This
page (Page #12) has great articles from newspapers and school
newsletters. Check out all these great comments about ArtReach
popular titles: Sword in the Stone & Knights of
the Round Table, The Wizard of Oz,
A Thousand Cranes, Thomas Edison.
Family
: Manly, Magical Days of Yore, ArtReach's 'Sword
in the Stone'
The
Laguna Playhouse Youth Theater Spins an Imaginative Version of the
Arthurian Legend
SPECIAL
TO THE LA TIMES
LAGUNA
BEACH - In the Laguna Playhouse Youth Theater's "Sword in the
Stone," a man becomes a fish, a boy turns into a sparrow and a
sword pierces a boulder swiftly and effortlessly.
These
slices of fancy from Arthurian legend are appealing enough, but it's
their Middle Ages setting that's even more toothsome to modern
viewers--a once-upon-a-time era in which knights were valorous,
ladies were virtuous and chivalry was its own reward.
"Merlin,
the ageless sorcerer and teacher serves as Arthur's mentor."
ArtReach's Sword
in the Stone & Knights
of the Round Table - Brentwood Theatre, UK
But
this mostly involving production is no spun-sugar "Sword."
The two one-acts were created years apart by Kathryn Schultz Miller
and presented together by Youth Theater director Joe Lauderdale for
the first time. Sunday's matinee performance was manly enough to hold
young audiences, including a large showing of school-age boys.
Though
this production and Disney's 1963 animated version are spinoffs from
T. H. White's book, Miller's work is strikingly different from the
movie, an entertaining but mostly featherweight film that--as
Christopher Finch described in his book, "The Art of
Disney"--"totally misses the tone" of White's story.
The
biggest difference can be seen in Merlin, the ageless sorcerer and
teacher who serves as Arthur's mentor and adviser throughout his
life. Instead of Disney's testy, bungling eccentric, Miller's Merlin
is wry, intense and cloaked in mystery. He reserves his considerable
magic to school his young pupil and guide him through difficulties
during his reign. Lauderdale handles the moments gracefully while
encouraging children to use their imaginations; his use of swirling
silk to suggest wind and water were especially effective.
Tim
Dey leads the cast admirably as Merlin. At 33, Dey is the oldest in
the show (the other actors range from 15 to 18) and he has
considerable stage experience; his Fagin at the playhouse's
production of "Oliver!" last year was incredible. Dey's
Merlin is just as memorable, brooding and just dark enough to be
intriguing, with a dusting of dry wit.
"Encourages
children to use their imaginations."
ArtReach's Sword
in the Stone & Knights
of the Round Table - Brentwood Theatre, UK
As
Arthur, Brad Bredeweg handles nicely the task of aging his character
from a wide-eyed youth to an aging king. Michael Tryon starts out a
bit flat as Lancelot, but gathers steam quickly. Jenny Rees'
Guenevere is comely and has a pleasant touch of sass.
Well-schooled
by fight choreographer Rand Hudson, the cast presented several
stirring fight scenes complete with clashing swords and rousing
battle cries against a dramatic backdrop of sound and light.
The
piece's first act follows Arthur, a feisty 12-year-old squire to his
older brother Kai, as he is groomed by Merlin to assume the crown of
a troubled England. The famous scene in which Arthur pulls Excalibur
from the stone and hence earns the throne binds the two acts
together; it closes the first and is repeated in the opening moments
of the second.
Act
2 carries on the story, relating some of the high and low points in
Arthur's life, including his alliance with Lancelot and his Knights
of the Round Table, his marriage to Guenevere and his trials at the
hand of the sinister witch Morgana.
"Stirring
fight scenes complete with clashing swords."
ArtReach's Sword
in the Stone & Knights
of the Round Table - Brentwood Theatre, UK
Of
course, it takes a fair amount of talk to pass on the wisdom of the
ages, and while Miller's dialogue contains some beautiful and
sometimes funny passages, by the middle of the second act it started
to wear thin with young viewers. The problem is compounded by the
fact that in Act 2, Miller has tried to compress decades of Arthur's
rule into less than 40 minutes. And she often shifts tenses; some
events are presented as if they are happening currently, others seem
to be recollections shared by Merlin and Arthur.
