The Palo Alto High School theatre will be performing the Broadway play, Machinal, all this week.

Fourteen Paly actors are rehearsing diligently for
the upcoming performances. Performances will be held today, May 22nd at 4:00 pm, and the 23rd at 8:00 pm. Admittance is free and the approximate running time is two hours.

Machinal is a play about a woman, Helen, who is unhappily married and is burdened by having to care for her sickly mother. The play follows the actions she takes that alter her life forever. While staying at a seaside hotel, Helen meets a man that she falls in love with and has an intimate affair with. Returning to her old life Helen begins to feel more and more suffocated by her surroundings and her marriage, and is driven to murder her husband. Helen is then put on trial, charged with murder, and sentenced to death on the electric chair.

The original Machinal was written by Sophie Treadwell and first performed in 1928. Jenni Marks, the Paly student director of the play, hopes to renew the play with a modern twist and give the audience an experience they will always remember.

"The moment I read the script, I knew this was a play I wanted to direct at Paly," Marks said. I was most intrigued by the fact that instead of answering all of the audience’s questions, it leaves them asking more."

Jennifer Leen, who was drawn to the play because of the unusual lead character, plays the role of Helen.

"At first I intended to try out for Midsummer Night’s Dream, but when Jenni, the director of the play, offered me the lead I read for the part and was immediately drawn to the character," Leen said.
"I liked the fact that the lead character is an independent woman that does what she desires."

Machinal is a spectacular play to see in order to have an enjoyable theatrical experiance and also to witness Paly’s own students resurrect a classic. Performances will continue today, and Friday and will be held in the Haymarket Theatre. Do not miss out on a chance to see Paly’s talented performers.