Jive is still alive -- on the Colony stage, at least

PALMER -- The title of the play Grease most likely refers to the almost criminal amount of oily hair gel gracing the craniums of Danny Zuko and his pugnacious band of Greasers; however, the new Colony High School theater production of the popular musical might as well be called "Sweat," if the flushed complexions of the actors after one of the play's famously energetic dances are any indication.

Grease provides a slice of the energy and action that suffuses the 50s in our cultural memory, complete with the flashy clothes, the fatty foods, and the outlandish decorations. Owing in no small part to its very specific historical placement and high-energy numbers, Grease remains one of the most popular and easily recognizable plays ever performed. The movie version of the play, released six years after its 1972 opening, eventually came to be the highest-grossing movie musical of all time.

Colony High's production is being directed by Katie Byrd, a veteran of both Colony High School Drama and Valley Performing Arts, who made her (albeit temporary, pending continuing acting work in New York in August) return to Valley theater last February, when she undertook the colossal project of directing "Grease."

Byrd graduated from Colony High in 1996, and therefore understands the issues at play among the school's budding thespians. This empathy does not necessarily translate into sympathy, however. "I know what these kids are capable of, so I'm really hard on them," she said.

Though Byrd demands the best from her students, she is careful to allow them time to be themselves.

She canceled play practice on the night of Colony's senior prom to give the actors and actresses a chance to dance with other people for a change.

Nancy Richwine, who put together the costumes for the production, says that she culled usable clothes from a huge variety of sources, and very few of them were original works. Some are borrowed, some are relics of bygone eras of play production, and many are secondhand. "I'm getting very good at thrift store shopping," Richwine said.

Dancing is also a huge part of Grease, and Kristy Johnston, a member of Valley Performing Arts, lent her expertise to this cause. "Every single couple has their own dances," said Johnston of the titanic task of choreographing the play. "I tried to base their dances off of the personalities of their individual characters."

Johnston said that she was impressed with the students' willingness to take on the high-energy production. "They have great attitudes about learning and experiencing new challenges," she commented.

At heart, however, Grease is a creation of the whole of Colony High, not just the drama department. Byrd noted that the Colony swim team was holding a fundraising 50s dinner before the first Friday show, and that the art department had worked to put together the brightly-painted set. "All sorts of different departments came together on this," said Byrd. "The kids have really pulled together to make this happen."

Grease has Friday shows at 8 and Saturday shows at 2 and 8 this weekend and next weekend. Tickets are $10 at the door, or $8 for students and seniors.

Contact Daniel Spoth at daniel.spoth@frontiersman.com.