THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 16, 1994 TAG: 9412140192
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
The Hurrah Players' third annual production of its holiday show, ``The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,'' is a family affair.
Featured in the starring roles will be Serethia Smith, a third-grade teacher at Southwestern Elementary School, and her 13-year-old son Ryan, a seventh grade student at Indian River Middle School North.
The production will be presented this weekend at the Chrysler Museum Theatre in Norfolk. It already ran last weekend at the Virginia Beach Pavilion Theatre.
Serethia Smith plays the part of Grace, a mother who was drafted into directing a church holiday pageant. Ryan, appropriately, plays the part of Grace's son, Charlie.
``The story involves this woman dealing with the Herdman family, a family no one in town likes, who take over the Christmas pageant,'' Smith said. ``They're dirty, they smoke, they're bullies and they even tear up the church. But finally they tame down because of the power of the play and because of Mom's direction.''
When it comes to acting in the Smith family, though, it's son Ryan who gives the directions.
``He's the pro,'' Smith said. ``He'll tell me, `Mom, you're messing up.' He's the one who gives me advice.''
Ryan does have the background and experience to give any novice actor performing tips. He's a five-year veteran of Hurrah Players' shows.
He was 8 years old when he saw his first Hurrah Players' production, a musical version of ``Peter Pan.''
``Since then he's been taking classes and has been acting with the Players,'' Smith said. ``He's always wanted to perform and loves doing it.''
Ryan has appeared in many Hurrah performances including ``Starmites,'' ``Once Upon a Mattress,'' ``Hip-Hop Hurrah,'' ``The Wizard of Oz'' and, most recently, he played Huckleberry Finn in ``Tom Sawyer.'' He's also done several commercials for the local Fox Network affiliate, channel 33, and has appeared in spots that aired on WAVY TV-10 and WVEC TV-13.
Ryan excels at school and loves to spend his time reading, writing plays, roller-blade skating, running track, playing basketball and dancing.
When the Smiths walk on stage it's Ryan who is cool and calm, while Mom still battles those butterflies in the stomach.
``He's never nervous,'' she said. ``It all comes to him naturally.''
It was Hugh Copeland, director of the Hurrah Players, who thought Serethia Smith was a ``natural'' for the part of Grace.
``During the summer three years ago, Hugh approached me and said I'd be perfect for the part,'' she said. ``At first I didn't know if I wanted to do it, but he told me, `You can do it.' I think being a teacher and a mother has helped me with the role.''
Smith, a Deep Creek High School and Virginia State University graduate, has been teaching for 20 years. She's taught at Western Branch Primary School and has been at Southwestern for the past five years.
She said she uses dramatic flair when teaching her students.
``I act a lot in class,'' she said. ``The students all seem to like it, and it helps drive the lessons home. Sometimes I think I'm a little too dramatic in class, though.''
Smith said she took the play to Southwestern two years ago, where it was met with critical acclaim from her students and colleagues.
``They loved seeing their teacher doing something other than teach,'' she said. ``Watching me on stage allowed them to see their teacher as a human being doing other things.''
If Smith should ever flub a line or miss a cue, she'll have Ryan and other youthful members of the cast to give her direction.
``All the kids help me out,'' she said. ``I just tell them I have an old brain.'' MEMO: See Chesapeake's own Serethia and Ryan Smith star in the Hurrah Players'
production of ``The Best Christmas Pageant Ever'' this Friday, Saturday
and Sunday at the Chrysler Museum Theatre, 245 W. Olney Road, Norfolk.
Call 623-7418 for ticket and show information.
ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Serethia Smith and her 13-year-old son, Ryan, star in The Hurrah
Players' production of ``The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.''
by CNB