Tuesday, July 20, 2004
These pupils have all the starring roles
The students attending a theater camp at the old Blacksburg Middle School are writing the plays, painting the sets and taking the leading roles.
The answers lie in the imaginations of 24 Blacksburg children, ages 7 to 12, who are participating in the afternoon session of Act and React, a theater camp held at the old Blacksburg Middle School this month. Led by Alicia Spitzer, who teaches second grade at Harding Avenue Elementary School during the school year, the student-actors are writing the script. They also painted the set for their play, "Pirates of the Dairy Region." A morning Act and React session is producing "The Little Furmaid," about a disorganized mad scientist. Eight year-old Maya Monroe signed up for the camp because of Spitzer, who taught her in second grade. Maya will be a fourth-grader at Harding Avenue Elementary this fall. She has acted in Spitzer's school plays and will play a fairy in "Pirates of the Dairy Region."
"I really like acting and being someone else," Maya said. "We actually get to do our own thing. We have an assignment, but we do it how we want."
Being able to act, paint sets and write the play appealed to 9-year-old Carolyn Ye, who will play a pirate on the Blue Wave ship. The rising Gilbert Linkous Elementary fourth-grader heard about Act and React from a friend.
"It's really fun to make up your own play," she said while painting a set on a cardboard refrigerator box. Students spent the first half of a three-hour session last week working on sets, then sat down with Spitzer to write the script. They vote on each character's lines and plot twists.
Spitzer asked the children what the Pharaoh and Gargrossa should say as they fight over the lamp and it falls into the ocean and begins to sink.
"Let's vote. Is it 'Oh, forget it, let's just jump?' Or, 'Oh, forget it, let's just dive?'""
"Jump" won by one vote. Then it was on to which characters should save Gargrossa's cabin boy from being trapped in the lamp by the tricky genie. Five children stood up and pleaded their cases as to why their character should be a rescuer. Other students voted by raising their hands.
Spitzer said that when choosing a title, "Pirates of the Dairy Region" won by a slight majority over "Spider Boy." So Spider Boy and Spider Kid characters were worked into the "Pi-rates" plot.
This is Spitzer's 11th summer of teaching theater camp. She started it as a special program at the Children's Nest day care and it is now offered through Blacksburg Parks and Recreation.
"Kids adapt just like chameleons," she said. "I really like the young guys because they're easier to mold into professionals."
Some of the students sing as well as act. Spitzer gives them private voice lessons, and they practice their songs - written by Spitzer - with tapes recorded by local guitarist Peter Greider.
Ten-year-old Jake Bowyer, as Gargrossa, practiced his song with Spitzer.
"I am Gargrossa by name. My symbol is a flame! Because I burn with desire to acquire wealth and fame!" they sang together. Jake said he wants to be an actor when he grows up.
Megan Carlier, 7, heard about the camp from a friend. She wanted to come last summer but was too young.
Tim Woerner, 10, has been coming to Act and React for three years. He is in both the morning and afternoon sessions and will play a pirate in "Pirates of the Dairy Region" and a prince in "The Little Furmaid."
Tim was one of Spitzer's shyest students when he started coming to Act and React, she said. Not anymore.
"It's fun because Miss Spitzer is really active and excited. It's easier to learn with her because I'm active and excited, too," Tim said. "It helps me talk in front of a lot of people."
"The Little Furmaid" will be performed at 10 a.m. July 29 at Fun Challenge in Christiansburg and again at 10 a.m. July 30 at the old Blacksburg Middle School. "Pirates of the Dairy Region" will be performed at 1 p.m. July 29 at Barnes & Noble in Christiansburg and again at 1 p.m. July 30 at the old Blacksburg Middle School. The entrance to Act and React at the old middle school is on Eheart Street in downtown Blacksburg. Performances are free. For more information, call Spitzer at 384-8089.
