肉肉传媒

KENNESAW, Ga. | Jan 30, 2024

Tongue-in-cheek look at the hysteria caused when clean-cut kids fall prey to marijuana

NEW! Sunday 8 p.m. show added to this sold-out run; get your tickets while they last. 

肉肉传媒鈥檚 Department of Theatre and Performance Studies (TPS) will present the raucous musical comedy Reefer Madness in the Onyx Theater Feb. 13-18. Tickets are $10-$12 and are available or by calling Patron Services at 470-578-6650.

Blast from the Past
Inspired by the original 1936 film of the same name, Reefer Madness follows clean-cut kids on a downward spiral filled with evil jazz music, sex, and violence. It鈥檚 the perfect performance for patrons who want to laugh a lot and feel good when they leave the theater; it鈥檚 also still relevant as many states are still wrestling with marijuana legalization issues today. 

A Campy Parody
Directed by KSU Theatre professor with dramaturgy led by Prof. , Reefer Madness is a fun, campy piece that is also one of Ellis鈥� favorite musicals. 鈥淲e are basically making fun of reality through parody, a pastiche,鈥� says Ellis. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great exploration of a style of musical theater that is very campy, with a lot of allusion to old film noir.鈥� 

Spanning Eras 
The music spans a wide range of eras, from the Golden Age to contemporary. Ellis says, 鈥淎lmost every character has their own style of music when they sing or dance. It鈥檚 a fun ride.鈥� Student Maisy Winn, who plays Mary, is a junior concentrating in Musical Theatre, and she has also enjoyed the diverse music. She initially thought the music would only be silly and fun, but it鈥檚 actually 鈥渃omplex and beautiful if you take the time to sit and listen. It touches on a lot of different eras of music in the theatre. Getting to explore all those different sounds through the rehearsal process has been a real treat!鈥� 

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Costume design and sketches by Jordan Jaked Carrier. 

Fearmongering
Prof. Fish鈥� dramaturgy students got a treat, too, when they rediscovered the original film while doing their research. 鈥淲hen the students rediscovered the original film, it was hysterical,鈥� Fish says. The original 1936 film is a morality/propaganda film about the dangers of marijuana. In the 1930s, 鈥渕arijuana was feared more than heroin. There was a lot of fearmongering鈥�and this concept of moral panic easily gave way to widespread fear,鈥� explains Fish. He notes that fearmongering can apply to almost anything, including issues like immigration or politics. 

Ellis adds that when you 鈥渨atch the absurdity of the story and realize that what you see in this musical [actually] happens every day鈥攖hat people or governments are trying to control other people鈥檚 choices through fear鈥攚ell, there鈥檚 an absurdity behind it.鈥� 

Moral Panic
S酶ren Tucker, a junior with a Musical Theatre concentration who plays the Lecturer, hopes that patrons will leave the theater striving to avoid the 鈥渕oral panic鈥� seen in the show. He says, 鈥淲hile we exaggerate the fears of Americans in the 1930s, not much has changed in the sense that certain ideas and individuals are still being used to fearmonger. At the end of the show, the Lecturer says, 鈥榳hen danger鈥檚 near, exploit their fear.鈥� Modern America is reflected in the show, and I hope audience members don鈥檛 fall victim to the same sort of moral panic.鈥� 

Silly Fun
Winn agrees that one may engage with Reefer Madness on several levels. 鈥淚f a person wants to lean in and engage, they can take the time to really think about propaganda and moral panic. And, if a person needs a break from how hard the world is right now, they can come in and enjoy the silly visuals, the comedy, and the stunning music. The show offers something that everyone can take away.鈥� 

A Warning 
Tickets for Reefer Madness are available or by calling 470-578-6650. But heed this warning: this highly political satire will go straight to your head and leave you wanting more. To learn more about the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, please visit TheatreKSU.com. 

--Kathie Beckett