Youngsters shine on Ilwaco stage: ‘Grimm’ comedy continues two weekends
Published 9:50 am Wednesday, November 6, 2024
- Tucker and Hadley Darr portray Hansel and Gretel in “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon,” a comedy staged by Peninsula Players. Performances continue through Nov. 24.
Theater stalwart Ed Ahlers doesn’t hold with “stars.”
But the veteran director is happy to applaud two young actors in Peninsula Players’ latest production.
“The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon,” which continues for two weekends, features Tucker and Hadley Darr, who portray Hansel and Gretel.
If You Go
“The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon”
Peninsula Players
River City Playhouse, 127 Lake St., Ilwaco, Wash.
7 p.m. Nov. 15-16, 22-23; 2 p.m. Nov. 17 and 24.
Tickets $20, from Okie’s Thriftway in Ocean Park, Bold Gallery in Long Beach and Olde Towne Cafe in Ilwaco, or at the door.
Ahlers is thrilled with their contribution. “I like to encourage young kids, as often young people aren’t interested in community theater. That’s why I am glad they are in it.”
The brother and sister, who attend Naselle schools, demonstrated their enthusiasm from the first day, Ahlers said.
“I wish the older actors could remember their lines as well,” he teased. “They are fantastic, they really are. They knew theirs by the second rehearsal!”
Tucker is 10 and Hadley is nine. As well as their fairy-tale title characters, they have other small roles. Tucker said he has fun portraying a spoiled prince who is turned into a frog.
The pair are the children of Dustin and Emily Darr of Naselle. The youngsters said they are enjoying the experience, which their mother said was their first play.
“I was a theater girl and grew up with it,” Emily Darr said. “When we saw the opportunity, we had some interest.”
Both kids dance with Beach Ballet in Long Beach.
“They enjoy performing in multiple avenues,” she added, noting the children practice their lines out loud at home. “They are doing amazingly.”
The comedy features an ensemble cast whose efforts to portray a portion of 209 fairy tales are corralled by Ann Erickson and Kevin Perry playing narrators. It continues through Nov. 24.
Asked about the challenges of staging the show, Ahlers took time to commend long-time Peninsula Players participants, Rose Power, who painted landscapes that contain hidden meanings, and Nancy McAllister, who coordinated a colorful array of costumes. The stage manager is David Immel.
• Tickets are $20, available from Okie’s Thriftway in Ocean Park, the Bold Gallery in Long Beach and Olde Towne Cafe in Ilwaco, or at the door.
