Palace Youth Theatre marks 29th year
''The purpose (of the program) is to pull out of everyone the swan that's inside of each of them,'' said Valerie Farschman, director of ''Honk! Jr.''
The musical comedy, based on Hans Christian Andersen's classic story, ''The Ugly Duckling,'' was written by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe and served as the focal piece for the 29th annual production by the youth theater organization.
Farschman said the ''Jr.'' portion of the production was added to reflect the youths involved.
The 52 young participants, ranging in age from 8 to 17, were the actors and stagehands for the performance of the musical that wowed audiences at the Lorain Palace on July 28, 29 and 30.
John Handyside, general manager of the Lorain Palace Theatre, said the Palace Youth Theatre began almost 30 years ago.
''It started in 1977, back when we started the Lorain Palace Civic Center, to bring arts and culture to the city of Lorain. At that time, there wasn't anything like that around in the city,'' said Handyside.
The five-week program begins on the Monday after the close of the Lorain International Festival and Bazaar in late June, and the weekend of performances ''is the culmination of everything the kids have learned,'' said Handyside.
''Part of what they do is stage presentation,'' said Handyside. ''But, more importantly, it's what they learn prior to the production. They learn costuming, movement, projection, how to audition, singing and dancing.''
Handyside praised Farschman and said she is an award-winning drama teacher.
''She teaches drama at Amherst Steele High School,'' said Handyside. ''She took her group to the National Thespian Conference and won first place for the state of Ohio.''
Handyside also had good words for another member of the Lorain Palace Youth Theatre, Jessica Smith, 20, Lorain, the producer and co-instructor of ''Honk! Jr.''
''Jessica has just been phenomenal,'' said Handyside. ''I can remember her as a shy little girl who ran lights for the shows. It's great to see her evolve out of that. She's learned how to talk in front of people and to get up and be able to communicate to a small or large group and not freeze up.''
Smith will start her junior year this fall at Ohio University in Athens.
''I was a student here many years ago and am an instructor today,'' said Smith. ''It's first and mainly opened me up as a people person. It helped me, to be around others who liked theater. It helped me grow as a person.''
Playing the lead role of the Ugly Duckling is Ryan Dillon, 13, of Avon, son of Jack and Colleen Dillon, and a freshman this fall at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland.
''There's so much to know. I have so many lines to memorize as well as my blocking (where his character is situated on-stage at any given moment during the performance). But that's the thing that makes it fun,'' said Ryan.
Alex Arroyo, 19, a 2005 graduate of Lorain Southview High School, is choreographer of ''Honk! Jr.''
Every rehearsal day, Arroyo assembles the students on-stage and puts them through the paces, limbering them up with arm and leg shakes and stretching exercises.
''They are so amazingly talented,'' Arroyo said of this year's crop of youngsters. ''They wowed us all. They're giving their all to this show and it's going to be one of the best ever presented.''
Emily Phillips, 10, of Amherst, daughter of Chris and Cathleen Phillips, a sixth grader at St. Joseph School, Amherst, plays two roles in ''Honk, Jr.''
''I am Polly Peacock and Bianca Swan,'' said Emily, adding this is her third year in the youth theater program.
''Every year,'' said Emily, ''my self-confidence gets a little bit higher and it helps me work on my presentations at school and gets me to speak louder.''
Elizabeth Matijasic, 15, of Vermilion, daughter of Bill and Chris Matijasic, is in her sixth year in the youth theater program.
Elizabeth, a sophomore at Vermilion High School, said the program is providing her with key ingredients she needs to meet her aspirations of one day becoming a TV news anchor.
''Speech-wise, it's helped me, as well as my stage presence,'' said Elizabeth.
Farschman said she is ''very pleased'' with this year's crop of youngsters.
''I emphasized working on the character for their parts on-stage. I wanted them to find out who their character is outside of the script and to understand what motivates them,'' said Farschman.
''Some of the shyest children here are still doing a character. Everyone has at least one line. They have to speak it out and project,'' said Farschman.
When the curtain goes down on opening night, Farschman said of her students, ''The shine you see won't be the lights. It will be their faces when they hear the applause.''