Snow Child Coming To Stage Door

Photos by Joan Ludtke

​We recently received this from Ms. Joan Ludtke along with her wonderful photos.

“White Cloud’s own Stage Door Players community theater presents, Snow Child, a play that will be enjoyed by all ages. The setting is a village in Russia, during the winter, in the early years of the 1900’s and the actors are mostly young, spirited children. Our adults bring enthusiasm and emotion. Will Katya and Dimitri be blessed with the child that they have hoped for?”
  
We were intrigued so we caught up with Director Bev Guikema to pose a few questions.

Tell us a little about the play.
Snow Child is a heartwarming story about family and love.  The story takes place in Russia many years ago and is taken from a Russian folktale.   A childless couple’s home is the place all the village children like to gather.  Dimitri the toymaker wishes for a way to make Katya happy by bringing her a child of her own to love.  He comes up with an idea to form a child out of ice and snow—and that is when the real magic begins.  

The play calls for several  characters and I understand this cast is primarily younger actors. Can you tell us a little about the cast, i.e. any new to the stage, any who have previous stage experience?
There are 9 young actors in this play.  Three have never been in a show with Stage Door before.  The others have mostly had small or walk-on parts in the past. This is the fourth play for the actor portraying the Snow Child but her first major part.  The two adult actors are known for their roles in Cinderella and A Deal in the Desert.  

What are the challenges with this play?
The split stage set might be one of the challenges.  Half of the stage is the cottage of Dimitri and Katya and the other is a large snow filled clearing just outside the city of Yelentka in Russia.  
Young people (ages 8-16) can be a challenge but youth seem to be better at memorizing their lines on time than adults.  Another challenge is their lack of experience and having to teach them some of the terms and behaviors of acting.  Having 10 people in one half of the small stage where action can take place and everyone can be seen is another obstacle. 

Why should people attend and what should they expect?
Families should attend with their young children to celebrate the season.  It is full of warmth and tenderness, colorful costumes, and a charming wintry set with plenty of snow.  I believe it will be a wonderful holiday experience for all.  

Showtimes:
Friday, Dec. 1st, Saturday, Dec. 2nd
Friday, Dec. 8th, Saturday, Dec. 9th 
All shows will begin at 7:00PM with doors opening at 6:30 PM Adults $12 
Students/Seniors $10 Families $25