SDA Middle Years Festival: Day 2

Day 2 at the Middle Years Festival was a huge success! I had workshops in the morning with students from Turtleford, Fort Qu'Appelle, and Vibank. I am always amazed, yet never surprised by what young creative minds are capable of coming up with. For instance, it never occurred to me that when The Hulk rips off his shirt and becomes a monster could be considered a "spaz attack."

After the workshops, there were more performances: a comedy, an original work, a fantasy.

TWICE UPON A TIME by Colleen Neuman - Presented by Pilot Butte School - After having worked with the Pilot Butte students, it was no surprise at all that they were excellent! All of the actors in this fractured fairy tale had scads of energy, annunciated every word, and kept the show running at a lively pace. I was particularly blown away by three young men who played witches around a burbling cauldron. So often in a mini-ensemble like this, all of the actors pick up the same rhythm, but not so with these talented young men. Each had their own personality, which was great to see. The rest of the cast was terrific as well, and so many ages, which means the Pilot Butte drama program will continue to grow.

LIFE AS A STATUE - Written and Presented by Dr. George Ferguson School - I'm never sure what to expect when I see an original play, and this is especially the case when it's written by middle school students. Well, I was totally impressed with Life as a Statue; it had a clear beginning, humorous middle, and poignant end. I was very moved by the message, that art has a very important purpose in this world. Of course I agree, otherwise I wouldn't be here. Front of house clinician Cheryl Scherle made a terrific suggestion that I hope the actors and directors listened to; she encouraged them to keep the script alive, keep reworking it, keep performing it. And I whole heartedly agree. I believe with a little bit of work, they would really turn the play into something people would want to, and should, see.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND by William Simms - Presented by Vibank Regional School - Everyone knows the story of Alice in Wonderland, but this script posed a little bit more of a challenge because it incorporated audience participation into the mix. I liked how confident the actors were, particularly the narrator, as they faced the audience and spoke their lines. Looking into the void and speaking with confidence is not an easy task for an actor of any age, so great job to them for that! I also like that they experimented with different lighting cues. They used specials to focus our attention to select parts of the stage. With time and practice, techniques such as this will definitely come in handy when telling a story.

That's all for Day 2! Stay tuned tomorrow for 3 more plays, including Epic Fail, written by yours truly. I met with the Turtleford students and they are amazing, so I can't wait to see what they have in store!