Mason High School junior Rachel Reeves and senior Drew Hackney rehearse the opening scene of the play J.B., a morality tale. The two, who never left the stage, demonstrated volatile chemistry. The Cincinnati Enquirer/MICHAEL SNYDER

The Greater Cincinnati chapter of Cappies, or Critics and Awards Program, is in its third season, with students writing reviews of other high schools' productions. Today, Mason High's {lsquo}J.B.' For more information and show schedules, see www.cappies.com

J.B. is a Pulitzer Prize-winning play based on the biblical book of Job. In this Archibald MacLeish version, Nickels and Zuss are washed-up actors running a feeble traveling circus. In the roles of Satan and God, they bet each other that if J.B.'s life is destroyed for no reason, J.B. will curse God.

Mason High School staged its recent production in the round, a challenging venue for high school performers. Carnival music played as audience members filed onstage to take their seats surrounding a raised oval platform.

Drew Hackney, embodying Nickels before the play began, sold popcorn as an excuse to insult the audience. Hackney brought sinister intensity to his part. He commanded attention from all sides of the stage while slinking around in his futile struggle against Zuss.

Rachel Reeves, standing her ground, was much more subdued as Zuss. She exuded confidence throughout the performance as she playfully taunted Nickels.

Michael Newland played J.B., pawn to the higher beings. He led the audience through the character's suffering, never once cursing his creator, which his wife, Sarah (Kathryn Novak), begged him to do.

Novak handled the emotional core of the piece gracefully. Her strong voice trembled with concern for her husband's soul and broke with grief for her children's lives, lending gravity to the role.

In the second act, God sends J.B. three figures to provide him with an explanation for his suffering. As the revolutionary (Justin Legger), the priest (Matt Buttram), and the psychiatrist (Brittany Yantos), these three actors - sometimes finishing each other's lines - created memorable individuals. Yantos' deadpan delivery of psychobabble garnered many laughs from the audience, a welcome break from the play's gloomy story.

The actors handled the dialogue, written in verse, well. The set, designed and painted by Novak, was colorful but sullen, suggesting a worn-out circus. It helped draw the audience into the play.

Lighting designer Andrew Marley imbued the intimate performance area with sparse but effective illumination to establish the mood.

Jeff Lynch, Cincinnati Country Day School

Excerpts:

Rachel Reeves, who played the God figure, Zuss, emphasized her character's ultimate wisdom. Through her often aloof gestures and "I told you so" attitude when J.B. finally proved his faith, Reeves showed her character's divine confidence that J.B.'s convictions wouldn't relent even when the pain became unbearable.

Jonathan Bell, St. Xavier High School

Zuss (Rachel Reeves), and Nickels (Drew Hackney), the God and Satan characters respectively, had an awesome chemistry. There were never any awkward pauses and few rushed lines between the two.

Jessica Whitcomb-Trance, Cincinnati Christian School

Brittany Yantos, as a psychologist, delivered her doses of Freudian hogwash in a deadpan voice. She was complemented by Matt Buttram as a preacher with a Texas twang and Justin Legger as a revolutionary. The three worked together with such ease that when they argued, their diatribes flowed together like a song.

April Yee, Cincinnati Country Day School

As Sarah, Kathryn Novak worked well with her husband, J.B. Her heart-wrenching screams of a mother who has lost her children brought the story into a sharp reality.

Darcy Zacharias, Ursuline Academy

The technical aspects of J.B. were impressive. Sound was executed nicely by Dan Hatfield, and the set was creatively designed by Kathryn Novak. The stage crew (head Claire LaNicca) did an excellent job of making quick and quiet scene changes.

Jessica Alexander, Mother of Mercy High School

The Greater Cincinnati chapter of Cappies, or Critics and Awards Program, is in its third season, with students writing reviews of other high schools' productions. Today, Mason High's 'J.B.' For more information and show schedules, see www.cappies.com