However,
because Miller intended each of the acts to stand alone, you can't
blame her for occasional unevenness; perhaps Lauderdale could have
eased the flow by trimming and blending the two scripts more.
David
Hudnall's lighting design and David Edwards' sound design back up
the action effectively, especially in the battle scenes. The six
weeks that Hudson spent working with the cast were fruitful; the
conflicts are exciting and the movements surprisingly graceful. (And
yes, in case you were wondering, the swords are real. The edges are
blunted but the tips, as evidenced by a flesh wound or two among the
cast, are sharp.) Brigitte Harper's costumes ran mostly toward the
coarse fibers typical of the Middle Ages, with the exception of
Merlin's beaded collar and cape lining.
After
the show, Lauderdale invited audience members to sit in with cast
members and crew in an open discussion he calls StageTalk. The
program will also be offered after the evening shows Friday and Saturday.
"Beautiful
and sometimes funny passages."
ArtReach's Sword
in the Stone & Knights
of the Round Table - Brentwood Theatre, UK
"Sword
in the Stone" is the first of four shows to be presented in the
Laguna Playhouse Youth Theater's 1994-95 season. Also scheduled are
"White as Snow, Red as Blood," an adaptation of the Snow
White story by Virginia Glasgow Koste (Feb. 10 through 19), Thomas
Olson's adaptation of Johana Spyri's "Heidi" (April 7
through 16) and Louis Sachar's "There's a Boy in the Girls'
Bathroom" (June 9 through 18).
*
"Sword in the Stone," Laguna Playhouse Youth Theater,
Moulton Theater, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. Thursday at
7:30 p.m., Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and
Sunday at 2 p.m. (714) 494-8021. Tickets: $10 for adults, $7 for
children 4 to 13. Children under 4 are not admitted. Running time:
Two hours with one intermission.
Presented
by the Laguna Playhouse Youth Theater. Adapted by Kathryn Schultz
Miller. Directed by Joe Lauderdale. Fight choreography: Rand Hudson.
Sets: Jacquie Moffett. Costumes: Brigitte Harper. Lighting: David
Hudnall. Sound: David Edwards.
Junior
High School Students Perform ArtReach's The
Wizard of Oz
Altoona
Mirror, PA
The
Altoona Area Junior High School Drama Club will present "The
Wizard of Oz."
A
senior citizen preview will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20.
Public performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, and
Friday, Nov. 22, with a matinee show at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23. All
performances will take place in the Altoona Area Junior High School auditorium.
L.
Frank Baum's classic novel comes to life in "The
Wizard of Oz." Young Dorothy Gale is swept away by a
cyclone from her Kansas farm to the magical land of Oz.
"Young
Dorothy Gale is swept away by a cyclone."
ArtReach's "The
Wizard of Oz." - Altoona Area Junior High School Drama Club
There,
she encounters a host of whimsical characters: good witches, bad
witches, animals that talk, scarecrows that walk, and things magical
to behold.
To
find her way home, she must journey along the Yellow Brick Road to
see the mysterious and all-powerful Wizard in Emerald City.
Along
the way, she makes new friends, but must also brave many dangers,
including the Wicked Witch of the West, who will stop at nothing to
get her hands-on Dorothy's magical ruby slippers.
"An
important lesson: there's no place like home."
ArtReach's "The
Wizard of Oz." - Altoona Area Junior High School Drama Club
To
make it home safely, Dorothy must learn an important lesson: there's
no place like home.
With
more than 70 actors and almost 25 crew members, "The
Wizard of Oz." is sure to be entertaining and fun for everyone.
The
show is being directed and produced by drama club faculty advisers
Stacy Palilla and Jordan Giordano, along with assistants Lindsay
Smith, Lucy Craig and Ashley Cover.
