The marching dragon was halfway into its routine, rounding its way onto the Bowlus Fine Arts Center stage, when Samantha Parrish called an abrupt halt to the proceedings.
“I hear talking,” she told a group of youngsters. “When I hear talking that’s not supposed to be there, we will start the scene over from the start.”
The command caught the children’s attention.
They quickly restarted the scene, this time with the young actors sitting in rapt attention.
Running a strictly regimented play practice is necessary, Parrish said, because of the work necessary to put together a quality performance.
Sixty area children are working under the guidance of Parrish and fellow instructor Natalie Sullivan as they prepare the play “The Little Mermaid,” Saturday at the Bowlus.
Two performances are scheduled, at 3 and 6 p.m. There is no admission charge.
The play differs a bit from the famous Disney film, Parrish said.
“Missoula takes classic children’s tales, and puts its own little twist on things,” she said. “That way, the audience doesn’t know what to expect.”
In this play, a mer-family, filled with a number of teenage mermaid daughters, is set to celebrate a birthday party.
As part of the celebration, the mermaids get to explore the land above the sea.
“Of course, one of the mermaids falls in love with a prince on land,” Parrish said.
There’s one problem: the prince’s family is rather fond of fish fries.
Will the mermaids and the royal family find happiness?
The audience will have to wait until Saturday to find out.
PARRISH lauded the work put in since Monday by the young
actors, many of whom have never performed on stage before this week.
“A lot of it is repetition,” she said. “The actors just repeat their lines over and over again until they know it so well, there’s no reason not to be confident.
“It’s not surprising,” Parrish continued. “It’s amazing what kids can do.”
The performance is sponsored by the Sleeper Family Trust.
