Driving Miss Daisy – Meet the Cast

Meet the fabulously talented cast bringing to life the story of “Driving Miss Daisy” at Desert Foothills Theater.

T.A. Burrows (Hoke Colburn): A Native New Yorker, T.A. has been active in Valley theater for over 15 years and is a four-time AriZoni Award winner. He is thrilled to be back at DFT, his “home” theater, where he last directed Smokey Joe’s Café and has performed in shows such as Pajama Game, Dan Dee Revue, Guys and Dolls, Sweet and Hot and Simply Sammy. His other productions include A Few Good Men, Damn Yankees, Annie Get Your Gun, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Radio Golf, Purlie, Permanent Collection, and a previous production of Driving Miss Daisy at Theater Works. In addition to being an actor and vocalist, T.A. is the owner and Executive Producer of Act Two Productions, a Valley entertainment company, which is known for such popular tribute shows as Legends of Song, Top of the Charts, Remember When, and Rockin’ the Classics.

Barbara McBain (Miss Daisy Werthan): Barbara is very excited to be playing this dream role with a dream cast and director!!! She was last seen at DFT as Mrs. Potts in Picnic. Barbara has performed all over the valley and some of her favorite roles are Grandma in Billy Elliot, Hannah in The Spitfire Grill , Miss Thorn/Block in Ruthless, Dottie in Noises Off, Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret (4 times) and Jeanette in The Full Monty. She was most recently seen as Dot in The Savannah Sipping Society. Barbara is honored to have been nominated for 10 AriZoni awards and received her first one for Bertha in Boeing, Boeing in 2016. Barbara can been seen in Durant’s Never Closes, starring Tom Sizemore, and in the short film Show No Mercy with Marty and Jesse Kove. Off stage Barbara sells real estate and anxiously awaits new photos of her Grandson Harrison. She is also expecting the arrival of her Granddaughter in March 2018!. Love to her favorite audience member—her fiancé Gary.

Dale Fridley (Boolie Werthan):In high school Dale had roles in several productions, including Partridge in Tom Jones and Stainless Steel in The Chips are Down.   Beyond high school, he performed the roles of Leo in Lunch Hour for the Chesterfield, MO Community Theater,  and the King of Siam in The King and I for Greensboro, NC Community Theater.    The role of Boolie is Dale’s first role since 1995.   Outside of theater, Dale is a practicing Forensic Engineer, specializing in car crashes.

 

 

“Driving Miss Daisy” plays at Desert Foothills Theater from February 2nd-February 11th, 2018. Purchase tickets through the website or by calling the box office at 480-488-1981. 

Sounds Like a Hit! Charlotte’s Web and the World of Sound.

The crashes, bells, and fireworks that you will hear tonight are all being created by five of our cast members, using Foley sound effects.

For those unfamiliar with the term, Foley sound is the technique that is used to create sound effects, primarily for TV and Film. This includes any sort of sound that adds to the overall quality and/or authenticity of a piece. Foley can include exciting sounds like explosions, Darth Vader’s famous breathing, or the magic sound of a Patronus in Harry Potter. It can also be used to enhance and create the more mundane sounds of footsteps, rustling clothes or pouring a cup of coffee. No matter what the sound is, these creations add to the overall strength of a production.

Foley sound has a long and interesting history. It began all the way back in vaudeville performances when a rim shot on a drum set was used to underscore a joke. As radio became the dominant form of entertainment in the early 1920’s, live broadcasts of radio dramas rose in popularity. There was no effective means of recording sound effects, so all of the non-vocal sounds in those broadcasts were produced live by a sound effect person in the studio.

When movies transitioned seemingly overnight from silent film to “talkies” or movies with sound, Jack Donovan Foley truly found his calling. He was working at Universal Studios. After Warner Brothers released The Jazz Singer, the first movie that included sound, Universal had to quickly adapt to stay relevant. The company requested that employees with radio experience to come forward. Foley joined the sound crew that turned Show Boat from a silent film into a musical. The issue was that the microphones of that time period were not able to pick up any sounds other than dialogue. Foley and his crew created all of the sounds heard in that film. Most impressively, they recorded a single track of audio that captured their live sound effects perfectly synchronized with the action on film.

To create these sounds, Foley artists utilize a wide variety of materials in unique and creative ways. For example, to simulate a breaking bone, breaking crisp celery stalks or carrots creates just the right sound. Some Foley studios even have segments of the floor with various materials (stones, gravel, etc.) to create the distinct sounds that we expect to hear when we see a character walking on a specific surface.