General
admission tickets will only be on sale at the door and will cost $10
for adults and $5 for children/students. Doors open 45 minutes before
each show.
"More
than 70 actors and almost 25 crew members."
ArtReach's "The
Wizard of Oz." - Altoona Area Junior High School Drama Club
Courtesy
photo Surrounded by Munchkins, Dorothy and Toto encounter Glinda the
Good Witch who tells them that in order to have their questions
answered they must travel to Emerald City to see the Wizard of Oz.
Rehearsing for the Altoona Area Junior High School's production of
"The Wizard of Oz" are (from left): standing front --
Mallory Ganz (Toto), Charlotte White (Dorothy), Campbell Fleegle
(Munchkin Burly), Kayla Wolfe (Munchkin Curly), Munchkin Joe (Tenley
Keefer) and Grace Pensyl (Glinda).
DHS
OAP presented moving performance of ArtReach's "A
Thousand Cranes"
Devine
High School, Devine News TX
You
could have heard a pin drop as the Devine High School One Act play
set the solemn scene of Hiroshima, where the main character Sadako
(Ariana Russell) suffered the long lasting effects of the atom bomb
which fell ten years prior to this scene. Russell and the entire cast
and crew did an excellent job of handling such difficult subject matter.
The
audience enjoyed comical and playful banter in some of the opening
scenes between Sadako (Russell) and Kenji (Jose Guardiola) as they
raced "on the playground."
When
the story took a scary turn, doctors at the hospital (Jose and Amada
Guardiola) did a good job of portraying the confusion and hysteria as
the child Sadako was diagnosed with leukemia.
"You
could have heard a pin drop!"
Devine High School, TX -
ArtReach's A Thousand Cranes
Team
members who helped put on the production of A Thousand Cranes are
(back row, left to right): Patti Taitano, Miguel Palma, Jo Taitano,
Gabby Romano, Abbey Paulson, Ariana Russell, Amada Guardiola, Emilie
Dudley, and Charlize Benavidez; front row (left to right): Paige
Williamson, Shi Mercer, Paige Reyna, Jose Guardiola, and Jillian Courtade.
Jose
Guardiola played three roles in the play, a difficult feat, and did
a good job of transitioning from character to character.
The
carefully orchestrated lighting by crew members Emilie Dudley and
Paige Williamson, and sound effects by Charlize Benavidez and Paige
Reyna did a great job of setting the solemn tone of the play.
Grandmother
played by Abbey Paulson also did an excellent job portraying the
grandmother's spirit, the character which delivers the news that the
little girl is passing away from the effects of the bomb.
In
one of the most tender moments of the production, grandmother
(Paulson) explains to the little girl that the atom bomb has made her
very sick, even though it took years for her to become ill.
"But
it's been ten years since the bomb fell," Sadako says, "How
can that be grandmother?"
"The
bomb continues to fall, Sadako," grandmother said.
Stage
manager Jillian Courtade, makeup artist Miguel Palma, stage
assistant Josephine Taitano, costume construction by Madeline
Steubing, alternate Gabby Romano, and director Patti Taitano also did
an awesome job bringing this play to life.
PCC
play 'Cranes' is
all about hope
By Nicky Hamila
For the Arizona Daily Star
Betsy Kruse
Craig has the ultimate teaching tool: Theater.
Craig has been
instrumental in bringing theater for children to the Pima Community
College stage.
Based on a true
story, it's about a young girl named Sadako Sasaki who lived in
Hiroshima. She was 2 when the atom bomb was dropped on the city, and
12 when she was diagnosed with leukemia from the radiation.
"Kids
have a voice that is powerful."
Pima Community
College, AZ
It touches on
culture, war, self-empowerment, empathy. And that's just for starters.
Japanese legend
holds that if a sick person folds a thousand cranes, the gods will
make the person healthy again.
Sadako starts
folding cranes in hopes she will recover. It's a task she can't
complete — she lives long enough to fold 644 cranes. Her
classmates fold the rest and bury them with her.
