First time playwright Andrew Gladwell made a splash in Whitman’s theater community with the premiere of his original play Droopy Drawers. The play centers around young man Peter as his attempts to achieve success in his career and love life are foiled by his inability to keep his pants from falling down. This charming romp follows Peter on his journey to find a belt–and he just might end up finding himself along the way.

Star of the show Davey Mendoza said that he was nervous about the physical requirements the role presented.

“There’s one scene in the play which we all called the Crack Scene. It’s where my boxers slip down a little bit and you can see part of my buttcrack. I trained for weeks to make sure I was it looked good–squats, lunges, you name it. But I think my hard work definitely paid off.” We agree, Davey!

Gladwell, who directed as well as wrote the play, said that the best part of the whole experience was seeing the cast come together and create something meaningful. While the play may seem lighthearted and silly, the message is surprisingly insightful.

“It’s like, a metaphor right? Because like, right now, America can’t keep its pants up. We’re the ones that need to find a belt,” Gladwell commented when we caught up with him backstage.

This analysis might be lost on the audience, who walked away with smiles on their faces.The Whitman community will surely benefit from having such a promising new voice in our midst.