For those of us who graduated high school in the late 1980s, John Hughes’ films like “Sixteen Candles,” “The Breakfast Club” and “Pretty in Pink” about life as a teenager illustrated who we were collectively and individually as a budding generation. There were the jocks and cheerleaders, the preps, the nerds, the rebels and a few people who just did not fit into any of those molds.
Those movies hit the highs and lows of being an adolescent in the ’80s trying to find our own identities in the midst of all the stereotypes — emotions felt by so many of us regardless of which clique we were members.
Director Bruce Jacklin and the cast of “Awesome ’80s Prom” recreate the stereotypes in grand style as Wanna Get High’s 1989 senior class gathers for its prom.
The interactive play instantly pulls those in the audience back to a time in our lives when hair was big, lace and sequined gloves were worn by more than Michael Jackson and Madonna, miniskirts and leg warmers were popular and music was the one defining factor of our generation that created a link between all the cliques.
“Awesome ’80s Prom” tells a story of love, admiration, respect and acceptance through characters you love and love to hate.
The jocks, one of which manages to walk and chew gum at the same time, rule the Beaver den with swagger in their tuxes and letter jackets. The cheerleaders flaunt all their stuff and Inga, the foreign exchange student from Sweden, is encouraged to jump up and down and kick her long legs — a lot.
samantha.scoles@mountvernonnews.com
