MARYVILLE, Mo. — A brand new program at The Rose Theatre appears to deliver new alternatives for younger audiences who need to spend extra time within the theater.
This system works with college students starting from first to eighth grade to assist produce a storybook adaptation on stage. The storybooks and program are aimed towards a youthful viewers to offer the chance for them to expertise the theater for the primary time.
“It’s very child-friendly,” director Jennifer O’Gwin mentioned. “The story is acquainted. The size of the play is brief and the younger actors are (given) form of a snug introduction to the theater.”
This 12 months, the Storybook to Stage program is placing on a free manufacturing of Tomie dePaola’s image e book “Strega Nona.” The e book follows Strega Nona and her helper, Massive Anthony, who discovers Nona’s secret magic pasta pot. Nona whispers spells to the pot to supply giant parts of pasta and Anthony reveals her secret to the city by by chance flooding it with pasta.
Elena Leonard and Liam O’Gwin take path from director Jennifer O’Gwin throughout follow at The Rose Theatre on Oct. 13.
PAXSON HAWS/THE FORUM
College students began weekly practices again in September that included engaged on scenes, constructing the set, studying songs and theater video games and studying different facets of the theater. O’Gwin mentioned the weekly follow had put extra accountability on the scholars to be taught their strains and keep in mind to do issues on their very own at house.
“We’re actually excited to supply this to the neighborhood and we’re hoping that it’s going to have sufficient ongoing curiosity that it may be one thing that we proceed,” she mentioned.
In the course of the summer time months, kids can take part within the efficiency placed on by Maryville Younger Gamers however O’Gwin mentioned the world is lacking packages all through the varsity 12 months and it’s inflicting kids to journey to St. Joseph to satisfy their wants.
“We’d like to see extra youth theater alternatives domestically in order that the gifted youngsters which are right here can do issues that enrich our personal neighborhood as a substitute of taking their expertise out of city,” she mentioned.
Together with the manufacturing of “Strega Nona,” The Rose Theatre can be placing on a manufacturing of Oscar Wilde’s comedy “The Significance of Being Earnest” with a forged of highschool college students.
In line with O’Gwin, this play is a comedy of manners that challenges the children’ performing skills. She mentioned it has allowed her and the forged to show the efficiency right into a “theater workshop” and discover the characters, motion and vocalization in a enjoyable and fascinating method. The scholars have been capable of originate the way in which they transfer and provides their strains with O’Gwin there to assist clean out decisions that don’t circulation as effectively.
Throughout rehearsal, O’Gwin and her assistant director, Megan Vesel, will be seen offering strains, encouraging motion all through the stage and “sitting in stitches” whereas watching.
“You’ll suppose after figuring out the strains, being aware of the strains and listening to them week after week that they might cease being humorous,” O’Gwin mentioned. “However the writing is so intelligent. Although it’s set in Victorian England, the query of id and the masks that we put on and who’s it that we current to the world, who we faux to be, I feel are actually, actually related within the social media age. So, the children have discovered actually sturdy connections to the characters.”
Kathryn Vesel, who performs Woman Becknell, described her character as very strict, uptight and “the embodiment of that meme ‘he a bit confused however he received the spirit.’”
This meme consists of a display screen seize of actors Will Smith and Alfonso Ribeiro from a 1992 episode of “Recent Prince of Bel-Air” that’s used as a response to conditions that have been well-intended however executed in an improper method. The display screen seize has Will Smith’s character’s line, “He a bit confused, however he received the spirit” on the backside of the picture.
Woman Becknell’s position within the play is to push again in opposition to the wedding of her daughter Gwendolyn to Jack Worthing due to his upbringing however swiftly modifications her views when extra data is revealed about Worthing’s character.
Elena Leonard, Gabriella Rowen and Ivy Goldsmith follow Act 3 of the play “The Significance of Being Earnest” at The Rose Theatre on Oct 13.
PAXSON HAWS/THE FORUM
Ivy Goldsmith portrays Gwendolyn Fairfax, an ideal image of a prim and correct woman within the 1800s, who finds herself in a sticky state of affairs when the person she loves has a faux id when he involves city.
Goldsmith has been lively in The Rose Theatre since 2017, the place she has acted and labored on costume design, set design and different facets of the theater.
“I like theater,” Goldsmith mentioned. “I like the neighborhood right here; prefer it’s simply so welcoming to everybody. It’s like a giant household. I adore it a lot.”
The Rose Theatre will current “Strega Nona” at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29, with free admission however restricted seating. “The Significance of Being Earnest” could have three performances: 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 4 and at 2 p.m. and seven p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5. Tickets for this efficiency will be bought for $8 on The Rose Theatre’s web site.