For this production, the director and design team wanted to embrace the story-telling aspect of this script and utilize the narrator roles in a creative way. The sound designer gathered colleagues to devise ways to create all of the sounds found in the script. Then then taught the kids to make them. These sounds contribute to the timeless feel of the piece and surround the audience with sound. To experience this for yourself, be sure to come see Charlotte’s Web. 

“Charlotte’s Web” plays at Desert Foothills Theater through January 21st, 2018. Tickets can be purchased at dftheater.org or by calling the box office at 480-488-1981.

Lessons From Charlotte – with Jessica Holt

Jessica Holt is the stage manager for “Charlotte’s Web” and the Patron Services/PR Manager for Desert Foothills Theater. She shares her thoughts and memories of Charlotte’s Web”.

Jessica Holt

Years. More than I care to consider. That is how long Charlotte’s Web has stayed with me. I am so blessed to have countless memories of being read to by my parents, especially my father. There’s nothing I loved more as a kid than getting into my pretty daybed, snuggling under the covers, and listening to a chapter or two of whatever book my dad and I had picked out. I’ve been a life-long reader because of this early influence, and for that I am very grateful.

I’m even more grateful for the countless lessons I learned from these books. Charlotte’s Web was one of the stories that shaped me as a child. Through it I learned lessons of friendship, sacrifice, courage, and selfless love.

I’m privileged to be working as the stage manager for Desert Foothills Youth Theater’s upcoming production of Charlotte’s Web, featuring a cast full of talented youngsters. I have been enjoying, very much, the opportunity to revisit this story from my childhood, brought to life by these amazing kids.

As a child, Charlotte’s Web was all about the elegant spider, the funny farm animals, and the courage it takes to be a true friend.

Story Time with Tim, Abigail, and Jessica (Right)

As an adult, Charlotte’s Web is a reminder that we should always work to protect the small and the innocent, that we should think creatively, and use our strengths to solve our problems. When I get caught up worrying about the future, I’m reminded that, “a good life is much more important than just having a long life”.

A story for all ages, it teaches us that sometimes all we can do is be a friend to someone and that, “that in itself is a tremendous thing”.

The story of an unlikely friendship between a scared little pig and an intelligent spider with a love of words captivated me. I loved Charlotte’s big vocabulary and I loved the way she made the people she cared about feel safe, just the way I felt every night, listening to stories from my father.

“Charlotte’s Web” plays at Desert Foothills Theater through January 21st, 2018. Tickets can be purchased at dftheater.org or by calling the box office at 480-488-1981.

Charlotte’s Web – Meet the Cast (Part 3)

 

Learn More About these Versatile Performers

The Members:

The people cast as members will be playing a variety of character roles, providing narration, and making all of the sound effects in the production live, on stage!

Audrey Phipps

Audrey Phipps is an 8th grader at Sonoran Trails Middle School. Audrey is delighted to be a part of Charlotte’s Web. She has enjoyed all the other productions she’s been in as well, including Addams Family, (Cousin Itt) and Peter Pan (Wendy and Tootles).

Charlotte Bootz

Charlotte Bootz is 12 years old and attends Black Mountain Elementary School. She loves acting, dancing and anything to do with animals. She has been involved in multiple school plays and musicals including Charlotte’s Web, The Snow White Variety Show, The Wizard of Oz, Aladdin and The Chronicles of Narnia. She would like to thank, with all of her heart, her drama teacher Berta Cortes for introducing her to acting and teaching her everything she knows!

Stella Chamoff

Stella is super excited to return to the DFT stage with the cast of Charlotte’s Web. She was last seen as Tessie in DFT’s Annie. Stella attends Annunciation Catholic School and is in the 5th grade class. Stella also enjoys singing in the church choir, tae kwon do, art, and playing with her cute labradoodle, Salvy.

Peyton Jones

Peyton is an 11-year-old sixth grader at Foothills Academy Elementary Prep. He has enjoyed several classes and camps at DFYT, and is a member of the Show Tones ensemble. In addition to school productions, Peyton has appeared at DFT in At Home in the Desert (Quail, 2014), The Wizard of Oz (Nikko/Munchkin, 2015), Alice in Wonderland (Six of Diamonds, 2016), Beauty and the Beast (Castle Guard/Village, 2017), and Annie (Dog Catcher/Newspaper Boy/Servant, 2017). Peyton is also a competitive swimmer, and in his free time loves bike riding, pretending characters, listening to music, singing, announcing/introducing (especially if a microphone is involved!), reading, social media, and movies.

Cameron Smith

Cameron, 13, is in 8th grade and attends Explorer Middle School as is in the National Junior Honor Society. Cameron previously played Tiger Lily in Peter Pan, Jr. This is Cameron’s debut with Desert Foothills Theater. Cameron also loves playing lacrosse when she is not acting or singing on stage.

