OCR Text |
Show Davisites In 'Promised Valley i -ft tWkhV V & L-- Z"' '' ' Wi-- o "" '. 1 ' 1 r ,, rriI 1 .: jsa Frank and Beverly Robison, 930 North Kingswood Road, Kaysville, and their Valley for the first time this year. The Robisons had been active in drama while they lived in Boise. They were persuaded by Krsten to get back into drama and so daughter Kristen auditioned for their part in the chorus of Promised tried out for the parts. MRS. Robison said, The production has been so much fun that we will definitely try out next year. By ROSELYN KIRK Performing in Promised Valley, a summer production at the Promised Valley Theater in Salt Lake City, is a family affair for several Davis County families who tried out for the production together, practice songs and lines together and ride back and forth to the .:! ft ANOTHER member of the cast, Winnie Neilson, 1260 North 850 East, Bountiful, said its exciting to watch the children from one family learn to play the member of another family in the play and identify with the part. Im offstage when the Mormon Battalion comes home. I watched one boy. Hes as excited for his stage father to come home as he would be if it were his own father in real life. The children really get in the parts, Winnie says, which is why she wanted her own two children, Brad, 8, and Tana, 11, to try out for Promised Valley. it was the first time that either had been in a play and the audition was a frightening experience. Winnie and Arthur Neilsons. other three older children had other activities and didnt have time for the play, Winnie said. SHE SAID the children help her with her lines as Emma. The whole family went to see the production the first night that Winnie was on. She said the children dont seem to get tired, although they are rarely home before 10; 30. They enjoy the costumes, Winnie said. Tana, who has short hair, must have a long pony tail attached to her head every night so she can look the part of a pioneer child. Tana also has another costume change as she plays Abigail Adams daughter in the prologue and wears a pilgrim costume. productions together. BRYAN Bowles, 1203 North 950 East, Bountiful, assistant director, said that, since people of all ages were needed in the production, the easiest way to get this blend would be to have family groups try out. Many Bountiful families liked the concept of family theater and at the urging of one of the family members who was in the cast, tried out as a family group. BRIAN BOWLES said that Promised Valley, which was written in 1947 for the centennial celebration of the LDS Church, will provide 42 performances this Dave Hill, 750 South 875 East, Centerville, talked his family into trying out. as Jed, one of the Dave is double-cas- t leads. He has been in many productions in the Bountiful area, as well as some in the Promised Valley Theater and wanted his children Michelle, 11 and David, 7, to have some experience in theater. the production had already had experience and David and Michelle didnt have the confidence at first. THE CHILDREN, who are in the childrens chorus ride to Salt Lake with WE HAD to talk like the dickens to get them to try out. A lot of the children in that the children are on stage the same night that Dave is cast as Jed. their father each night that all are scheduled to perform. They help me with lines right before the performance, Dave said. The schedule is worked out so summer. Its important to have all age children as well as groups on stage-sm- all adults. Most of the parts are double cast, with a few being triple cast. Steve Evans, 1292 North Nola Circle, Centerville, is also cast as Jed. His children Lori, 10; Sheri, 8; and Julie, 6; play his own children in the play. Last year Steve and Pat Evans son Brad played Jeds baby in the production, but now that he is 2 he has outgrown that part. STEVE SAYS the children constantly sing the songs from Promised Valley at home. Even though Brad is not in the production this year, he knows most of the songs, his father said and spends a lot of time on the floor, dramatizing the part of a cricket. Although Pat is not in the production, she accompanies the family to the theater about half of the time. Its a big job to get all the kids in costume and thats Pats job, Steve said. OTHER Davis County residents in the production are Noel Twitchell, Dorothy OBrien, Dave Howell, Teresa Toone, Nona Rae Miller, Lanita Miller, Suzanne Todd, Betty Sedgley and Boyd Fisher. PHOTOS Although Darrel and Anita Thompson, South 650 East, Bountiful, are too busy this year, to be in Promised Valley their four children continue in the 175 production. The four Thompson children Diana, 16; David, 10; Dwight, 8; and Aaron, 5, do their makeup at home and 1 ! d m iyr i The Claude Snow family, 1531 Emerald Hills Drive, Bountiful, also has a young member of their family on stage. Michael, three months, will make isolated appearances as Jeds baby. Michael will join four of the Snow children and his father Claude, who appear in the production. Claude Snow, who is double cast as Governor Bradford, was talked into trying out for the part by his 11 year old daughter Vicki. Other cast members from the family are Shreen, 14; Karen, 7; and Ryan, who will be two next month. COLEEN SNOW said she hasnt been able to see the show as much as usual this year because of the new baby, but other years it has been a full time commitment in the summer. She made Vicki a pilgrim costume this year. Two of the other Snow children, Eddie, 12; and David, 16 are too busy playing baseball to be in the production. In addition to playing Governor Bradford, Claude has worked in coaching Eddie's Little League ball team. then go in a car pool to the production. Dwight and Aaron are two of the Fennely boys and Diana and David are in the chorus. Darrel and Anita Thompson have given to Beautiful Bountiful playing at the Valley Music Hall. their time Home, IT I BY FRED WRIGHT ''0m 1 f -- J- THE JOHN and Abigail Adams family is also played by another Davis County 138 couple, Sharon and John Morgan, West 100 North, Bountiful. Since the play is double cast, Christine Little, 669 East 100 South, Kaysville, plays the part of Abigail Adams on the other nights. They, along with their children, Angela, take the 10, Daniel 8, and Matthew, 4 part of the Adams family. Last year the children were in the chorus. The Morgans have been in the production for three years. Their first year they commuted from Coalville, where they lived at that time, to Salt Lake City for the production. .J. V' - f THIS YEAR Sharon didnt plan to be in the production since she had a new baby, but she wasnt able to resist. She went to tryouts with her family and ended up trying out for the part of Abigail Adams--- a part she says she is partial to. The baby has adjusted to the production too. Once in awhile he goes on stage as Jeds baby. Although 3 month old Jared was on stage for only a few seconds, he did a beautiful job, Sharon said. He didnt cry or make a fuss. JOHN AND Sharon Morgan sing together and began to play in Promised Valley three years ago with their family. DAVID Park, 14, was influential in talking his family, the Richard Park family of 995 East Elaine Drive, in trying out for the production of Promised Valley." "David got us into it, his mother, Sandra said. Richard Park is Governor Bradford, one of the historical parts that was written into the play last year for the Bicentennial. onrerramilv members in the production are David, who is in his third year, Kathy, 20, in the chorus. Sandra Part plays the wife of Angus in the play, while her real husband Richard has another wife. Their daughter, Karen, 12, plays her daughter. SANDRA says that she was in the original production of Promised Valley when it first opened 30 years ago. Of course I had a younger role," she said. Although the family arrived together for the tryouts, they had to try out individually for the parts. She said the family devotes most of the summer to the production. Rehearsals began the middle of May for the production, which will play for 42 performances. Promised Valley, directed by Pat Davis, is a play about the Mormon pioneers trek across the plains and their experiences in settling in the Salt Lake Valley. The play is produced every summer by the LDS Church. 1 ; ! 9 e .m: |