Just last Monday, Marissa DelVecchio and Cassie Emert of Missoula Children’s Theatre were auditioning Estevan talents to decide on their cast for Peter and Wendy. And already on Saturday, the public could witness the results of their work at the Souris Valley Theatre.
The Peter and Wendy performance was put together by the Missoula Children’s Theatre and brought by the Estevan Art Council’s Koncerts for Kids series. This year it involved 44 Estevan kids, which was almost everyone who came to be auditioned this year. A few applicants dropped off at the beginning, but the directors didn’t need to turn anybody away this time since the play had roles for 50-60 actors. All kids involved with the play were performing on stage.
The Mercury talked to tour actor director DelVecchio about the Estevan cast they got to work with last week.
“The kids were great. They really showed up and they put on a really great show for everyone,” said DelVecchio.
The play was written that way so it can be adapted to the local market. So when performed at the Souris Valley Theatre, it had some jokes and remarks about Estevan.
The Peter and Wendy story is based on the traditional Peter Pan plot but is enhanced with mistaken identities, ever-morphing clouds, a classy crocodile, some very lost boys and a fickle shadow.
DelVecchio said that the clouds were “really special.” Both the actors playing the clouds and the audience enjoyed that part of the play.
“I think a lot of people really loved the clouds’ jokes that were in the show. But even when we were backstage they always wanted to practise,” recalled DelVecchio, noting that for the tour directors one of the goals is to ensure that young actors enjoy what they are doing.
After Monday’s auditions actors went right into rehearsals. They were practising about four hours every day. Tour directors brought decorations and costumes. On Friday kids had the first and only dress rehearsal and on Saturday they took the audience by storm.
The organizers had a busy week too, but they left Estevan with good feelings.
“Everything in Estevan was great. We had an awesome stage, a beautiful theatre to perform in. We had a really great and easy week,” said DelVecchio.
The performances went really well and there was nothing but great feedback from the audience. The afternoon show was a full house, and for the night performance, the Souris Valley Theatre was three-quarters full.
“It was a really great turnout,” said DelVecchio.
DelVecchio and Emert have been involved with the Missoula Children’s Theatre since May. Prior to coming to Estevan, they were working in other areas of Saskatchewan. The next performance will take place in Pangman. They will be on the road until May and will also get a chance to work in Alberta and Manitoba.
