THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 16, 1995 TAG: 9503140116
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 17 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOAN C. STANUS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
Right after Christmas, Connie Hindmarsh turned a ``shell of a script'' over to her 40 Performing Arts Repertory students and told them to have at it.
What she got back was a visual feast wrapped around the Broadway hit musical ``Godspell.'' The show is based on Biblical Gospel according to St. Matthew and includes such well-known songs as ``Day by Day'' and ``Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.''
Throughout, the fast-paced production, elaborate dance numbers, action-packed scenes and colorful scenery give audience members an eyeful to digest. That includes a menagerie of tongue-in-cheek jokes, silly puns and raps as well as an array of gymnastic moves, ballet sequences and tap routines.
``This is kind of an absurd show,'' admitted Hindmarsh, director of the Norfolk public schools troupe. ``There's really no script; it's all improvisation. It gives these students a chance to really be creative. There's so much they've worked out all by themselves.''
Take, for instance, the action surrounding the number ``Bless the Lord.'' While Granby High School freshman Sandye Smith sings the lead at center stage, other performers do their own bits to the side, rummaging through a trash can, talking on a telephone and playing a musical muffler. In another scene, as a performer ascends a stairway to heaven, she falters and begins to fall. Other cast members rush to give her a boost.
Hindmarsh admits some things the students have included would not have been her choice.
``Now, I think that's terrible,'' Hindmarsh pointed out during a scene in which an Asian-American student uses dialogue that could be construed as politically incorrect. ``But they convinced me that it's OK. And it does work.''
``As far as creativity, this play is harder than most,'' said Steven Claiborne, a 16-year-old Lake Taylor sophomore who plays Jesus in the production. ``But what I like is that you're free to really go with your feelings.''
Added 17-year-old Derrick Williams, who plays John the Baptist: ``This show is what you make it. It takes more ... but it's really fun.''
In addition to performing, Williams and other cast members choreographed several numbers.
``This is an all-student production,'' Hindmarsh stressed. ``Once we teach it, they're on their own.''
Known as Norfolk's ``Fame'' school, the repertory company draws members from all five Norfolk high schools. Each year, students are selected for the troupe through a extensive audition and interview procedure. At least 200 students usually vie for the 40 coveted spots.
Those selected attend classes during the morning at their host high school, then are bused to Lake Taylor for three hours every afternoon with Hindmarsh and her staff. Each student receives instruction in voice, dance, drama and technical theater.
``Some excel in one area or the other,'' explained Hindmarsh, a former professional actress who rose to fame portraying ``Miss Connie'' in the nationally televised ``Romper Room'' show of the '50s and '60s. ``But they are all trained to do everything.''
The success is evident in the professional productions they continue to produce. Last fall, the company's presentation of ``Jungle Book'' drew more than 14,000 people to sold-out performances.
The group's visually packed rendition of ``Godspell'' will be presented for the public on consecutive Sundays at 3 p.m., March 26 and April 2 in Lake Taylor's auditorium. Admission price is $2.50. For reservations, call 441-5656 between 12:30 and 4 p.m. weekdays. by CNB