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May 8, 9, 15, 16, 17, 1992
Plank Road School |
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Suppose
you're an attractive high school girl and you're not only a member of a
large and unique family but your father is, in fact, one of the great
pioneers of industrial efficiency. Then suppose he decides, for no
apparent reason, to apply his unorthodox methods to you and to the rest
of your big family. The results are terribly embarrassing, funny and—it
must be admitted—extremely effective! To Anne, however, the chief effect
seems to be that of making them seem ridiculous to everyone else at
school—especially to the boys! Dad pushes ahead with better organization
for his large and delightful family. He puts up a chart for the young
people to initial after completing each household task, uses a rung as
an imaginary bathtub to demonstrate how to take a really efficient bath
and appoints a utilities officer to levy fines on wasters of
electricity. While the situations are often uproarious, there's a
serious reason. Dad has a heart condition which he's keeping secret. The
children don't understand them. Anne, the oldest, rebels. Both Dad and
she are miserable at the lack of understanding between them. Then in a
deft and moving scene, Dad becomes aware of how much Anne has grown up. |