"She is
the icon for hope and peace," Craig said. "I think it's
important for kids to understand that they have a voice and that
their voice is powerful."
The play also
teaches about war and its ravages.
"There
have been children throughout history that have had to go through
war," Craig said. "I think it's important for kids to know
how other children have lived in countries of war. . . . For a piece
like this, it teaches you about culture and history and sympathy and empathy."
And that makes "A
Thousand Cranes" a play of a different sort.
"It's less
of a play," said Craig, "and more of an epic poem."
PREVIEW
"A
Thousand Cranes"
•
Presented by: Pima Community College Theatre Arts.
• By:
Kathryn Schultz Miller.
•
Director: Betsy Kruse Craig.
• When: 7
p.m. Fri and Sat; 2 p.m. Sat and Sun through Oct. 5.
• Tickets: $6.
•
Information: 206-6986.
• Running
time: 60 minutes, with no intermission.
Florida
Rep Takes an Electrifying Look at the Man Behind the Lightbulb
Broadway
World: Commissioned ArtReach's 'Thomas
Edison: Fire of Genius'
Florida
Repertory Theatre announced that its popular Lunchbox Theatre Series
continues this month with an electrifying look at one of America's
most famous icons, Thomas Edison. Perfect for kids of all ages,
Thomas Edison: Fire of Genius plays Jan. 20 & 21 at 11am in the
Historic Arcade Theatre. The $12 admission price includes the
performance, lunch and a post-show workshop.
"Edison
takes the audience on a journey."
ArtReach's Thomas
Edison - Florida Rep, Ft. Myers
Commissioned
specially for Florida Rep in 2006 by renowned children's theatre
author, Kathryn Schultz Miller, Thomas Edison: Fire of Genius
examines landmark events in the great inventor's life and shows us
how he became a legend. Edison himself takes the audience on an
inspirational journey through his childhood full of woes, the
invention of the light bulb, and even chronicles his years spent in
Southwest Florida on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River. A
fast-paced and zany look at Edison and life at the turn of the 20th
century, Fire of Genius gives audiences a rare glimpse into the life
and times of "The Wizard of Menlo Park." Edison's journey
teaches children that "genius is one percent inspiration and
ninety-nine percent perspiration."
In
addition to the Saturday morning performance designed to give
families a day at the theatre, the Lunchbox Series features a special
performance on Friday, January 20th that is custom-designed as a
field trip opportunity for schools, day cares and other groups
interested in supplementing their arts curriculum. Both performances
include a bagged lunch from Florida Rep's restaurant partner, the
Morgan House, a post-show discussion with the actors and an
interactive workshop with the Edison & Ford Winter Estates' Wild Wizard.
"Lunchbox
Series features a special performance."
ArtReach's Thomas
Edison - Florida Rep, Ft. Myers
The
production features Florida Rep's acting intern company, Julianne
Avolio, Taylor Murphy Hale, Robert Mitchel Owenby and Hallie Wage.
These young theatre artists are making their professional debut with
Florida Rep, and will spend the season working in many different
capacities, but chiefly performing with the Children's Theatre Series.
Florida
Rep's Education Director, Rachael Endrizzi (And Then They Came for
Me; 13 the Musical), directed the production, and was joined by an
expert team of designers - all of whom are residents in their field
at Florida Rep. Chris Simpson, the company's technical director,
served as the scenic designer, Florida Rep's Assistant Costume
Designer, Judith Skyles, designed the costumes, Kate Smith designed
the sound, and Props Artisan, Jenn Williams, designed the many
inventive and imaginative props that bring Edison's many inventions
to vivid life.
Thomas
Edison: Fire of Genius by Kathryn Schultz Miller plays in the
Historic Arcade Theatre on Friday and Saturday, January, 20 and 21 at
11am. Tickets are $12 and available online at
www.floridarepeducation.org or through the box office at 239-332-4488.
