‘Snow Teen,’ ‘Sound of Music’ make for a weekend of twists

Tom Titus

Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen” is one of the classic

fairy tales, but how would it play with teenagers in the principal

roles and set right here in Costa Mesa?

Audiences at South Coast Repertory will find out this weekend when

SCR’s Young Conservatory presents a two-day, four-performance

engagement of the play, based on Steven Wolfson’s adaptation of the

Andersen classic. It’s been re-adapted for younger players by

conservatory director Laurie Woolery and is now known as “The Snow

Queen Teen,” with the word “Queen” crossed out in the title.

The show has been assembled by Woolery and the Summer Players, an

ensemble group of acting students who are selected by audition after

completing at least one year of Young Conservatory training at SCR.

In Woolery’s updating, she has modified the title to reflect the

age of her actors and the modern setting, which has been changed to

Costa Mesa. The play is a coming-of-age story about Kai and Gerda, a

boy and girl who are next-door neighbors and best friends.

A series of strange events befall them, and Kai gets captured by

the Snow Teen. Gerda sets out on an epic quest to save her lost

friend from impending doom.

The entire Summer Players class will have roles in the production.

They are Austin Koustik, Farrell Roth and Kaitlyn Smith of Costa

Mesa; Brina Dokick and Alison Wexler of Corona del Mar, as well as

Paul Anderson, Jeffrey Budner, Rachel Ferrell, Morgan Helmstetter,

Becky King, Lital Koropitzer, Amy Lashmet, Kevin Liang, Geena Lovato,

Nora Mally, Julia Ostman, Aliza Segal, Elise St. Clair, Luke Tagle,

Joel Wagner and Jake Wells. LisaMarie Goodell is production stage

manager.

Woolery -- an actor, director and playwright who has worked at the

Mark Taper Forum and other professional theaters -- has appeared in

numerous SCR productions for general and young audiences. Her

original play, “Orphan Train,” was produced at SCR by the theater’s

Junior Players last spring.

Performances will be given Saturday and Sunday at 1 and 4 p.m.

each day in the Nicholas Studio at South Coast Repertory 650 Town

Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Tickets are $5 and may be purchased through

the SCR box office at (714) 708-5555.

*

Across the street, at the Orange County Performing Arts Center,

audiences will be invited to join in at the “Sing-A-Long Sound of

Music,” which will be presented this weekend only in the Center’s

Segerstrom Hall.

The show is described as “the Von Trapp family meets ‘The Rocky

Horror Picture Show’” because playgoers are encouraged to dress up in

costumes inspired by the stage and screen musical “The Sound of

Music” and sing along with the actors, hiss the villains and cheer

Maria, Baron Von Trapp and their children during a showing of the

1965 Oscar-winning movie “The Sound of Music,” which starred a recent

visitor to the Center, Julie Andrews.

The “Sing-a-Long Sound of Music” has sold out at the Hollywood

Bowl and the Kennedy Center. Patrons will receive a package of

artificial edelweiss, drapery fabric much like that used for the

children’s lederhosen and other fun items.

The movie will be shown as the audience sings along with the

Rodgers and Hammerstein songs and will be cued when to boo the Nazis,

hiss the baroness, bark at Lisel’s boyfriend, Rolf, and cheer for

Maria.

Show times are tonight and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

Tickets cost $12 to $22. Call the Center at (714) 556-2787 for more

information.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews

appear Fridays.