←Recommendations of Coronation

"Coronation" is my new favorite high-school comedy. (Sorry, Ferris.) Peter Fenton weaves a complex tale of politics, gossip and teen drama that hits all the right notes while at the same time giving the audience something completely unexpected.
What I loved most about it is how Fenton sets up familiar character tropes then shatters them, one by one, giving us an original story that feels more true to life than almost anything Hollywood has done since the '80s.

This high school comedy is fast-moving, structurally engaging, and laugh-out-loud funny (especially if you like Sound of Music jokes)! Even with the laughs, there is an air of honesty and authenticity to this story that rings true compared to similar entries in the genre, but not without respect for the tropes we've come to love! The best part, however, is how this play breaks stereotypes, offering teens complex characters who resist becoming archetypes, even when it would be easy. So much fun!

Fenton had me at: "I’m a nerd with a little power now"! Great premise, narrative framework, fun characters, flexible cast size, a little self-referencing (!), an artist on the Homecoming Court and a little smashing of a trope or two. Bravo.

What a fun, funny (but provocative) play! It's so hard to find a good play featuring high school age characters, but Fenton's writing is masterful. This tale of a self-proclaimed "chaos goblin" who manipulates a homecoming queen election just to watch the world burn, ultimately turns into a deeply resonate look at the high school experience. Plus...it's funny. Like...really funny. The characters are rich, articulate (when they need to be) and authentic. Check it out.

10/9/24: A high school comedy perfect for educational and community theatre orgs alike, CORONATION serves as both a tribute to high school classics (think Mean Girls with a dash of John Waters) and a striking step forward for the genre. Peter Fenton has written a cast of roles that young actors can sink their teeth into. I am excited for what comes next for this excellent play!

This script clips along like a great comedy with witty and well defined characters should. I love the comical banter that creates an engaging and appealing play. And as every good play does, a clever and pleasing ending brings it to a close. What a great ride!

Peter Fenton's CORONATION offers a modernized take on the teen comedy of the early 2000s that will surprise and delight audiences. Fenton skillfully uses the common tropes of a teen comedy and makes them his own with this realistic dynamic of high school drama. A perfect show for teen actors!

One of my close friends in high school was totally a "Dan Park." An "instigator" is what we called him. He loved to create chaos and cause other people to fight. In CORONATION, Dan's major downfall was that he saw everyone as cinematic stereotypes and not the layered humans that they are. This is a great show for young actors and a great way to illustrate the humanity behind the high school hierarchies.

A thoroughly entertaining "teen comedy" that's not insulting in the least. Instead, it's pretty invigorating to watch the (dark) fun of Dan's "plan" and how it affects all around him. The characters are all drawn well, and if I were still a high school kid (ah, wistful nostalgia), I'd definitely be "crushing" on Maria. The contemporary touches here are well done and not overkill. The dialogue seems natural and authentic for this particular age group. I think many high school groups (or theater for high school groups!) would do well to put this on... audiences are going to love it!

There are some genuine laughs in here, and I believe actors will have a great time finding their way into these young characters. I particularly enjoyed the Dan character as a kind of Iago, but with a heart (half of one, anyway) and without the sneer or the sociopathy (well, maybe a touch).