Stage without the fright

As it turns out, apple muffins make a perfectly legitimate threat.

As the witch Grizelda, Lewis and Clark senior Sarah Leonhardy threatens to turn half the cast of Theater Arts for Children’s production of Hansel and Gretel into the aforementioned pastry.

And, it turns out, that’s just about the only threatening part of being in the cast.

“A lot of people in the cast don’t have any experience in the theater at all,” director Selma Rhodes said. “You have to bring them all along slowly. Some of our older kids have been in other productions before, but we have 14 youngsters who have never been on stage before.

“I think they have strength in numbers, for one thing, and we do spend a good deal of time with them. By the time they actually get on stage, they aren’t that scared.”

That, in a nutshell, is the whole point of Theater Arts for Children. The acclaimed company, now in its 12th year, was created to give young children their first taste of theater. By mandate, each production features a large number of first-time actors.

Britten Johnson knows first-hand the positive effect the experience can have.

Johnson is both producer for Hansel and Gretel and a member of the cast.

“My whole family is in the cast,” Johnson laughed. “Our son got involved with the theater about four years ago and we’ve all been involved in one way or another. This time they needed more adults to fill out the cast and there we are.

“It’s been a lot of fun for all of us to be able to do this together as a family.”

Johnson and her husband, Scott, play Hansel and Gretel’s parents. Daughter Devynne plays the Frack half of Frick and Frack. Son Quinn plays the dual role of Troll and Sandman.

“My son was naturally gifted in being able to be in front of crowds and speaking,” Britten Johnson said. “He pulled my daughter into it. She was very shy, but she worked with some wonderful directors and they taught her how to sell it. She really enjoys it now and, in fact, she came to me the other day and said ‘Mom, I think I want to try out for debate.’ ”

Rhodes, too, has a daughter involved in the production, playing a baby owl who delivers her line (fittingly enough, “Whooo”) with gusto.

Leonhardy finds herself in the unique role.

“On the one hand, you need to help the youngsters handle their own stage fright at the same time you have to deal with your own,” she said. “I’ve been in productions before – nothing with a role this big – and I still get a touch of it before the curtain goes up.

“For the little ones, the good thing is that, once you get out on stage you can’t see the audience beyond the first row. That helps.”

That helps Britten Johnson.

“This is my first time on stage, too,” she said. “It’s not something I would ever do on my own, but since my whole family is involved, I decided to go for it.”

Once the play starts, Leonhardy throws herself into the task of throwing a scare into the audience.

“This is such a fun role to play and I enjoy pushing it and making Grizelda larger than life,” she said. “I have little kids come up to me afterward and asking for my autograph and some of them are still scared. Then I go out of my way to make sure they know that I’m really Sarah and that I’m really nice.”

Opening weekend was a hit – especially once the cast got through opening night.

“Opening night is always a little strange,” Leonhardy said. “Everyone is watching for their kids or their grandkids and they forget to laugh or get scared or whatever. Saturday night and Sunday the audience got into the play and it was a lot of fun.”

Rhodes was pleased to see the hard work in preparation pay off.

“I’m a first-time director and it really is rewarding to see the progress they’ve all made,” she said. “They actually listened to what I have to say. When you’re a parent, that’s nice to see.”