Charlotte’s Web runs January 12th -21st at Desert Foothills Youth Theater. Visit the website to buy tickets or call 480-488-1981.

Charlotte’s Web -Meet the Cast (Part 2)

Learn More About the Talented Actors Bringing the Farm to Life

The Animals:

Anora Biggs (Wilbur the Pig)

Anora is 10 years old and in the 4th grade at Sunset Ridge. She loves being on stage and is excited to be in her first show at Desert Foothills Theater. Past roles have included Slightly in Peter Pan, Eeyore in Disney’s Winnie the Pooh Kids (National Youth Arts Award Nomination), Iago in Disney’s Aladdin Kids (NYA Nomination), and Horace in Disney’s 101 Dalmation Kids (NYA Nomination). She enjoys dancing, singing, swimming, reading, acting, and making YouTube videos.

Katelyn Karcher (Charlotte the Spider)

Katelyn Karcher is a 7th grader at Cocopah Middle School and is 13 years old. Her first play was Beauty and the Beast, Jr., and her favorite role has been Aquata in
The Little Mermaid. She just finished her 5th play at DST. This is Katelyn’s first play at Desert Foothills Theater and she is very grateful for the opportunity.

Wyatt Chamoff (Templeton the Rat)

Wyatt is thrilled to be a part of DFT’s production of Charlotte’s Web. Wyatt is a 3rd grader at Annunciation Catholic School and enjoys cub scout, tae kwon do, and reading in his free time. Wyatt was last seen in Valley Youth Theater’s production of Shrek as Young Shrek. Other credits include Chip in Beauty and the Beast (DFT), and Dr. Dan in Flat Stanley Jr. (DFT).

Brooke Kilgore (Goose)

Brooke is an eighth grader currently attending Sonoran Trails middle school. She has recently been in shows like Beauty and the Beast, Flat Stanley, and The Game of Tiaras. She loves doing theatre, and enjoys photography, writing, and singing.

Keagan Smith (Gander)

Keagan is 13 years old and attends Sonoran Trails Middle School. He is excited to be performing in his fifth DFT production. Keagan was last seen in Beauty and the Beast as the Baker and prior to that Mr. Lambchop in The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley. Keagan enjoys singing, dancing, playing the Saxophone and participating in Boy Scouts.

Mia Dybvig-Pawelko (Sheep)

Mia, 12, is a 7th grader at Foothills Academy College Prep. She is excited to be appearing in Charlotte’s Web. Some of her favorite roles have included: Young Louise in Gypsy, Jetsam in The Little Mermaid, and Cousin Sophie in The Adventures of Flat Stanley for which she received an NYA nomination. In her free time, Mia enjoys hanging out with friends, spending time with her family, and playing the Ukulele.

Griffin Raia (Lamb)

Griffin is excited to be in his first production at Desert Foothills. He loves performing. Some of his favorite roles include Charlie in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Spotlight Youth Theatre), Yoda in Back to the 80s (Desert Stages Theatre), and the Dwarf in Shrek Jr (DST).

Charlotte’s Web runs January 12th -21st at Desert Foothills Youth Theater. Visit the website to buy tickets or call 480-488-1981.

Stay Tuned for the last installment in our “Meet the Cast” series Tomorrow!

 

“Terrific, Terrific, Terrific” – with Mikaella Belsan

Mikaella Belsan has grown up in the theater and is now focusing on directing. She is currently working on “Charlotte’s Web” and was gracious enough to answer a few questions for us. 

Mikaella Belsan

Q: When did you first get involved with theater?

A: I have been doing theatre since I was eight all over the valley.

Q: What areas of the theater have your worked in?

A: I started acting and then got in to the technical side. In high school I started directing and realized this is what I was supposed to be doing.

Q: That’s wonderful. It sounds like you have a wide range of experience. What do enjoy specifically about directing?

A: I love directing because it’s my chance to share my vision with the world.

Q: Speaking of vision, how do you create your vision or concept for a production?

A: My process is pretty simple. I read the show once for each design element and think about how I want each of them to basically look. Then the designers come in and make my ideas better.

Q: What can you tell us about the designs for this production?

A: There are several cast members that take on narration roles, and create all the sound effects for the production. They are on stage the entire time. Also, the costume design for the animals is really different. Instead of creating literal animals, it captures the mood and personality of each creature.

Q: What drew you to “Charlotte’s Web”?

