FROM THE MIDDLE [DELTA ARTS e-news SUMMERSERIES07072016]

(PUBLISHED from the middle of Cleveland, MS, DELIVERING NEWS from the DELTA ARTS ALLIANCE)

SUMMER SERIES_07.07.2016

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DAA SUMMER THEATRE to DEBUT its ROALD DAHL-inspired JOURNEY this weekend

Four-Scene Play Opens Friday, July 08 at 6pm

The young thespians of the Delta Arts Alliance summer theatre program are gearing up to debut their whimsical and inspiring journey through four of Roald Dahl's most famous works - Matilda, James & The Giant Peach, The BFG and Charlie & The Chocolate Factory with their twin-billing performances on Friday, July 08 at 6pm and Saturday, July 09 at 2pm.

Under the direction of teaching veteran Amber Wolfe, this marks the second summer DAA has offered a theatre-track for its young artists.

"We are so fortunate to have Amber steering our theatre program. She is unbelievably gifted and so energetic in her work with the kids. Her commitment to children's theatre is inspiring. She wants the very best for each and every one of her 'kiddos,' as she calls them," explained DAA Executive Director, Rori Eddie Herbison.

"Quite simply, quite literally, this program, this undertaking does not happen without Amber. She is the go in our engine. She has a vision and she puts her all into seeing that happen. You just hold on and hope you can keep up," Herbison continued.

Wolfe's "vision" this summer was to repeat a formula that saw success last summer at the DAA. "My number one goal is to always put my actors in a position to succeed and to really shine. I knew the way we did the program last summer worked and when Rori and I met, we brainstormed ways in which we could replicate the idea of 2016's 'School House Rocks' - four separate scenes under one umbrella, that allowed our actors to choice a level of commitment they felt comfortable with.

"I use this analogy. I'm always going to have kids that arrive at the pool and dive in head first, don't test the water - just go! Those are the kids I know are going to do all four scenes and be here everyday for rehearsals. They're eaten up with theatre. Then, I've got those kids that they get to the pool and they think they like swimming, they think they like the water but need to tread slowly. Those are my newbies and one scene is all they're ready to handle. This format allows for all those varying levels of experience, confidence, ability, age - all of it to mix well," Wolfe explained.

Herbison added, "We are so rich with amazing youth talent in Cleveland and we want to make sure theatre experiences exist. Roald Dahl's fantastically imaginative tales offered such great material for our kids to work with. Again, all the credit goes to Amber for her editing and ability to work a script into manageable bites for our actors, yet still creating a pleasurable viewing experience for our audience.

With the recent release of Dahl's BFG to the silver screen, his work continues to reach new heights of popularity.

"I'd love to tell you we were fortuitous enough in our thinking to have cast these four plays at the start of 2016, knowing BFG would debut in movie theaters the weekend before our theatrical performance, but we weren't. It was just good happenstance," Herbison remarked.

All four of the featured works in the Delta Arts Summer Theatre - James & The Giant Peach, BFG, Matilda and Charlie & The Chocolate Factory have been released in the movies, Charlie even being remade two decades after its original release.

"We knew that our students would have a level of familiarity with the pieces because of their exposure to either the book or the movie, and I think that's important when we have such a finite period of time to prepare," Wolfe said.

"I am so incredibly proud of these kids and the work they've put in, the fun they are having with it and the support they are showing for one another," she added.

Won't you show your support for our young actors and actresses by attending Opening Night, Friday, July 08 at 6pm?

Can't make it? Join us for the matinee showing Saturday, July 09 at 2pm.

Performances are free and open to the public inside Jobe Auditorium on the campus of Delta State University.

For more information, please call 662 843 3344.

aspiring.artist (SPOTLIGHT)

ELIZA HARDY, age 12

ON CUE: Eliza awaits stage direction, as she and her cast mates prepare for Opening Night, Friday, July 08 at 6pm.

(PHOTO CREDIT: Brennan Lewis)

As part of the Delta Arts Alliance Summer Theatre program, what plays can our audience expect to see you in?

All of them! I'm in Matilda; I'm in The BFG, James and the Giant Peach, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Tell our readers about your previous theatre experiences.

I've done a lot of plays. When I was in third grade, I did Alice in Wonderland and I played Little Alice and it was really fun and I liked it.

What do you like about theatre? What draws you into theatre?

The thing that I like about theatre is that just doing it makes me so happy. Some kids in my class, when we're allowed to listen to music I'm the only one who listens to Broadway music. They're always listening to pop and I'm the only one who listens to Broadway. And I just feel like it gives you a good feeling -- because I love singing so much. Like, it's my dream to be on Broadway or be famous in any type of way for singing or acting because it just makes me really happy.

What do you like about the Delta Arts Alliance summer theatre program?

I like that it gives kids a chance to really show that they can do stuff because some kids may be shy, but maybe if they have a certain character they can play, they can really show off what they can really do. It's a neat experience.

SEE ELIZA in HER ELEMENT, Friday, July 08 at 6pm and again, Saturday, July 09 at 2pm inside Jobe Auditorium on the campus of Delta State University for Delta Arts Alliance's Summer Theatre Presentation of "A JOURNEY THROUGH ROALD DAHL'S BOOKSHELF."

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