It’s rare that the copyright of a script allows lines to be changed, but “Bedtime Stories (As Told by Our Dad) (Who Messed Them Up)” actually encourages theaters to do so.

“The copyright of the play has a part where it encourages us to change the lines,” director senior Nathan Coleman said. “That kind of sums up the essence of the play.”

The spirit of the show lies in creativity. Throughout the rehearsal and direction process, many spontaneous moments came from the freedom which was given to the actors. 

“The way I direct is I just give the actors their blocking,” Nathan said. “But character wise, I let the actors figure that out on their own. I want them to make decisions, and I want them to develop their own character because it leads to a lot of funny, improvised moments.”

“We added a funny part where we break the third wall by having the queen interact with the people who are moving the set around and putting the throne on the stage,” senior Brisa Garcia said. “She’s like, ‘Where’s my throne now?’”

During the second semester final each year, Broken Box students vote to pick the following year’s plays. Last year, Nathan proposed “Bedtime Stories (As Told by Our Dad)(Who Messed Them Up).” Initially, some Broken Box members were wary of putting on the show. 

“When we were reading the script, I was really scared, because you can tell it’s for  kindergarteners,” Brisa said. “But I think our cast has done a really great job leaning into it, and that’s what makes it funny, and not weird.”

“I actually didn’t vote for this last year because I was a little wary of the script,” actor senior Sawyer Eaton said. “But I think the process of making it our own and rehearsing changed my mind.”

“I’ve actually done this show before, and I knew that I liked it, but it was also an anthology, so we were able to have student directors,” Nathan said. “We also needed a family friendly show, so this killed two birds with one stone.”

This play is defined by its humor, almost to the extent of being cringy.

“It’s really cheesy,” Broken Box adviser Lisa Battle said. “I wouldn’t have picked this play, because I think it’s like next level cheese, but it’s so fun because they fully commit.”

The play tells the story of a dad who is putting his children to bed, and has to tell them bedtime stories. Since it’s usually the mom who does this task, the dad is fuzzy on the details of the stories. The end result is three individual stories, plus a framing device which focuses on the dad and the three kids. 

“The funny part is in what the dad forgets and the spontaneous details he has to make up,” Nathan said. “One of the stories is Rumpelstiltskin, but he’s turning gold into straw. The story I’m directing is the Boy who Cried Dinosaur, instead of the Boy who Cried Wolf.”

Each year, Broken Box puts on one student directed play. These plays allow for simultaneous rehearsal, as cast members can separate into individual groups to practice, resulting in more time for rehearsal. The student directed plays also encourage actors to work with directors to take a deeper dive into character development, and gives students a chance to direct, allowing Broken Box members to gain experience through trying new roles. 

“I really liked getting to work with the actors because I’m normally doing tech,” Nathan said. “There was also a lot more creative freedom compared to when we had Ms. Battle direct.”

“Being on the directing side has been really eye opening because it’s completely different from being an actor,” Brisa said. “I use my creativity a lot, and blocking out everything has been very.”

“This play has really helped me stretch my acting abilities and my confidence,” actor sophomore Frankie Bengtson said. “I’ve never done a comedy where I play a toddler, so learning to act like a four year old and project in a baby voice was really interesting.”

However, because the play was directed only by students, there were many challenges. Broken Box members had to learn to communicate effectively, block scenes, and manage their casts.

“Figuring out how to communicate to actors is difficult because it’s like teaching,” Nathan said. “Everyone learns differently, so if you tell someone something over and over they’re not going to learn it and you have to find different ways to communicate to each person.”

“In the beginning I was really unsure about my blocking, and it was a little difficult to figure out how the actors should share the whole stage,” Brisa said. “We didn’t get too much stage time, and I don’t think I’ve had one day where every single cast member in my show has been there.”

Ultimately, it is the absurd nature of the play that makes it so humorous. 

“My one requirement for the show was I wanted an inflatable dinosaur costume,” Nathan said. “It’s been so funny watching her walk around the stage in this thing, and there are some parts where she’s rolling over things, and it’s just so ridiculous.”

“We’re dancing to Brat, we’re dancing to Nobody Like You from Turning Red,” Brisa said. “There’s a guy in a giant pizza costume and he’s just dancing around the stage. It’s all really crazy and random.”

As Nathan puts it, “We’re all having fun, and hopefully the audience will have fun too.”

The show will run tomorrow at 7 p.m. and this Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for children and students.