Middle school students bring a classic to the stage
Published 8:25 pm Tuesday, March 19, 2019
School gears up for ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ play
Southwest Middle School students will perform a classic play this week for the public and fellow students.
“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” will chronicle the tales of Tom Sawyer, a mischievous boy who witnesses a crime in a graveyard and is afraid of who commits the crime.
The public show will start at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Southwest Middle School auditorium. Tickets are $5 for parents and $3 for students. Children under 6 are free.
Director Laura Kuisle spoke highly of the work students have undertaken.
“They have good effort,” she said. “When you ask for them to be emotional, they can be emotional. They have fun with it. They run around. They have lots of energy — lots and lots of energy.”
She encouraged community members to attend the performance.
“It’s really about supporting everyone,” she said. “They’ve put so much heart and effort into it, and I want to make sure that the public can come and see and support them. I know it’s middle school, but they can do an awesome job just as well as highschoolers, or even professionals.”
Kuisle noted students have practiced from 3:15 to 5:30 p.m. after school since January.
Sixth-grader Nate Garrison, who plays Muff Porter, said he enjoys the play.
“It’s fun,” he said. “You have to prep for it.”
Fellow sixth-grader Joseph Calderon, who plays Doc Robinson, said he is excited for the play because his character is the only one to die on stage.
“It’s more of a serious part, and it kind of leads to the story’s ending,” he said.
Jayley Waters plays Huckleberry “Huck” Finn.
“I’m looking forward to showing everybody what we’ve been working really hard on,” she said.
Tickets, please
What: “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”
When: 7 p.m. Thursday for the public; school performances for sixth- and seventh-graders Friday during school
Where: Southwest Middle School
Cost: $5 for parents, $3 for students and free for children under 6
Cast and crew
Jeff Thatcher: Elijah Raatz
Tom Sawyer: Deven Dufour
Mrs. Thatcher: Madde Anderson
Becky Thatcher: Ava Bremer
Aunt Polly: Addison Herr
Sid Sawyer: Sam Meyer
Cousin Mary: Bailey Wood
Ben Rogers: Sunny Htoo
Amy Lawrence: London Bergland
Widder Douglas: Paige Monson
The Preacher: Brecken Koepke
Judge Thatcher: Jack Skinness
Joe Harper: Grace Juntunen
Lyda Hollis: Ashlyn Berven
Jim Hollis: Erin Boorsma
Ted Austin: Hannah Williams
Hope Austin: Bailey Abrego
Susie Harper: Alexis Jones
The Schoolmaster: Bree Weilage
Faith Harper: Kiki Dual
Huck Finn: Jaylee Waters
Doc Robinson: Joseph Calderon
Injun Joe: Pranav Jha
Muff Porter: Nate Garrison
The Constable: Imogene Brumbaugh
Director: Laura Kuisle
Set designer/assistant director: Alissa Sauer
Lights: Kuisle, Jacki Reyna Lopez
Spotlight: Elijah Jacobson, Paige Becker
Sound: Meer Gach
Backstage: Tayla Hendrickson, Aurora Cox, Eh Ler
Prop manager: Sophia Gordon