Youth involved with Crocus 80 Theatre’s Summer Youth Theatre Development Program have been busy preparing eight stories by Canadian author Robert Munsch, adapted for the stage by Irene N. Watts.
The eight short presentations, under the production of “Munsch O’Mania”, will all come together on the stage of the Tommy Douglas Centre during Weyburn Wheat Festival weekend, on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 11 and 12 at 7 p.m., and on Sunday, Aug. 13 at 2 p.m.
The stories include “Mud Puddle”, “Angela’s Airplane”, “Mortimer”, “Stephanie’s Ponytail”, “Millicent and the Wind”, “Murmel, Murmel, Murmel”, “50 Below Zero” and “The Paper Bag Princess”.
The summer youth theatre development program, sponsored by Quality Plumbing, consists of 23 youth actors, one youth assistant, two youth mentors and many other volunteers pitching in to help create, design and put together an amazing show for the community.
Kaitlyn Kruger, youth facilitator, has been a part of the Crocus 80 youth theatre for four years, and she was hired on to help oversee and manage this years Summer Youth Theatre Development Program.
Youth program opportunities like Munsch O’Mania impacts the lives of its young participants, including the development of social, creative, and communicative skills. The summer theatre training is offered free to all interested youth by Crocus 80.
Tickets for the performances will be available at the door. The prices for the tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for youth and five and under are free. It is with the support of the community and the attendance of the production that Crocus 80 is able to offer quality theatre training to the youth for free.
“Crocus 80 believes in investing in our youth. Year after year we get to watch our actors grow in confidence and stage presence,” said Connie Nightingale, Crocus 80 president. “This summer marks the fifth anniversary of the youth summer development program, and it’s fitting that our troupe is the largest it’s ever been”.
The Crocus 80 youth have taken to calling themselves “the Munschies”, inspired by the works of Robert Munsch. The beginning of each practice starts with the youth gushing over how Munsch O’ Mania has inspired them to find their old Robert Munsch books or how they stopped at a book store and purchased their favourite story, proving that the program has had a significant impact on their personal life and spinning off in a way that has motivated the youth to spend some time reading books this summer.
The program will wrap up with the youth having the opportunity to correspond with Robert Munsch by letter, giving the youth the opportunity to tell the author how much they enjoyed celebrating his works.
The stories are performed with permission from Annick Press Ltd.
