GREENEVILLE – Children and young adults will entertain audiences during two comedies in November that will highlight the depth of acting talent and breadth of theater programming offered at Tusculum University.
George Lane, left, and Cora Hawkins rehearse a scene in the foreground as, left to right, Eliza Girton, Vandal Harris and Bo Poe observe in the background.
Left to right Sebastian Bowman, Kelina Maximoff and Zanna Parker rehearse a scene in “A Walk Through the Woods.”
Theatre-at-Tusculum will present “Story Theatre” by Paul Sills Nov. 10, Nov. 11, Nov. 17 and Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 12 and Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. in the Marilyn duBrisk Theatre on the upper level of Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Center. An hour before the performances on Nov. 11, Nov. 12, Nov. 18 and Nov. 19, Tusculum Arts Outreach will present “A Walk Through the Woods,” written by Erin Hensley Schultz, also in the Marilyn duBrisk Theatre.
“We are thrilled to showcase the skill and enthusiasm of these young performers,” said Steve Schultz, Art Outreach’s director. “They have captured the essence of these shows beautifully and will generate a lot of laughs from our audiences. Those who attend the shows will have a great time and see how bright the future of theater in our region is with these up-and-coming actors.”
“Story Theatre” will feature a cast of 21, with Tusculum students George Lane and Emme Foster among them. The cast’s age range is 12-20. The play is a collection of Aesop’s Fables and Brothers Grimm tales and consists of 10 scenes of varying lengths. Steve Schultz, the director of “Story Theatre,” said this comedy will feature slapstick and word play.
“A Walk Through the Woods” features a smaller cast – 15 – with parts for children ages 8-11. Normally, this would be a full-length play, but Erin Schultz has condensed it to fit one act and last about 40 minutes. “A Walk Through the Woods” is a collection of short stories from fairy tales such as “Hansel and Gretel,” “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Three Little Pigs.”
Both plays will use the same set.
Zoey Potter, left, and Wrenley Tucker become animated during rehearsal for “Story Theatre.”
Left to right: Vandal Harris, Emme Foster and Bo Poe rehearse a scene in “Story Theatre.”
Steve Schultz said the humor in the two plays will be on display differently. He said the jokes will come a lot faster in “A Walk Through the Woods.” There will be humor throughout “Story Theatre,” but he said one of the scenes lasts three minutes with all of the action leading to the joke that comes at the end. Other scenes have funny moments spread throughout them – even the one that encompasses murder in the plot.
For most of the cast, “Story Theatre” will be the first full-length play in which they have performed. All cast members have received extensive training through theater classes, and many of them participated in Tusculum’s Young Actors Studio prior to landing roles in this play,
Joining Steve Schultz in the behind-the-scenes work for “Story Theatre” is Zaidita Hewitt, a Tusculum freshman who is majoring in communication with a concentration in theater. The team also consists of Elijah Collins-White, Tusculum’s technical director, who is overseeing the lighting, sound and set, and Erin Schultz, who is creating the costumes. She serves as Tusculum’s costume director.
“It’s a feel-good comedy with a physical style,” Steve Schultz said. “This play will show what our students can do when they are given the opportunity to demonstrate their theatrical gift. It’s a great show for people of all ages. Our performers have been crushing it in rehearsals.”
Cast members of “Story Theatre” work through a scene.
Cast members of “A Walk Through the Woods” work on a scene.
Erin Schultz wrote “A Walk Through the Woods” when she and Steve Schultz, her husband, worked in children’s theater in South Carolina. He said there are not a lot of strong scripts for children in the 8-11 age bracket, so she chose this one for the Tusculum production.
“Tusculum has not previously undertaken a play specifically designed for children in this age group,” Steve Schultz said. “We decided to pursue this project because there were not a lot of opportunities for children of this age to perform in theater. It’s a fantastic way to build on their interest in theater and let them see the possibilities that might unfold in their futures.”
In addition to writing the play, Erin Schultz will direct “A Walk Through the Woods” and provide the costumes. Collins-White will handle the lighting and sound for this play as well.
Tickets are $5 for children 12 and younger, $15 for seniors 60 and older and $17 for anyone 13-59. On the days when both plays are being performed, the ticket entitles the holder to see “Story Theatre” and “A Walk Through the Woods.” To purchase tickets, please visit https://bit.ly/405LTgn.
Additional information about Tusculum’s theater program is available at https://arts.tusculum.edu/. To learn more about the university, please visit www.tusculum.edu.