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Drama guild to present ‘Honk’
Photo
John Gluckner (18) gets salted by Kiyan Taghaboni (15) during practice for Boardman Community Theatre's "Honk!" (which is based upon Hans Christian Andersen's "The Ugly Duckling" ) in the hallway of the Boardman Performing Arts Center, Thursday June 18, 2009
Advance tickets are available at www.boardmandramaguild.com.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
You’re probably familiar with the tale of the Ugly Duckling. Now, think of it with song and dance.
The Boardman Drama Guild presents “Honk” at 7 p.m. Friday and at 2 and 7 p.m. June 27 at the high school performing arts center, 7777 Glenwood Ave.
“It’s based on the story of the Ugly Duckling,” said Jon Gluckner, 18, who just graduated from Boardman High School.
He plays Ugly, an awkward, naive duckling who gets separated from his mother and lured into danger by a cat who wants to eat him.
Jon, who’s appeared in 17 shows both at school and in community theaters, says “Honk” presents a different challenge.
“We have human costumes with animal characteristics,” he said.
He points to his baseball cap topped with a feather. Portraying Ugly, he walks with his toes pointed inward, and speaks and sings in a whiny voice.
Jon plans to attend Kent State University in the fall and hopes to continue with theater.
Advance show tickets are available at www.boardmandramaguild.com. Tickets will also be available at the door one hour before the show.
The production is part of summer stock and includes students from seven area schools and recent graduates, said David Mullane, communications instructor and theater director at BHS.
The production is coming together through the work of about 70 people including actors and those who work backstage.
Rehearsals began after school in late April and since school ended have been running from about 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Next week, the young actors will rehearse twice daily, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again in the evening.
The production is under the direction of Mullane, Jeannine Hodge, Marlene Strollo and Courtney Crossen, with musical direction by Errol Kehrberg and Ed Phillips, and choreography by Hodge. Costumes and scenery are being constructed by Mullane, Matt Liptak and Crossen.
Amanda Myhal, 16, another area theater veteran, plays Ida, Ugly’s mother.
“She goes out looking for her son all on her own,” the Canfield High School junior said. “She risks a lot going to look for her one son.”
Jake Henry, 18, who just graduated from Springfield High School, portrays Drake, Ida’s husband and Ugly’s dad. His character is kind of an absent father.
“He ducks out of every responsibility that he has” — no pun intended, Jake said.
He’s not even around when his ducklings hatch.
Drake gets the tables turned on him, though, when Ida goes in search of Ugly, leaving her ne’er-do-well husband to care for their other young ducks.
Jake performed with summer stock last year, and although he wasn’t familiar with “Honk,” wanted to return this year.
“Everyone I’ve met has been really great to work with,” he said. “I’ve made a lot of friends.”
Jake plans to attend a professional acting program at Los Angeles City College beginning in the fall.
Boardman High School sophomore Kiyan Taghaboni, 15, plays the Cat, the story’s antagonist.
“I just try to play him as creepy as possible,” Kiyan said. “The creepier, the better.”
He wanted to be part of “Honk” because he loves theater, appearing in shows since he was an eighth grader at Center Middle School.
“I just love being on stage,” he said.
Choreographer Hodge is a retired Boardman teacher. It’s different from other shows she’s choreographed in that the dancers and actors have to behave cartoon-like, she said.
“We have to teach them to be awkward,” Hodge said. “Dancers are used to pointing their toes. We don’t want them to point their toes.”
Strollo, the show’s director, owns the production company Move Over Broadway and is the drama director at South Range. She appreciates the challenges presented by the production, but believes the young actors are up to the task.
“These kids are good,” Strollo said.
denise_dick@vindy.com