YOUNGSTOWN PLAYHOUSE Theater sets full slate of youth productions

An interactive program based on King Arthur is planned for July.
By L. CROW
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
YOUNGSTOWN -- The youth program at the Youngstown Playhouse continues to expand, and Patricia Fagan, director of the program, is enthusiastic about the upcoming plays and workshops being offered.
"We have some interesting classes coming up this summer, starting in June," Fagan said.
A workshop will be held the week of June 12 based on the wildly popular Disney movie "High School Musical."
"For middle school kids on up, we are offering 'High School Musical -- The Class'," Fagan said. "The kids will take an idea about a high school and do their own thing with it."
Fagan said they got the idea from "High School Musical," which has been aired repeatedly on the Disney Channel in recent months, but stressed they are not borrowing anything from that show and will create an original episode.
Schedule
Several other youth plays and workshops are also scheduled at the Playhouse during the week of June 12. There will also be a silent movie workshop, where the kids will create their own silent movie. Also, a "Fun With Shakespeare" class will be given for children age 10-16.
"The children will concentrate on learning Shakespearean language, then do a 15-minute version of 'Midsummer Night's Dream,'" Fagan said. The class will be taught by local actress Carol Weakland.
In July, Weakland will also present an interactive class program based on the legend of King Arthur. It is called "Merlin's Magical Mysteries," and is geared toward children ages 5-12.
"The children will be moving throughout the Playhouse over a period of four hours," Fagan explained. "They will be completely immersed in the experience. The mystery is 'who has stolen Prince Arthur?' (he is not king yet, but still a little boy). The famous wizard Merlin will draw the children into medieval times. They will communicate with mythical creatures like dragons, elves and fairies, and become knights and ladies of the court. They will even participate in a jousting match, all the while picking up clues to solve the mystery."
During the last week of June, the youth theater group will tour local libraries with performances of Fagan's "Puss 'N' Boots."
At the end of July, the theater will perform another of Fagan's works, an interactive piece call "Buffalo Bill's Rootin' Tootin' High Falutin Wild West Show," starring Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, Calamity Jane and Pecos Bill. This one will not be touring but will be on the main stage at the Playhouse. Fagan says she is always open to whoever shows up to audition and doesn't have any preconceived ideas as to whether the cast will be children or adults.
In the fall
In late October, Fagan's version of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," a Small Fry production, will be performed in the Moyer Room. Small Fry doesn't refer to little children but to shows that are too intimate to be done on the large stage.
Beginning Nov. 6, "Strega Nona" will be performed on the main stage for school daytime performances the entire week, plus one public performance the following Saturday. "Strega Nona is a little Italian lady with magical powers," Fagan said. "Well-known author Tomie dePaola created her and has written several books about her. Tom Olson has adapted the book into a musical."
During December, youth theater will again present the very popular Cinderella Brunches in the Moyer Room. Characters from the tale interact with the audience as they are eating.
Also in December, there will be a very unusual version of "Christmas Carol" presented on the main stage. "A young boy comes on stage and begins to read the story," Fagan said. "We see it as it is being played out in his head. He then becomes part of the play. The cast has seven people who play all the parts. It is very charming. I fell in love with it the first time I saw it."
In February, there will be another Small Fry production in the Moyer Room. This time, Weakland will be in an acting role, as she presents a one-woman "Jane Eyre."
The February main stage production will be "The Giver," based on the award-winning book by Lois Lowrey. "It is about a civilization far into the future," Fagan said. "It deals with what it means to be a human being."
The final main stage production of the season is Disney's "Jungle Book." The theater is also considering doing a "Peter Rabbit" brunch, based on a script by Fagan about the life of Beatrix Potter.
For more information about any of the youth theater events or about the summer classes and workshops, call (330) 788-8739.