Recipe: Turkey Pâté en croûte
November 1, 2012
Editor’s Picks for November
November 1, 2012
Children and teenagers with South Louisiana Center for the Arts probe the twisted mind of Ebenezer Scrooge this month at Le Petit Theatre.
The 11-member cast, from 10-15 years old, plays Charles Ludlam’s “A Christmas Carol,” based on the timeless Charles Dickens novel.
The story is about the transformation of Scrooge, a curmudgeonly businessman notable for disdaining holidays and paying low wages. Scrooge changes his ways after spirits from the past, present and future visit him and help forge a new perspective.
Jillian Vedros-Rowan directs the play. SoLa’s senior drama instructor says she chose this script because it is popular and features classical language. The latter fits into her view that junior theater programs help educate the budding actors.
“You have to do script analysis, you have to really analyze a character and figure out who this person is and how you’re going to portray them,” Vedros-Rowan says. “Even though we’re having kind of a conceptual thing with the costumes, the kids still are encouraged to research the clothes and the postures and that kind of thing.”
Instead of tracking down period costumes from the 19th century, which would in turn require multiple costume changes for the cast members equaling roughly one-fourth of the number of characters, the wardrobe is jet black.
“They’re just going to all wear all-black and add pieces to suggest character – hats, scarves, coats, that kind of thing,” the director says. Different colors depict the play’s different time periods.
Madison Rousse, a 14-year-old student at Vandebilt Catholic High School, is Scrooge.
“It’s a little different,” says Madison, who has performed in four other plays with SoLa. “I’ve pretty much been in Disney and fairytale (plays). This is a little deeper.”
Jacob McManus, a 13-year-old Vandebilt student, plays Scrooge’s nephew and the Ghost of Marley, Scrooge’s deceased business partner, two vital characters. He prefers the ghost.
“He’s really kind of driven mad by the spirits,” Jacob says. “He’s a really fun character to play because I can make the lines more characterized and make them sound like he’s crazy.”
Fourteen-year-old Christina Samanie, also a Vandebilt student, has been involved with theater since she was 7. She has acted in “like 23” plays over that period, but this one differs from her previous credits, particularly the variety in her three characters: the bag lady, Fan and Mrs. Cratchit.
“You have to learn how to change your tone of voices for each part and it’s really different to what I’m used to – the language,” Christina says. “You have to do an old cockney accent, then you have to change to like higher-class Britain.”
Hailey Rebstock is another veteran. The 15-year-old has performed in 10 plays in 5 years and was cast as an extra in the movie “The Rejects.” In the SoLa play, she’s partial to her role as Christmas Present.
“I learn a lot, and being on stage, it’s a really fun experience,” Hailey says. “It’s something very much new every time.”
For Vedros-Rowan, the joy comes when her pupils nail a moment or emotion that has stumped them.
“There have been kids that I taught for years and years and sometimes it’s kind of like pulling teeth trying to get things out of them, (but) when they finally turn that corner and when you finally see them get it, it’s just a really wonderful moment,” Vedros-Rowan says.
The play begins at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 23-24 and at 2 p.m. on Nov. 25. Productions are staged at Le Petit Theatre de Terrebonne, 7829 Main St., Houma. Tickets cost $8. For more information, call (985) 876-2222.
Madison Rousse, as Ebenezer Scrooge, and Sarah Clement rehearse for SOLA’s “A Christmas Carol.”
