CCMS play includes fairy tales told in talk show format

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

A cast and crew of more than 45 Charles City Middle School students are getting ready to entertain you.

CCMS’s spring drama production will be “The Snow White Variety Show,” presented at North Grand Auditorium at 7 p.m. Friday, March 20, and 2 p.m. Saturday, March 21. Director Marie Conklin said the audience will get to see a unique production.

“These are some spectacular middle school students with a lot of talent,” she said. “It’s a show that will hopefully make them laugh and see the greatness we have here in Charles City.”

Conklin said auditions were held in October and rehearsals have been ongoing since January.

“We have a very young cast,” Conklin said. “Many of these students either hadn’t been on stage before or have been in very small parts. We’ve been getting them accustomed to the stage and helping them discover what theater is all about.”

In the play, the audience becomes a live studio audience on a talk show called, “Real Talk with Fairytale Legends,” where the characters tell the story of Snow White as the “Fairytale Players” bring it to life.

The tale is told by way of an interview with The Seven Dwarfs — but not the traditional seven dwarfs. These dwarfs are named Wordy, Nerdy, Rowdy, Howdy, Weepy, Creepy and Bob and are played by Ethan Friedrich, Fiona Pittman, Katie Heckers, Shelby Effle, Savanna Baldus, Brynn Rothler and Josette Benning.

In the variety show spoof, each new dwarf takes a turn telling part of Snow White’s famous story in his or her own unique voice, and the player’s reenactment shifts to match the style and personality of that particular dwarf.

At any given moment, the story can be anything — romance, comedy, home improvement show, suspense, Western, epic poetry, mystery, cooking show, stand-up routine, or blockbuster action movie. There’s even a “Miss Fairest of Them All” beauty pageant.

Other characters in the play include Real Snow White, played by AnnMarie Hansen; Announcer, played by Isabella Knecht; Heidi Perbole, played by Taylor Myhre; Applause Guy, played by Isabella Fisher and Destiny Squier; Snow White, played by Klaire Kirby; Evil Queen, played by Kalia Richard; Huntsman, played by Andrew White; Snow White’s Mother, played by Sienna Anderson; King, played by Lucias Thompson; Magic Mirror, played by Jordan Hitchcock; Big Bad Wolf, played by Gracie Opp; Troll, played by Jordyn Hitchcock; Witch, played by Kierstan Mashek; Ogre, played by Blake Hoeft.

Characters also include Goldilocks, played by Jenna Aikey; Mama Bear, played by Keirstan Mashek; Papa Bear, played by Blake Hoeft; Baby Bear, played by Nichole Raveling; Dwarf Stand In, played by Emilee Sande; Igor, played by Kierstan Mashek; CSI Dwarf One, played by Kayla Streich; CSI Dwarf Two, played by Destiny Kohlheim; Prince, played by Blake Hoeft; Guard 1, played by Gracie Opp; Guard 2, played by Destiny Squier; Red Riding Hood, played by Kayla Streich; Sleeping Beauty, played by Isabella Fisher; Hansel, played Lucias Thompson; Gretel, played by Destiny Squier; Ugly Duckling, played by Gracie Opp; Jack Sprat, played by Jordyn Hitchcock; Cinder Sella, played by Isabella Fisher; Rapunzel, played by Kiersten Mashek; Model, played by Sienna Anderson.

Working behind the scenes back stage are Izzie Marth, Emma Prichard, Nevaeh Jensen, Ally Wedeking, Emily Jones, Shaley Baltes, Keyrra Flowers and Kayla Streich.