High school theater group to perform at Post Falls Library

Dragons will invade the Post Falls Library. They’ll blaze through the library, luring children to an interactive performance about the clash between two tribes divided by mountains inhabited by dragons.

“Nine Dragons” is an interactive play performed by Troupe de Wolfe Productions, a Lake City High School theater group, and directed by 23-year-old Kristen “Kit” Seaton. It’s based on the children’s book “Nine Dragons: A Contemporary Fable,” written by George Herman and illustrated by Seaton. Seaton did the illustrations for the book when she was 19 years old.

This is Seaton’s second year directing the play, which will be performed at the library at 7 p.m. Thursday and at the Chinese Classical Gardens in Portland, Feb. 19 and 20. A performance also was held at Lake City High School. Besides directing, Seaton designed the costumes. She studied costume design at the North Carolina School of the Arts.

”(Children) love the play because it’s very action-oriented, interactive,” Seaton said.

“The last time I directed it, I did it very stylized. This year we’re taking note of what we did last year. This year it’s more tongue-in-cheek. We’ll have lots and lot of fun. It will louder and more brash,” Seaton said.

“All kids love dragons,” said Lucy Barnard, Post Falls children’s librarian. “Kids see so much TV. When they see something live, they’re amazed,” Barnard said.

“Kids love the confrontation of good against evil, finding a hero. It kind of speaks to the core values of who people are,” said Seaton’s mother, Sandy Seaton, Lake City High School drama teacher and the play’s producer.

The story centers around two clashing human tribes. A drought forces them into the mountains, where dragons help the warring tribes make peace. “It’s very much an anti-war story,” Sandy said.

Kit Seaton’s involvement with the “Nine Dragons” began with the children’s book. Doing the artwork for “Nine Dragons” brought together everything that was important to her. “At the time I was working on a B.F.A. in costume design. Art was such a strong point in my life. And I had been obsessed with dragons since I was a little kid.”

While still in high school, she met the book’s author through her mother, who was writing a thesis on Commedia del’Arte, Italian improvisational theater, and directing one of George Herman’s plays, which was a modern interpretation of Commedia del’Arte. Sandy invited the author to see the play and meet her students. He found out Seaton was an artist and saw her work.

“My freshman year of college he asked if I’d do the illustrations for the story,” Seaton said. She was studying costume design at the North Carolina School of the Arts. Herman had written the story for his kids, translated it into a play and then was translating it into a children’s book.

It took Seaton nine months to do the drawings.

Does she have a favorite dragon?

“Ch’ih Wen, the Water Dragon, is one of my favorites … She has a very elongated face, cat eyes, a Muppet-like quality,” she said. “Pi Hai, the Orator, is fun because he’s has a big mouth.” Yai Tzu, the Fierce, is another favorite. He’s loud and bombastic.

“Creating the dragons was a lot like designing the costumes. You have to design everything,” she said.

Working on the book was important to Seaton because she used her artwork to achieve a goal. “It was the first undertaking where I tried to achieve something,” she said. “It made clear that I am an artist and there are people who like my work.”

The book is popular among kids, Barnard said, adding that it’s always checked out at the library. It also has received rave reviews on Amazon.com.

In the future, Seaton is hoping to do more graphic artwork. “I would love to do something where I could tell stories with my art, (do) a graphic novel.” She is currently taking art classes at North Idaho College, working part time at the Post Falls Library coffee house and works with her mother on Troupe de Wolfe Productions.

In addition to her involvement with “Nine Dragons,” she is doing the costuming for “Seussical the Musical,” another Troupe de Wolfe production, which will run March 4, 5, 10, 11 and12 at Lake City High School.