THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 21, 1996 TAG: 9603210584
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 19 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOAN C. STANUS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 103 lines
Sometimes, when the fatigue catches up with them, when Jack can't make it up the beanstalk or the dancing cow bumps into itself, the Hurrah Players ask director Hugh Copeland why.
Why in the world did he ever pick this show - a TV version of the English fairy tale, ``Jack and the Beanstalk'' - for them to stage.
``This is one of the most complicated, complex shows we've ever done,'' Copeland said. ``It's also one of the most expensive because of all the special effects. And remember, this was a CBS-TV show ... not something written for the stage. Everything has been so complicated to pull together.''
Like the magic beanstalk that ``grows'' 20 feet and is strong enough - and safe enough - for Jack to climb.
Like the towering 12-foot Giant, who runs, fights and dances the tango.
Like the Human Harp, who is equipped with strings across her chest, yet still has the freedom to dance about.
Or, the Magic Bean Man, who appears amid flashes of smoke and light.
``The dancing cow was the hardest thing to do,'' Copeland said. ``Our designer had to redesign that so many times to make the cow look like something different than the two-people cow you normally see.''
But Copeland says the resulting show is worth all the angst, redesigns and complications.
``The kids will just love all the effects,'' he promised. ``It's an incredible show.''
The Hurrah Players will continue this weekend with their final performances of ``Jack and the Beanstalk'' at Willet Hall in Portsmouth. Shows are at 7 p.m. Friday, and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
At times, the cast of 42 and production crew wondered if they would ever pull off the show. They began designing the complicated costumes and sets last November, under the direction of Lonnie Trent and Frankie Sneed. Construction in the players' scene shop on Woodrow Avenue in Norfolk started not long afterward.
``It's been an incredible amount of work,'' Copeland said. ``We're all so tired.''
Creating a believable Giant was integral to the success of the show, Copeland said. Although 6-foot-2 Lucius Bennett is tall, he isn't tall enough for a giant.
``We had to create a really tall look that was realistic enough to make the kids wonder how we did it,'' Copeland explained.
The solution was to put Bennett on stilts and ``re-proportion'' his body by outfitting him in extra-tall boots, a belt that hangs lower than normal and huge knees that are actually the actor's feet.
To enhance the effect, everything in Giant Land is oversized, including the Giant's chair, his oven and the Golden Goose's nest.
``Giant Land is impressive,'' Copeland said.
Just getting Jack up the beanstalk into Giant Land - and down again - was a feat for the crew. Just seconds into the show, the bean has to ``grow,'' Jack has to run to tell his mother, she has to protest and then he runs back and climbs it.
Part of the solution was to outfit Jack with a body harness attached to a trick cable, similar to those used in Broadway shows. But problems arose in getting a cable small enough to ``disappear'' from the vision of audiences, yet still be large enough to safely hold Jack. Eventually, they figured it all out.
``We had something like three designs on that scene so we'd ensure there was enough magic going on,'' Copeland said. ``In the show, it takes five crew members to get Jack up that beanstalk. The first night they did it, they were so happy, they pulled him up too high. We couldn't even see him way up there.''
A certified electrician also had to be on call for performances because of all the flashpots and fog machines used in Giant Land. The Giant ``cooks'' Jack in a smoke-filled oven, for instance. And every time the Magic Bean Man appears, he does so in flashes of light and smoke. Luckily, the actor playing the part is an electrician.
Although the Hurrah Players staged ``Jack and the Beanstalk'' six years ago, their newest, improved version - with all the special effects, elaborate costumes and complicated staging - is far more impressive, Copeland maintains.
``We did a lot of updating,'' he said. ``People are in for a real visual treat with this show.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MOTOYA NAKAMURA
Frankie Sneed makes smoke come out of the stove that is part of the
set for ``Jack and the Beanstalk.''
Staff photo by BILL TIERNAN
Lucius Bennett plays the 12-foot Giant in the Hurrah Players'
production of ``Jack and the Beanstalk.''
From left, Abby Beam, Henry Hoover, Kenton Myers and Caitlin
Newswanger are among the Norfolk youngsters in the production.
Graphic
TO SEE THE SHOW
The Norfolk-based Hurrah Players will present their final
performances of ``Jack and the Beanstalk'' at 7 p.m. Friday and 3
p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Willet Hall in Portsmouth.
Tickets are $9 and $11. They can be purchased at all southside
Central Fidelity locations. For more information, call 623-7418.
by CNB