L-R Christian Perez, Max Gallagher & Austin Helm – Courtesy of Aaron Henze. Used with permission.
“Remember high school PE when you could not climb the rope that seemed at least a mile high? Set in 1967, Climbing The No Hope Rope’ lets you relive the mortification when two nerdy senior boys find they must make it to the top to graduate.” That is the description of the play “Climbing The No Hope Rope,” provided by director Aaron Henz. The G-rated comedy, written by Garret Matthews, opens Friday October 13 – 15 at The District Theatre on Mass Ave. in downtown Indianapolis.
Aaron Henze, director – Courtesy of Aaron Henze. Used with permission.
Playwright Matthews, a former newspaper journalist, who resides in Carmel, goes further in a description of his work “While the play could be viewed as nostalgic for those who had to squirm up the stupid thing back in the day, it does allow young folks a glimpse into 1960s-world when school officialdom didn’t think to have proper mats or spotters to help break a fall. I have read that some elementary schools once upon a time required the rope climb, but at my alma mater the climb was reserved for high school boys in grades 8-10. You were not required to get to the top, but the crusty red-faced PE teacher would say awful things about your lack of manhood if you failed. Presidential fitness platforms beginning in the 1950s had a distinct Cold War flavor as the softball throw was mandated in gym class because the event simulated hurling a grenade. At my high school, we did sit-ups, the 60-yard dash, the 600-yard dash and the rope climb. I was terrified of the rope and never practiced on my own.” said Garret who added “The play is somewhat autobiographical as the rope was an integral part of my high school’s PE program, I had tremendous anxiety about climbing the stupid thing in front of the entire class, and that fear is an integral part of the story.”
The play’s cast members, all high school students, include Christian Perez as Titus, Max Gallagher as Rayburt, and Austin Helm as Charley.
For tickets and information about “Climbing The No Hope Rope” visit thedistricttheatre.org.
