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Anyone who liked the book will want to check out the play production by the Paynesville Area High School Theatre Department this weekend. The students will present the play on Friday, May 16, and Saturday, May 17, at 8 p.m. both nights in the school auditorium.

Fulghum's book mixes great humor with poignant messages, and that comes out in the stage version, said director Ken Vork, who noted that the play is fairly popular among high school drama programs.

The play will feature a series of 15 separate scenes. "Comic relief goes all the way through it," said Vork. "There isn't a sketch that you don't chuckle at and some you downright laugh at. But every single one has a message to it, too."

While the first scene traces changes in attitudes from kindergarten to college to adulthood, the title of the book is a little misleading as the play does not dwell on kindergarten so much as on simple messages for life, said Vork.

Other scenes in the play include: how it is better to be found than to hide, how yelling kills, how music inspires, how to tell a problem from an inconvenience, and how you know you are grown up when you have to grab the hideous stuff that is clogging the sink.

Senior Susie Swyter addresses the audience during a scene about an ill-fated wedding. The high school play is a series of 15 skits. In back are Jessie Virant, Hannah Felling, Courtney Colbert, and Peter Schreifels.

Cast members for the play are: ninth grader Courtney Colbert, senior Hannah Felling, junior Maureen Flanders, ninth grader Caitlin Lien, ninth grader Emily Mehr, ninth grader Lindsey Pelton, senior Josh Price, ninth grader Megan Reeck, junior Peter Schreifels, senior Susie Swyter, junior Sami Tierney, and ninth grader Lauren Vaske.

Each one will play multiple parts in the various skits. "The thing that's nice about this is instead of having all the work fall on two leads, the work is spread out," said Vork.

Assisting Vork in directing are Cal Davidson and Joan Nevitt.

Admission for the plays is $4 for adults and $2 for students.