Entertainment : \'Make Nottingham great again:\' VSHS play takes on fairy tales, politics

Lexi Dively helps paint part of the set as the cast of the VSHS spring play prepares for the show.

Marcy Horst and the cast members of the Vinton-Shellsburg High School play were discussing ways to improvise the prepared script to make it more unique, more interesting, more fun for both the actors and audience.

Someone -- Marcy does not quite remember if it was her or a student -- suggested that since this is a presidential election season, a political theme might be fun.

David Steele, a VSHS junior who plays King John in the Robin Hood segment of the two part play (Robin Hood and Cinderella) went home after that discussion and re-wrote half of his lines. His character became King Donald, whose plans (among other things) include building a wall to keep out the peasants.

Despite the title, the play also deals with the other candidates, and some of the actors support Donald Trump.

Celia Turner is compiling the biographies of the actors for the playbill; she asks each about their preference in presidential candidates.

Turner conducted some interviews Monday as several performers became stage hands, helping to paint parts of the set in preparation for this weekend's performances.

Horst says she is pleased and impressed to see how much attention her cast has been paying to the presidential election and how aware the students are of the candidates and issues.

The VSHS performances of "Robin Hood & Cinderella: Make Nottingham Great Again" -- complete with what the poster calls "politically incorrect" adapations -- take place at 7 p.m Saturday, April 16, and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 17.