THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 4, 1996 TAG: 9602020140
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 20 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HOLLY WESTER, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 100 lines
THEY HAVE HELD car washes. They have hosted crafts shows. But now, the students in First Colonial High School's theater ensemble are really working hard for the money.
To raise funds for a trip to this year's Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland, the young actors and actresses have been putting on a unique dinner theater run of Thursday night shows at Pogo's Seaside Grill at 4005 Atlantic Ave.
The cost is $25 per person and includes dinner - a selection that includes offerings such as New York strip, broiled seafood and pasta primavera - as well a sampling of short plays.
All five one-acts are comedies, including four from a collection called ``All in the Timing'' and one original parody called ``Shakespeare Lite.''
``The response has been pretty good so far,'' said senior Meredith Glover, student director of ``Mother Hicks'' - the award-winning Susan Zeder play the troupe will take to Scotland.
Narrated by a deaf boy named Tuc, ``Mother Hicks'' is set in a Midwestern town during the Great Depression. It focuses on an orphan simply known as ``Girl,'' who is ill and taken in by a woman named Mother Hicks. The girl heals through Hicks' help and comes to know that she can find her name and dreams if she takes time to listen to her heart.
First Colonial was one of a dozen schools nationwide invited to represent the country at the world-renowned Edinburgh festival after being nominated by members of the theater community. Thirty-one Patriot Players will participate in the two-week long celebration.
Theater arts Director Nancy Curtis clearly remembers the day she got the news.
It was June, in the last hours of school on the last day of final exams, when her office phone rang.
``The woman on the line said, `You won,' '' recalled Curtis, who couldn't believe her troupe beat out more than 100 others. ``I was like, `What?!' I was hyperventilating on the phone!''
She ran down to the office, told the principal and the two danced a jig.
``And then,'' Curtis joked, ``the nightmare of fund raising began.''
After some investigation, Curtis figured the trip overseas - including air fare, lodging, most meals, ground transportation, some sightseeing and the performance venue - would carry a price tag of $3,000 per participant, a good chunk of change for a high school student. First Colonial's sponsor, the American High School Theatre Festival, could only fund a small portion of the tour.
``I can't accept that a kid can't go because of money,'' Curtis said.
She and some parents put their heads together and Curtis was game when a dad suggested dinner theater. ``We will try anything,'' she said.
The students first performed Jan. 18 and say the experience has been good for them so far.
``It's fun, but it's very different,'' said senior Jackie Petersen. ``It's much more personal than being on stage. The people are right in your face. They hear everything and see everything. That's something we can never get from school.''
Not only are they learning, the students are being paid for what they do best - something else they could never get from a car wash, bake sale or craft show.
``The public is actually seeing what we're doing and what we're capable of,'' Jackie added.
The students have raised about a third of the money they need. Future drives are planned, but the dinner theater tour ends Thursday.
``Anybody who doesn't like kids, who doesn't like good food and who doesn't like to be entertained shouldn't come,'' Curtis said. ``It's funny, the food is good, and most importantly, it benefits the kids.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by HOLLY WESTER
Watching a rehearsal of ``Mother Hicks'' are, from left, Meredith
Glover, a senior and student director; Nancy Curtis, teacher and
theater arts director; and Renee Barry, a senior and stage director.
The trip to the Edinburgh festival will cost $3,000 per student for
the 31 First Colonial students.
Dan Blanchard plays Jake Hammon, and Sara Nash plays Girl in the
one-act comedy, ``Mother Hicks,'' which will be performed in
Scotland.
by CNB