Sometimes, when you want something done a certain way, you have to do it yourself.
That is the case with Gene Scheffler, who is directing “Reefer Madness: Tell the Children!” at The Riverfront Playhouse in Aurora. The dark comedy was adapted from the 1936 movie “Reefer Madness,” which has been described as a propaganda film to show the dangers of marijuana.
“I did the adaptation and asked my friend, Kristen Duerdoth, to help with some scenes,” Scheffler said. “I thought this show would be fun to do. There is a stage version (of the film), but after reading it and not liking it, I thought about writing my own adaptation.”
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“Reefer Madness: Tell the Children!” will be presented at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays from Sept. 30 through Nov. 5 at The Riverfront Playhouse in Aurora.
The original film features the character of Dr. Carroll, a principal at a high school, warning parents of how the nicest kids in town are lured into a world of violence, wild parties, unleashed passions and drug-crazed abandon because of marijuana.
The story centers on Mae and Jack, who entice students into smoking marijuana and how their addictions take over their lives.
“The movie goes through a series of scenes showing good kids gone bad because they smoked pot and how their lives are ruined,” Scheffler said. “Our production has live action as well as clips from the original movie, along with some video segments we produced.”
The show features 14 people on stage and five others who are in pre-recorded video scenes.
“There are a total of 30 characters in the show,” Scheffler said, “so we have some people doubling and tripling roles.
“There are a lot of people involved with this show on stage and off, with lots of costumes, props, hair and makeup,” he said. “There are numerous technical challenges to overcome. I’m trying something different by writing and adapting a script, but I really enjoy the work and making all of these parts fit together. I find it all maddening and fantastic.”
When casting the show, Scheffler wanted a wide range of actors.
“I was looking for a lot of things for the varied roles: funny, crazy, innocent, naughty; just about every kind of human character,” he said.
But having smoked marijuana was not a prerequisite.
“We didn’t have real zombies when we did ‘Night of the Living Dead’ at Riverfront, so we didn’t need actual pot smokers for ‘Reefer Madness: Tell the Children!'” Scheffler said.
And although marijuana use might be a controversial subject, Scheffler does not think people will find the show offensive.
“We are doing a play based on a movie that was made to warn people to stay away from marijuana,” he said. “The movie was run on college campuses around the country and became a cult classic, and later turned into a stage show and a musical.
“I don’t see this production as being for or against marijuana use, it is just entertainment. If someone were offended, they probably wouldn’t come to see it. If they did, they would most likely have such a good time that they would forget what they were offended about.”
Randall G. Mielke is a freelance writer.
‘Reefer Madness: Tell the Children!’
When: Sept. 30-Nov. 5
Where: The Riverfront Playhouse, 11-13 South Water Street Mall, Aurora
Tickets: $17 adult; $15 student/senior
Information: 630-897-9496 or www.riverfrontplayhouse.com
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