North Nodaway School Play Takes Satirical Look at Grocery Store

The North Nodaway school play was held Friday at the Roxy Theater. It was a short one act play, “Paper or Plastic,” which took a satirical look at what really goes on inside a grocery store. 

Sarah (Olivia Parker) has worked at the store as long as she ever has, around six months, and decides that she deserves a promotion, or at least a raise. She finds the Assistant Manager, Carla (Alyssa Roderick), lounging on her couch staring into her cell phone. To everyone’s surprise, Carla grants the promotion so she can get out of the store and take the two week vacation that she feels she deserves.

But Sarah’s problems have just begun, seeing that she is taking on tasks and problems that usually happened behind the scenes. There was a product demonstration due at the store for tomorrow, there was a big store promotion due for that weekend, there were all sorts of customer issues and complaints to handle, angry workers were threatening to go on strike – and by the way, there was a 20% chance of an ice storm that night.

Everybody’s worst fears come true, and an ice storm as bad as the one that hit the area in 2009 hits in full force and is expected to leave everyone stranded until at least the weekend. The store descends into chaos as Sarah finds herself trying to referee a fight between a milk shopper (Saylor Brown) and a bread shopper (Kirsten Bull), confronting angry workers who demand more pay and who have taken a hostage in the process, trying to find enough people to cover all the responsibilities, and being lectured by a stressed out mom of four (Lexi Harger) who spends every night at the store standing around reading her magazine. How will Sarah navigate the rampant chaos, and will she able to stay up the night, given that she has never worked night shift before? And can the in-store announcer (Ellaina Renfro) help keep up appearances and persuade shoppers to buy the latest savings on ice, 25 cents off, tonight only? Meanwhile, there is rampant looting taking place, with two looters (Sarah Chesnut, Saryn Brown) helping themselves to the Lucky Charms cereal and fighting over it.

Also participating in the play were Karissa Oberhauser (Regina, Shopper 3), Braya McGinness (Kenny), Hayleigh Vinzant (Little Sam), Sophia Ferguson (Connie), Sydney Whipple (Felicia, Shopper 1), and Morgan Pope (Shopper 2). Hailee Dominguez was the stage manager, while Danielle Riedel and Tessa Steele worked the production room. Emily Bix was the director.