Posted: 8/10/04
ëNewí Cinderella is a big hit
If you measure by enthusiasm and laughter and sheer numbers, this yearís community education play was a huge success.
About 65 children put on ìCinderellaî on August 6 and 7 in the Caledonia High School auditorium.
It was sponsored by Caledonia Community Education, and presented by Prairie Fire Childrenís Theater.
The whirlwind effort started with auditions on Monday and a performance four days later. In the meantime Josh Fesmire and Rachel Boller shaped up a colorful and fun play that set the story of Cinderella to original rock and roll music in the 1950s with the theme of ìLetís Go to the Hop.î
The script and music were written by Daniel Nordquist and Deborah Pick.
Kids like Noah Gerdes, 13, thoroughly enjoyed the week. ìI think itís good, itís fun,î he said while getting advice from Fesmire on his leather outfit for his role as Mikey the Prince. (ìThatís a bit much,î Josh says, and Noah loses the jacket.)
Noah said he had done the play in the past and enjoyed it. ìI like acting, itís fun,î he said, repeating the theme of the week.
Fesmire, who is from Mesa, Arizona, said the project is not easy, with only five days of rehearsal, and working around sick kids and dental appointments.
The goal is to teach some basics about theater, like what is meant by ìupstageî and ìdownstage,î and how to project your voice, something this yearís group was having trouble with.
ìWe tell them the biggest thing is to have a good time,î Fesmire said. ìWe figure itís their summer vacation.î
Prairie Fire Childrenís Theater, based in Barrett, Minnesota, specializes in touring original adaptations of classic childrenís tales. It also has a touring program for junior and senior high school and does workshop residencies.
The group is already signed up for another one next year in Caledonia, Beauty and the Beast, August 1-6, 2005.
Caledonia Argus
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