By Bethany Lange
Herald Reporter

EVANSTON — When Shakespeare wrote, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players,” it’s doubtful that he expected something like “Stargirl” to play on those themes.
Sagebrush Theater’s most recent play, Y. York’s adaptation of Jerry Spinelli’s novel “Stargirl,” tackles a host of impactful themes while remaining available for the whole family, both in price and theme. From the set (complete with a desert backdrop painted by local artist Shanna Stott) to the light and technical support to the props to, of course, the characters and players themselves, the play stretches beyond the stage to each person in the audience.
The production, directed by Kayne Pyatt and Kim Lahm, features six local actors and actresses. Experienced and new players alike brought a breathtaking hush to the theater with their creation of an Arizona high school struck speechless by a new student, Stargirl.
Ash Autumn has taken her first leading role with aplomb and has truly become the odd, quirky Stargirl. Her performance of the lonely girl struggling to see why everyone else values “fitting in” so much is perfect and sometimes inspired chills.
Her counterpart and crush, Leo, is played by Eric Pasenelli, who lends his wide experience to create a boy who desperately wants to be part of the “cool crowd” yet has fallen in love with the ukulele-strumming, rat-toting and fantastically costumed Stargirl.

Leo hangs on the fringes of high school life, viewing it from behind his video camera yet longing to live within it. But as Stargirl comes with her wild, fresh approach to love and living, Leo can only think about how to make her, and by extension himself, fit within the high school mold.
Yet, as he is to discover, not even the members of the “in” crowd, such as high school model Wayne, are all they seem to be. The question is whether he can see what a “normal” high school student is and what Stargirl is like before he loses his chance to truly be like either.
Although the play revolves around Stargirl and Leo, the other cast members perfectly illuminate their struggle.
Randy Meyer as Professor Archie probes into each character yet draws the audience in especially at the end, when he himself starts to cry in a real display of emotion.
Nicole Westley and Immanuel Lange as the “star couple” of Mica High School, Hillary and Wayne, perfectly fit each other as their characters and give strong performances, even though both are new to the stage.
Shandril Hart also shines as Karen, Leo’s friend who joins in the peer pressure guiding Leo to try to change Stargirl into someone not herself.
This show is different from the ones Sagebrush Theater has brought to the stage for the last few years, but the combination of innocence and difficult, cruel reality is both brilliant and poignant. It reaches every audience from the elementary school student to the elderly and all ages in between, hitting every audience member deeply but in a way that elevates viewers and leaves them wanting to be better, kinder and more human.
“Stargirl” celebrates humanity by illuminating how people can build each other up and how loving, giving, being and caring for others, oneself and one’s environment are all interconnected. The play is at its most beautiful when all three are upheld simultaneously, and it reveals that worshiping any one thing — self, another or one’s surroundings — is incomplete, broken and even hurtful.
Sagebrush Theater’s performance of “Stargirl” is a vivid reminder of past plays which took classics and brought together actors of all ages.
In fact, play technician Charise Bridge said the cast for “Stargirl” is the first play in many seasons that is made up of mostly high school students. Yet, despite the fact that it can be considered an amateur performance, all of the performers became their characters.
By the end, the play clearly celebrated the joy of life while illuminating — and mourning — the ugliness of this earth. And the ugliness was all the clearer for seeing a glimpse of what life should be.
This is the point of art, to draw tears and sorrow at the cruelty and vileness in ourselves and the world but to inspire hope and a deep yearning for goodness and beauty.
Nicole Westley was quite insightful when she wrote in her cast blurb that “there is a little bit of all of us in each character.”
“Stargirl” will show again this evening at 7 p.m. at the Evanston Cultural Center, and the final production will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets cost $5. For more information, visit www.sagebrushtheatre.com, Serendipity in Evanston or call Kayne Pyatt at (307) 783-7323.