Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 8, 1991 TAG: 9103080434
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: JUSTINE ELIAS CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Long
But over the course of an hour, the cast and crew of 20 fourth-graders at Margaret Beeks Elementary School get serious. Singers harmonize and hit their marks easily. The work in progress - "That's What Friends Are For," a 30-minute opera - is right on schedule for its debut Monday.
Since October, the student production company, Creative to the Core, has been fine-tuning the original work. The students came up with the script, which concerns the moral and social choices faced by kids their own age.
The cast, four girls and four boys, portray fourth-graders with various problems. One girl is doing poorly in school and when she is faced with the chance to cheat on an important test, she must decide what to do. She also believes her parents are ignoring her because of a new baby in the house.
The title song's chorus reflects the theme of the musical: "Together, together, we can work it out. Cooperation, appreciation, sensitive to others' needs."
In their final week of rehearsal, the students say they feel confident about their show, but they admit they're a little flustered by the last-minute rush.
"Let's hope it's going to go OK," said Russell Holbrook, one of the actors.
Another actor, Monica Stump, said simply: "It's harder than it looks."
Music teacher Charlotte McKee, who supervises the singers and composers, predicts the show will be ready in time. "So far, we've met every deadline."
Written, produced and performed by students, "That's What Friends Are For" will have five performances for elementary school students and parents. One performance, Thursday at 7:30 p.m., is free to the public.
The project was funded by the Metropolitan Opera Guild education department and the Montgomery County Public Schools.
McKee and fourth-grade teacher Libby Drapeau, who are overseeing the production, learned of the Met's program through an advertisement in a magazine.
Only 20 schools in the United States were accepted into the Met's summer programs. Last summer, Drapeau and McKee went to New York for a two-week course sponsored by the Met's education department to learn how to put on opera. The teachers produced their own opera during the course.
"I direct shows every year, but not ones that the kids themselves write," said McKee. "We had to give a lot of guidance, especially at the beginning."
In the script, characters face dilemmas that the writers have never experienced. "We asked them to come up with important issues, and there weren't that many they knew about first-hand," McKee said.
In rehearsal, Drapeau and McKee remind the cast that they must do more than just sing the songs. "What can you do to make us believe that you all like each other?" asked Drapeau.
"You've got to show the audience that this is a tight-knit group, and your face is how you do it," she said. "That's what it's all about."
The behind-the-scenes workers hear the same advice.
Drapeau's language arts classes included lessons on how to write press releases, advertisements and invitations. "Some of the kids didn't know how to hold conversations on the phone."
The first press release, announcing the start of the project, took almost a month to write. But the four-person publicity team now whips off releases in two days or less.
Head publicist Shannon Broce took on the job of contacting newspapers, television stations and civic groups. At first, the news organizations didn't take her seriously, Broce said.
But Broce and her team persisted, and they have become adept at setting up interviews and marshalling reporters and photographers around their school.
Creative To The Core sent invitations to President Bush, Gov. Douglas Wilder, and local officials. Wilder sent his regrets. So far, Bush has not responded.
"We're waiting to hear from him," Broce said.
Electricians and carpenters, with some instruction from a Virginia Tech graduate student, built lighting equipment and sets.
Production manager Caleb Cromer is in charge of the carpenters and lighting crew. "I sometimes think it won't get done," Cromer said. "I'm always having something to do. I'm always thinking at night when I go to sleep: Oh no, did I do this?"
Like most of the actors, Holbrook has been in other plays. But "That's What Friends Are For" is different, he said, "because we had to write songs and scripts."
"We're probably doing a better job this way," said Holbrook.
The production has taught students more than just how to put on a play.
"I've learned to be responsible about remembering things, to bring my script, and to write things down," said Sarah Hoover, another member of the cast.
Emily Carstensen said the cast and crew has had to learn to work as a unit. "It's not leaned on one person to do it all," said Carstensen. "I've learned that you can't be lazy. You can't get away with just doing it halfway."
by CNB