CCMS to present ‘Thirty-Three Little Pigs’ at The Charles Theatre this weekend

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

No, it’s not an FFA project or a county fair exhibit — it’s what Charles City Middle School drama director Marie Conklin calls a “fractured fairy tale.”

The middle school drama department will be presenting the play “The Thirty-Three Little Pigs” this weekend at The Charles Theatre in Charles City. Shows are 7 tonight (Friday) and 2 o’clock Saturday afternoon. Admission is a freewill donation, with all the money going back into the drama department.

“If you’re in the mood for a good laugh, this is a great show to get that,” Conklin said. “It’s a lot of fun and a lot of puns.”

Based loosely on the old fairy tale “Three Little Pigs,” the play gives the student actors a real opportunity to “ham it up” on stage.

“Each pig has its own unique personality — there’s a Pirate Pig, a Dinosaur Pig, a Flight Attendant Pig, a Poet Pig — 33 different pigs that the Big Bad Wolf hopes he can have for dinner,” Conklin said.

Written by Brian D. Taylor, the play features 20 rapid-fire two-to three-minute scenes that each have one to six actors, a chance for every actor to have his or her moment in the spotlight, and an eclectic collection of styles that reveals each pig’s unique personality.

About 40 students in grades 6-8 are participating in the production, and they’ve been working since January.

“Oh my gosh, they’ve been doing fantastic,” Conklin said. “They have really pulled the show together.”

The cast rehearsed at the middle school and moved to The Charles for rehearsals about two weeks ago.

Cast List:
Big Bad Wolf, Adeline King; Straw Pig, Camryn Hoeft; Detective Pig, Ana Tutu; Fast Pig, Keyonna Riley; Banker Pig, Caylie Boyer; Poet Pig, Jazmine Troge; Slow Pig, Alexuz Ohlendorf; Pirate Pig, Issac Sapp; News Pig, Kati Haglund; Farmer Pig, Emma Read; Dinosaur Pig, Issac Sapp; Celebrity Pig, Norah Massawe; Hollywood Pig, Paige Pickar; Stick Pig, Isabella Pizano; Cold Pig, Andrew White; French Pig, Alexuz Ohlendorf; Chef Pig, Ana Tutu; PA Announcer, Alissa Deetz; Husband Traveler Pig, Sean Jones; Wife Traveler Pig, J’Lyne Wilson; Flight Attendant Pig, Isaac Soifer; Tree Pig, Rylee Beaty; Cop Pig, Alyce Myhre; Newsie Pig one, Alyce Myhre; Newsie Pig two, Bella Moses; Brick Pig, Riley Freund; Bunker Pig, Kayla Streich; Cowboy Pig, Rylee Beaty; Southern Belle Pig, Ayla Mcabe; Lawyer Pig, Sophia Calpito; Ninja Pig, Sean Jones; Sergeant Pig, Andrew White; Super Pig, J’Lyne Wilson; Opera Pig, Devony O’Brien; Robot Pig, Demaya Shields; Little Red Riding Hood, Norah Masswe.

Back Stage:
Mabrey Johnson, Mckynlee Hawke, Brynn Rottler, Jennifer Vandeventter, Daffiny Gonzales, Jihan Gonzales.