A: Charlotte’s Web was one of my favorite books as a kid and I have always loved this beautiful story of friendship. I think it is the perfect show to do with kids this age.

Q: I agree, it works beautifully with kids portraying these characters. What age range is featured in this production?

A: The kids range from 8 to 14 years old.

Charlotte, Fern, Wilbur

Q: What a fun group! What is your favorite part about working with young actors?

A: Working with young actors is great. They are always so excited to learn and be apart of the show in any way. It’s also my chance to give back and help the next generation learn about theatre the way I learned.

Q: That idea of giving to others is present in the play too. What themes have you explored in this production?

A: The themes of friendship and selflessness I think are the most important. Especially because of the age group in this production.

Q: I think this show is a lovely way to explore those ideas with kids in a really fun way. The audience will be made up of children and adults. What message would you like them to walk away with?

A: I want the audience to get the message that friendships are important and even though some might leave you, they will always be in your heart.

Q: That’s beautiful. Is there anything unique about this production that you’d like to tell us about?

Q: It sound awesome! Finally, why should audiences come see this production?

A: Audiences should come see this show to see some really talented kids tell the classic tale of a small pig and a very brave spider.

“Charlotte’s Web” plays at Desert Foothills Theater from January 12th through January 21st. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the website at dftheater.org or by calling the box office at 480-488-1981.

 

Charlotte’s Web – Meet the Cast

“Charlotte’s Web” has a barnyard full of the best youth talent around. Learn more about them here. 

The Humans:

Gabby Astrowsky (Fern Arable)

Gabby is very excited to be part of the Charlotte’s Web cast in her second production at DFT! On stage since age five, past favorite roles include Orphan in Annie (DFT), Summer Hathaway in School of Rock (DST-NYA Nominee), Sphrintze in Fiddler on the Roof (ABT), and Molly in Annie (DST). When not involved in a theatre show, Gabby loves dancing and she just performed with Ballet AZ as a Small Angel in the Nutcracker at Symphony Hall.

Carter Nelson (John Arable)

Carter is a 7th grader at STMS. His first play was Charlotte’s Web at BMES. He has also performed in: The Little Mermaid, Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, The Wizard of OZ, Aladdin Jr. & Peter Pan. In his free time he likes to hang out with his friends, play the guitar & saxophone.

Lexie Shaw (Martha Arable)

Lexie Shaw is 13 years old and attends Sonoran Trails Middle School. She enjoys singing, acting, and playing the trumpet. Lexie has performed in musicals such as Wicked, Wizard of Oz, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella.

Harrison Lowe (Avery Arable)

In this DFT production, Harrison plays the part of Avery (annoying) Arable. He has been in numerous productions for the DFT including (but not limited to) Mowgli in The Jungle Book, Arthur in Flat Stanley, and Ensemble in Beauty and the Beast. His first acting debut was in Oliver! for CSHS theatre playing numerous parts. He is 13 years old in 7th grade at Sonoran Trails Middle School. He enjoys singing, acting, art, and learning Spanish. He decided to audition for Charlotte’s Web because he thought it would be a great opportunity to embrace his acting skills in a non-musical.

Jackson Rinkes (Homer Zuckerman)

Jackson is 13 years old and is a 7th grader at Sonoran Trails Middle school. He was most recently in White Christmas and his favorite shows have been Aladdin Jr. (Jafar) and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Tin Woodsman). When he isn’t acting, He enjoys hanging out with his friends and playing with his doggo, Joey.

Isabella Varela-Prendergast (Edith Zuckerman)

Bella is so excited to be a part of Charlotte’s Web and feels so blessed to be a part of the DFT family. Theater is her passion and she is so grateful to her family for their love, support and encouragement. Bella would like to thank all the past and present directors, stage managers, cast and crew that she has had the pleasure of working with. Bella’s experience includes Flat Stanley, Gypsy, Beauty and the Beast, and Annie.

Elliot Walker (Lurvy)

Elliott is a fourth grader at Foothills Academy. His favorite subjects are STEAM and writing. He has acted in The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley, Jr. and Beauty and the Beast. His family has encouraged him to pursue acting. Outside of the theater Elliott enjoys riding his hover board and entertaining friends and family with his larger than life personality. Elliott has been active in the community visiting local small businesses and helping when he can. He is the oldest in his family and has 3 younger siblings, 2 of which go to Foothills Academy with him. He has a four-year-old dog named Penny. Elliott is a great listener and enjoys conversing with everyone young and old.

Charlotte’s Web runs January 12th -21st at Desert Foothills Youth Theater. Visit the website to buy tickets or call 480-488-1981.

Stay Tuned To Meet More of the Cast Tomorrow!