Acting out: Mime performs books by kids

By Denise Dick

Acting out: Mime performs books by kids

The clown pantomime selected pupil-written prose to act out.

POLAND — Union Elementary third-graders Zander Carbon, Donald Drummond, Tony Murcko and Jake Jeges saw their literary masterpiece about a boy and a bowling mishap come to life in pantomime.

As part of literacy week, Union pupils wrote short stories and watched as Brad Bodary of Chillicothe, a clown pantomime, selected a few to act out.

Among those chosen was “Arwin Accidentally Wins,” written by the four boys. It tells the tale of a young boy who can’t seem to hold on to a bowling ball and inadvertently hits his mother in the head with it.

Arwin eventually decides to try gluing the bowling ball to his hand and winds up scoring a strike. There’s only one problem: Arwin flies down the alley attached to the ball.

The boys collaborated on the idea.

“I thought of the part with the glue,” Zander explained.

“It was my idea for him to [accidentally] hit his mother in the head,” Donald added.

They enjoyed Bodary’s interpretation, complete with goofy facial expressions and a fake nose for Arwin.

“I liked the whole thing,” Jake said.

Tony enjoyed the part when Bodary slathered his hand with glue to keep the ball in place.

The boys say they enjoy writing, but Zander prefers making up stories. Putting the letters onto the page isn’t one of his favorite things.

Principal Carmella Smallhoover said the school’s PTO paid for Wednesday’s event. The school, along with the Poland Rotary, is also collecting donations that will be matched by Scholastic Books and used to buy books for nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping families in need.

Bodary, who studied with Red Skelton and performed with the Ringling Brothers Circus, visits schools and fairs, sharing his talent.

The entertainer started the day performing some of his schtick for the kids, then asking them to write their own stories. He just requested that they employ action so he could act them out.

Besides the bowling story, other pupil prose included a story of a scientist who builds a robot, a water fountain that douses anyone who tries to take a drink, a school janitor who opens a locker with a sledgehammer and a monkey who can’t peel a banana.

“I’m making them laugh and entertaining them and at the same time, encouraging them to be creative writers,” Bodary said.