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Snow White showcase
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .During a March 9 dress rehearsal for their production of Snow White, AMS drama director Ron Johnson (left) gave some last-minute stage directions to the evil Queen, played by Victoria Patterson.
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In the familiar Disney story, the huntsman returns to the Queen with proof of Snow White’s demise, making the Queen the fairest in the land. The play’s March 9 rehearsal had the huntsman, Zach Protain (left) bowing to his Queen, Victoria Patterson.
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Before the show began, young guests were free to take photos with the play’s heroine and villain. Snow White, or Emily Kollar (left), posed with sisters Allie and Caitlyn Corbett, along with the evil Queen, Victoria Patterson.
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After a successful first act for their March 12 show, the cast of Snow White were in good spirits and prepared for their second act.
By SARAH FOOR
In the classic Disney movie, Snow White sings a now familiar song, hoping that “One day my prince will come...”
In Austintown Middle School’s production of “Snow White” on March 12, the classic songs were still there for the audience to enjoy, but there were a few surprises thrown in the mix as well.
“I like to call it Snow White, enhanced,” said drama director Ron Johnson. “We purchased a script for our play, but used it more as a starting point. The classic songs and plot points are still there, but we’ve added a lot to make the show ours – there are a few new songs and we welcomed the students adding thoughts or lines for their characters.”
The production starred Emily Kollar as the fair Snow White, and Victoria Patterson as her enemy, the Queen. Kollar was sweet and likable as the title character, and the Liz Rubino Studios trained singer and actress hit every high note in the production’s score.
Patterson was delightfully evil as the Queen, and as she ended the latin-sounding song addition “Magic Spell,” gave a perfect evil cackle.
“I love drama because it allows me to be totally crazy, and no one can judge me for it,” Patterson said of her involvement in the project.
In the production, Snow White disappears to the forest to escape the Queen, where she meets the wonderful band of misfits, the Seven Dwarfs. They provided Snow White with a place to hide, and some comic relief for the crowd. The Dwarfs had the audience laughing as they danced to the added song “Footloose,” with the enchanted forest’s animals joining in for the dancing fun.
Along with displaying the cast’s creativity, the middle school’s production of “Snow White” showed the technical prowess of the stage crew. The play included a spinning set that displayed the front and back of the Dwarf’s cottage, and an impressive model of the magic mirror, complete with a computer animation answering the Queen’s call.
“It’s hard for me to call my cast ‘kids,’ because through this process, they’ve become more and more like professional actors,” Johnson shared with the crowd at the beginning of the show.
“Even without a dramatic part to play, these kids are wonderful characters. I’m honored to work with them,” he added.