‘Reefer’ grips audience with sex, drugs and death

“Reefer Madness: The Musical” blew through Bloomington last weekend, leaving theatergoers high on laughter with its comical social commentary on the effects of marijuana.

As the audience walked in, they were escorted to their seats by men wearing lab coats, warning them not to touch the inmates of the asylum. On stage, three people in straightjackets moaned and giggled. They began to wander amidst the patrons until they were herded back to the stage by the orderlies.

These were the victims of “Reefer Madness: The Musical,” a satire version of the 1936 propaganda film. The play was the senior project of IU student Aly Bloom, who produced, choreographed and starred in the show.

“I saw this musical my sophomore year, and I decided I wanted to do it,” Bloom said. “It’s been rough, but amazing. Everyone who’s in it is so great, so amazing to work with. We sold out all the shows, and everyone was really excited about it.”

The play is the cautionary tale of Jimmy Harper, played by Harper Jones, and Mary Lane, played by Bloom, who are slowly lured into the dangerous world of marijuana use – a world full of lies, orgies and murder. As he is corrupted, Jimmy slowly begins to shun his girlfriend Mary and hang out at the local reefer den. He stops going to church, starts stealing cars and accidentally kills a man.

Described as a “carnal carnival” by a lyric in one of the songs, it is a play full of upbeat music and tongue-in-cheek messages about the evils of “reefer.”

A satirical comedy, it overemphasizes the dangers of cannabis and warns parents how it will turn their children into “hooligans and whores.”

The narrator, Lawrence Evans, recruits such notable figures as Franklin Roosevelt, Uncle Sam and Jesus to help make his point by singing a song together.

The show ends with a powerful message of how “when danger’s near, exploit their fears. The ends will justify the means,” and the characters swear to bring down Darwin, Sigmund Freud and sex on celluloid as well.  

“It was so much fun – one of the funniest shows I’ve ever done,” said sophomore David Coleman, a member of the chorus. “It was great because of the material and the people involved.”

The show sold out all five performances from Thursday to Saturday. There were two shows Friday and Saturday night, one at 7:30 and one at 10:30.

“It was hilarious. I wasn’t expecting a student-run show to be this good,” said sophomore Evan Williamson. “I was impressed with how good the choreography and singing were, especially in such a small theater.”