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School children interact with actors |
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Monday, 23 March 2009 |
 By Leslie Mielke
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FIRTH — Monday morning, all Firth elementary students, grades 1 through 6, attended the play, “The Wind in the Willows.”
This is an adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's children's book by the same name. The play was performed by the Idaho Theater for Youth.
Mole, rat, toad and weasel, with the help of the audience, portrayed this classic story of friendship.
Students were able to ask questions of the actors at the conclusion of the play. “How do you disappear behind the scenery?” one student asked.
“The set is designed so we can move the curtain in the back to disappear,” the actor said. “With the audience's attention on what's going on on stage, you aren't aware the curtain moved,” actor Jimmy Bowman said.
Actress Yana Kesala showed the audience the "crash barrel" used to provide sound effects.
It is made up of two metal garbage lids with scrap metal in it. Rolling it around the floor provides a great crash sound when, behind the scene, toad crashes his latest motorcar.
The actors have worked together since January when rehearsal began for this play.
It took three weeks for the four actors to learn their parts. This production is the first time these actors have worked with the Idaho Theater for Youth.
In the play, the mole's part was performed by Allison Sanchez from Chicago; Yana Kesala from Seattle played the rat. The weasel was played by Jimmy Bowman from Los Angeles and Jared Van Heel from Seattle played the toad.
Asked how she projects her voice, Yana Kesala said she practices a lot.
“I work on resonance, projection and knowing how to breathe,” she said. “Lowering my voice helps, also, so I'm not hoarse after each performance.”
Firth was the 86th performance of this play.
The troup has performed all over Idaho.
The next performance will be in Twin Falls.
Their tour concludes April 11. "Then we return back from where we came from," actress Allison Sanchez said, “to audition for the next play.”
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Last Updated ( Friday, 27 March 2009 )
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