REGINA - Lucas Schott spent most of his summer vacation preparing to be part of the cast of the musical Seussical, and once the production was finished, he said it was one of the best experiences of his life.
Lucas, who is in Grade 8 at St. Mary's School, was one of the ensemble cast members for the show, which was performed a total of four times from Aug. 30-Sept. 1 at the Conexus Arts Centre in Regina.
"I got to learn a bunch of dance moves, which I have very little experience in, and a lot of music and singing, which I also have almost no experience in," Lucas told the Mercury in an interview following the final performance.
He thought being in Seussical would be a good way to expand his knowledge of the acting world. It's very hard to keep up with the industry if he doesn't know what is going on.
"And I thought it looked cool," he said.
His cousin, who works in media and communications in Regina, suggested that Lucas try to become part of the cast and his parents agreed. The auditions for the main roles had already happened when Lucas decided to try out for the cast.
"Sterling Production is the production company, and they pride themselves on being an inclusive production studio," said Lucas' father Mark. "There's a lot of different abilities and it's a diverse cast."
Seussical largely followed Dr. Seuss' classic children's tale of Horton Hears a Who, but it also incorporates portions of Seuss tales like How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Green Eggs and Ham, while the Lorax had a part in a Seussical song.
Lucas was kept busy with practising during the summer. Four three-hour rehearsals took place each week, and there was a camp. It worked out to about 10-hour days when cast members had both rehearsals and a camp day. Additional practices occurred as opening night approached.
"It was busy. It was a big commitment," said Mark.
Lucas stayed in Regina at his grandmother's house, so he didn't have to commute from Estevan to Regina.
When he's older, Lucas wants to become a professional actor, because it would allow him to express himself freely. In addition to furthering his singing and dancing skills, Lucas learned a lot about commitment through Seussical.
"I've always loved doing what I wanted and performing in front of people and making them laugh and smile," said Lucas.
Prior to Seussical, Lucas had attended theatre camps through the Souris Valley Museum and the University of Regina. He had also taken monthly acting lessons from an instructor in Regina, and he has also taken private lessons. Lucas was also part of a commercial as a background character for the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation this summer.
Seussical also enabled Lucas to make a lot of new friends, as the cast boasted approximately 60-70 performers.
"All of the cast members were amazing people, and I'm looking forward to seeing them again," he said.
The four performances attracted a total of 1,000 people, giving him the experience of performing in front of a crowd of that size for the first time.
Lucas said Seussical has fuelled his determination for what he wants to do in the future, and he wants to be an actor even more than ever.
