By Samantha Baird
The SCERA Center for the Arts’ premier of their brand-new theatre for young audiences (TYA) The Untold Story of the Tortoise and the Hare opens this week in Orem, UT. While I don’t have any children of my own yet, I really enjoy going to see TYA shows Because they bring people back to the root of what matters in life through important morals and remind us to not take ourselves too seriously. Shows created for children help us to remember to sometimes take the time to have fun. The SCERA Center for the Arts is known for its family friendly environment and The Untold Story of the Tortoise and the Hare is delightful and refreshing. Before even walking into the theatre there is a fun little display to photograph the kiddos in front of a trophy as if they had won the race. After the show, the actors come into the lobby for a meet and greet with the audience. Excited fans in child-sized packages clamoring to see their favorite stars showed me that the youth of Utah County love live theater.
This is a brand-new show, book by Chase Ramsey with music and lyrics by David Paul Smith in which they tell the story of the classic children’s tale The Tortoise and the Hare. In this show, we get a behind the scenes look at what the lives of the hare and tortoise are like leading up to the big race. The story follows Jackie Hare (Kelly Coombs) and Frankie Tortoise (Kevin Bigler) and their families as all the pressure is placed on Jackie to be the 50th generation Hare family winner of the big race while Frankie is just reminded to have fun and enjoy the journey. While the show is pretty silly, (understandably since its target audience is so young) it does end with the heartfelt moral of showing love and compassion to others.
Coombs and Bigler really take their characters to such a high level that they are more than believable as the animals they are portraying. By the second or third scene, I was picturing them as a hare and tortoise. Something I loved about the show was not just the friendship between the main characters but the way that both of their fathers see the race. Jack Hare (Garrett Smit) is a very negative character, teaching Jackie that winning is everything and that someone who isn’t a winner is just a loser. Alternately, Koopa Tortoise (Aaron Johnson) is very positive, teaching Frankie that winning isn’t the most important thing. He just wants his sun to enjoy the experience. Smit and Johnson bring a lot to their respective characters showing that outside influence and what is taught in the home can have a major affect on children. The remainder of the ensemble that builds the Hare family (Shawn M. Mortensen, Heidi Spann, Michael Larson), the Tortoise family (Ally Johnson, Gentrey Jeppson), and the townspeople are very clear in each of their distinct characters, ensuring that the young children in the audience know who they are at any given time.
Part of building each distinct character falls to the fun costume designs by Deborah Bowman. I absolutely loved the distinction between each different animal onstage as well as the creative graphic t-shirts that the members of the Hare family and Tortoise family are wearing. The lighting and sound designs (Chase Elison) open up the production to a world of possibilities and further identify who’s who and what’s what here. That being said, the scenic design (Shawn M Mortensen) is brilliant and gorgeous. It’s been a while since I have seen a scenic design that beautiful and intricate in a community theatre. The direction by David Paul Smith and DeLayne Bluth Dayton makes this a show that you don’t want to miss if you have small children in your life.
Ramsey and Smith offered last year’s TYA production for the SCERA, Little Red and what a gifted pair they are. Family men themselves, they bring Utah County wonderful child-targeted theater for the whole family. I recommend The Untold Story of the Tortoise and the Hare for families with children 10 and under. It’s only an hour, so wiggly children (and teens and adults) can get all the joy from it without getting antsy. Older children, and children at heart, could surely enjoy it as well, but because it is a TYA show, the interactive elements at the beginning of the show and throughout make it more fun if you have young children with you—for them and you. Watching young ones fall in love with theater is a joy to watch. There are only five more performances of The Untold Story of the Tortoise and the Hare, so get your tickets now.
SCERA Center for the Arts presents The Untold Story of the Tortoise and the Hare, Book by Chase Ramsey, Music and Lyrics by David Paul Smith.
SCERA Center for the Arts 745 State St Orem, UT 84058
February 4, 8, 11, 15, 18, 22 7:00 PM
Tickets: $4-6
Contact: 801-225-2787
SCERA Facebook Page
The Untold Story of the Tortoise and the Hare Facebook Event
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