LEE ALUMNI who came to Homecoming in 2000 were treated to this hilarious comedy written by Brandon Thomas and directed by Shane Fuller.

The play is a farce set in late Victorian England and relates the story of a unique solution to a common predicament: proposing marriage when a chaperone is required.  Two Oxford undergraduates, Jack (played by Luke Hubbard) and Charley (Ian Anderson), have one day in which to propose to their sweethearts (Heidi R. Peterson and Elizabeth Marie Nelson), but the requisite chaperone, Charley’s aunt (Sarah Field) who is visiting from Brazil, fails to show for their carefully staged luncheon.  Fearful of missing their chance, the creative pair seize upon a fellow male student (Commodore James), who just happens to be passing by, to impersonate the absent widow.

As more and more characters enter the tangled scenario, the unwilling “aunt” finds himself being wooed by several suitors in pursuit of the fabled Brazilian fortune.  More chaos erupts when the real aunt appears, but happily, all ends well.  Other cast members included Lee students Joshua D. Bowles, Adam Swalley, Marlaina Bennett, Jennifer L. Rice and Shane Brown.

The production required a great deal of physical comedy, from rappelling down out of the catwalk to a demanding slow-motion karate scene, but the cast turned in a fine performance that delighted audiences and left them laughing.  “Mr. Fuller gave the cast a lot of creative freedom and allowed us to make the play our own creation,” said Commodore James.