Cast members (left to right) Kaeleigh Gourieux, Rheilyn Holburt and Josclyn Mohler practice their lines for a scene. Photos provided
DRYDEN — For its spring production, the Dryden Drama Club will tackle a humorous yet perplexing scenario: How would people react to having no internet access?
The Day the Internet Died, written by Ian McWethy and Jason Pizzarello and produced by special arrangement with Stage Partners, explores how inept 21st century people are at dating, research and basic human interactions when they don’t have a screen to look at. Dryden drama students will present the play at Dryden High School’s multi-purpose room on April 26 at 7 p.m. and April 27 at 1:15 p.m.
On a sunny day in the town of Bloomington, a devastating occurrence happens. No, it’s not famine, or floods or a loss of citizens’ basic rights. The internet has gone down! And it will continue to be down for a whole week.
In a world that is so dependent on the internet for shopping, mailing and posting pictures of cute babies, how will society function in Bloomington? Not well, as it turns out.
The Dryden Drama Club will present The Day the Internet Died on April 26-27.
Dryden sophomore Josclyn Mohler, who plays the mayor of Bloomington, said her character attempts to maintain order in the community but winds up becoming just as panicked as everyone else in town over the internet outage.
“My character is portrayed as an authoritative figure and the town relies on her,” said Mohler. “She has an unhealthy obsession with her hair and may rely on the sheriff a little too much. She comes across as very calm about it all and reassures everyone in the town… but when she’s talking with the sheriff, you can see she’s very worried and frazzled.”
As one might expect, many residents in Bloomington do not react well to the loss of the internet, such as Connie the obsessive TikTok user who employs unsavory methods to get views; Peter the “average” Tiktoker who spends hours “doomscrolling” through news feeds; and Betty the online shopper who hates shopping at a brick-and-mortar store. But amid the pandemonium, some of the characters realize that time away from the web might not be such a bad thing after all.
Dryden freshman Penelope Spencer, who plays Connie, said people should be more conscious about setting their phones and devices down to live more in the “real world.”
“I think that as a society we should work on being independent from our internet,” she said. “Not really for the more unlikely chance of us just losing the internet, but because we all need to practice seeing the world through our own eyes and not just through our phones.”
Mohler said audiences will get a kick out of the show’s silliness and over-the-top “doomsday” premise, but she hopes that spectators young and old will also consider how much time they spend “on screen” versus “offscreen.”
“We hope the audience enjoys it and understands the moral of the story that the internet isn’t everything,” she said. “In the words of the mayor, ‘Let’s remember to do it (the internet) in moderation and that social media and likes are a poor substitute for. . . being alive!’”
Per tradition, Dryden’s drama students perform as part of the district’s Fine Arts Festival, a collection of art, band and theatre presentations by students. This year’s festival will be held at Dryden High School starting at 11:30 a.m. Presentations will include a K-12 art exhibition from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., a Dryden Early Band program at noon, the Dryden High School band at 12:15 p.m. and the Dryden Percussion Ensemble at 12:45 p.m. The Dryden Drama Club’s performance of The Day the Internet Died will be held at 1:15 p.m.
Admission to the drama club’s April 26 standalone show is $3 per person at the door, while entry to the April 27 performance will be included with admission to the Fine Arts Festival, which is $5 per person at the door.
Cast List
• Mayor: Josclyn Mohler
• Sheriff: Kaeleigh Gourieux
• Agnes + Herbert: Celia Bowman
• Erica + Carla: Elayna Handley
• Buck + Joe: Robby Bruland
• Toni + Mr. Timms + Maria: Kayla Baughman
• Nina + Betty: Cheyenne Sabo
• Jenny + Clarice + Boss: Rheilyn Holburt
• Joyce + Barista + Cole: Jaedyn Owens
• Beekerbros77$$ + Baristaisabutt!!!!! + Derek + Harriet: Lily Lasher
• Peter + Stan: Atticus Podvin
• Jasmine + Brian: Lily Martin
• Connie + Vicky: Penelope Spencer
• Mindy + Sandra: Willow DuBuis
• Stage crew/sound: Ryan Conn
• Stage crew/lights: Ophelia Golden
• Stage crew/prompter: Ava Strangway
• Stage crew/lights, curtain: Amy Gucciardi
Tyler Fields is your internet guru, delving into the latest trends, developments, and issues shaping the online world. With a focus on internet culture, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, Tyler keeps readers informed about the dynamic landscape of the internet and its impact on our digital lives.
