest of the team. They were not distracting when another character had the spotlight and added onto the other characters actions when appropriate.
The theater at Lakota West is more involved than other schools. Seeing a show at West is a treat and it would never be that way without our amazing cast and crew. Happily surprised by this last play I can only ask you to think about supporting our theater. There are many plays and musicals are waiting to be explored. West partakes in both classic and new productions for anyone to find what they want.
