Fairy tales, with a twist

Ran on Friday, June 15, 2007

Fairy tales, with a twist
Improv theater group aims to deliver entertainment for kids

By Keighla Schmidt
Leader-Telegram staff

Kids are entertaining kids at Sawdust City Days.
The Golden Trunk Players, a troupe of area high school students, takes fairy tales geared toward young children onstage, giving classic stories a modern twist through improvisation.
The troupe is set to perform daily on the Family Fun Stage during the festival, which runs through Sunday in Carson Park.
“They do skits, songs and fairy tales and interact with the kids,” said Ann Sessions of the Chippewa Valley Theatre Guild. The Golden Trunk Players are part of the CVTG.
Thursday’s Family Fun Stage show featured a version of “The Fisherman and His Wife.” An audience member suggested the fisherman should be a day care provider; the group seamlessly complied.
Using small props and costumes, such as towels and hats, the Golden Trunk Players, clad in colorful T-shirts, drew from the imaginations of the children.
“It’s fun for us to interact with the kids,” said performer Casey Metcalf, 16, a Memorial High School student. “This way we don’t have to do it alone.”
Fellow performer Chelsea Mell, 17, a Chippewa Falls Senior High School student, said, “It’s entertaining for us.”
Director Rachel Shellenberger, a 2006 Altoona High School graduate, said performers aim to make people happy. She said, “We do it for the kids,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
It’s educational, too.
“It’s a great introduction to the performing arts,” Sessions said.