PORT ANGELES — A rainforest full of animals and a green ogre: They’re about to frolic across the Little Theater stage, thanks to a herd of Five Acre School youngsters.
“The Great Kapok Tree,” a story set in the Amazon Rainforest, and the classic comedy “Shrek” make up this spring’s Five Acre all-school production, which has just one public performance Friday night.
Admission is by donation to the 90-minute show, to start at 7 p.m. in the Little Theater at Peninsula College, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd.
“This is just great children’s theater,” said Five Acre operations manager Kristin Smith.
“The kids help adapt the books: They create the props, they do the singing, the background music, the sound effects themselves.”
‘Shrek’ actor
“Shrek” stars 11-year-old Anton Kathol of Port Angeles as a green ogre who, despite his warts, is quite at peace with himself.
This version is based on the book by William Steig and follows the book more closely than the 2001 movie version did, said Tom Harris, one of the teachers working on the production.
Five Acre School, a private elementary school in Dungeness, produces a doubleheader each year. The Discovery Class, kindergartners through second-graders, puts on one play, and the Explorer Class, third- to sixth-graders, stages the other.
Rosie Sharpe, Five Acre’s music teacher, is directing the 2013 productions, which feature music by Dan Lieberman, a Port Angeles schoolteacher and musician, plus capoeira dance music from Brazil.
In “Shrek,” there’s a maypole dance with a real maypole and accompaniment by six recorder players, Sharpe added.
Altogether, more than 50 children age 5 to 12 create the “Kapok” forest and “Shrek’s” world.
Scholarship fund
Donations at the show Friday will go into Five Acre School’s Lisa Inman Scholarship Fund and equipment account.
Eighteen percent of this year’s students receive financial aid from the Inman fund, Smith noted.
The equipment money is invested in things like marimbas for the music students, playground equipment and computers.
Five Acre School, located at 515 Lotzgesell Road, was founded in 1995 by Bill and Juanita Jevne.
The couple retired last year; Brian and Autumn Walsh are the new owners planning to expand Five Acre’s offerings to include seventh grade.
To find out more, phone 360-681-7255 or visit www.FiveAcreSchool.org.
________
Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5062, or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
