‘You Can’t Beat the House’

By Shelby Stewart
Staff Writer
Brandon Twp. –For two robbers, nothing can seem to go right.
The two sub-par theives opted to burglarize a home, however once inside they realize the place is for sale. Then before they can make a run for it, buyers start to arrive. The pair of robbers then have a tough decision, show the house or take off.
The playwright Pat Cook’s comedy, “You Can’t Beat the House,” and the antics of the some unique robbers is a play that has a lot of heart says Brandon High School theater director Jeff Malicke.
“Basically it’s about two burglars breaking into a house hoping to steal items and they end up saving a marriage and solving a crime,” he said.
The community is welcome at 7 p.m., each night Nov. 16-18 , at the Brandon High School Performing ArtsCenter, 1025 S. Ortonville Road. Tickets are $5/students and $10/adults and can be purchased at the door.

Malicke describes the play as having the straight man/funny man dynamic between the two burglars, Merle and Howie, played by Marshall Vander Weel and Liam Crowell.
Malicke chose this play because the previous play he directed, don’t be afraid of the dark, had some comedic elements that the cast and the audience seemed to love and he wanted to continue on that path with comedy.
The cast, which consists of 10 students, is full of screwball characters.
“I used to have larger casts but I’ve found the smaller casts work a little better,” said Malicke.
Overall, Malicke’s favorite part of the production is the humor and the timing, but his favorite part of the experience is the students.
“My favorite part is watching the students and what they bring to the characters,” he said.

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