Advertisement
That’s the sacrifice you have to make when you’re an aspiring actor.
 |
Coltan Kline, 11, Chris Bernard, 12, Theo Morgan, 10, and Raelynn Peter, 8, kill some time before rehearsal June 20 on WSU’s campus in Winona. These Winona area kids are performing in the Great River Shakespeare Festival’s production of "Macbeth." (Photo by Andrew Link of the Winona Daily News) |
All are appearing in the Great River Shakespeare Festival’s “Macbeth.” The tragedy is part of the fourth season of the festival, and is being performed through July 29 at Winona State University’s Performing Arts Center.
“Kids often make the best actors. Their imaginations are so alive,” said Paul Barnes, the festival’s producing director. “They’re so totally accepting of their character.”
The children say their summers usually are busy with things like swim team and softball, but they’re having fun doing something different.
“I really think it’s worth it,” said 14-year-old Emily Daly. “You get to meet really incredible people.”
And they’ve learned lots of things as budding thespians, including how “cool” Shakespeare is.
Case in point: If you’re looking for a new way to say “what’s up,” the young cast recommends going with a Shakespeare-style “How now?”
Here are a few other things the young cast has learned:
Shakespeare is popular for a reason
“The stories are so good,” said 12-year-old Helena Scholz-Carlson. “They’re so complex and have all these great characters.”
Stay focused
“If you forget what you’re doing, it sort of loses its effect,” said Elizabeth Smart, 16. “You have to be in it the whole time.”
Work hard
“At the beginning it sounded easy, but it’s hard. You have to remember more than just your lines,” Theo Morgan, 10, said.
Get to know each other
“You have to get to know the actors and then you feel like a family. You have to be close together,” 8-year-old Raelynn Peter said.
Costumes are cool
“The kilts are so fun,” said 12-year-old Chris Bernard. “I’m tempted to wear one to school.”
Handle stage fright
“We’ve done it so much that you don’t really get nervous about it,” Scholz-Carlson said.
Dying for a part
“I’ve learned how to die,” said 14-year-old Emily Daly. “It’s like a dance — you have to get the movement of the body right and the right way to scream.”
Behind the scenes
“I’ve learned that actors aren’t the only ones who should get credit,” Smart said. “The lighting and the sound are extremely important.”
Career options
The young actors still are weighing their career options, but all are looking forward to other theatrical perfor-mances. “I want to be a triple threat — a singer, a dancer and an actor,” Bernard said.
The young thespians
Contact reporter Käri Knutson at kknutson@winonadailynews.com or (507) 453-3523.
