School gears up for ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ play

 

Southwest Middle School students will perform a classic play this week for the public and fellow students.

“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” will chronicle the tales of Tom Sawyer, a mischievous boy who witnesses a crime in a graveyard and is afraid of who commits the crime.

The public show will start at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Southwest Middle School auditorium. Tickets are $5 for parents and $3 for students. Children under 6 are free.

Director Laura Kuisle spoke highly of the work students have undertaken.

“They have good effort,” she said. “When you ask for them to be emotional, they can be emotional. They have fun with it. They run around. They have lots of energy — lots and lots of energy.”

She encouraged community members to attend the performance.

“It’s really about supporting everyone,” she said. “They’ve put so much heart and effort into it, and I want to make sure that the public can come and see and support them. I know it’s middle school, but they can do an awesome job just as well as highschoolers, or even professionals.”

Kuisle noted students have practiced from 3:15 to 5:30 p.m. after school since January.

Sixth-grader Nate Garrison, who plays Muff Porter, said he enjoys the play.

“It’s fun,” he said. “You have to prep for it.”

Fellow sixth-grader Joseph Calderon, who plays Doc Robinson, said he is excited for the play because his character is the only one to die on stage.

“It’s more of a serious part, and it kind of leads to the story’s ending,” he said.

Jayley Waters plays Huckleberry “Huck” Finn.

“I’m looking forward to showing everybody what we’ve been working really hard on,” she said.

 

Tickets, please

What: “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”

When: 7 p.m. Thursday for the public; school performances for sixth- and seventh-graders Friday during school

Where: Southwest Middle School

Cost: $5 for parents, $3 for students and free for children under 6

 

Cast and crew

Jeff Thatcher: Elijah Raatz

Tom Sawyer: Deven Dufour

Mrs. Thatcher: Madde Anderson

Becky Thatcher: Ava Bremer

Aunt Polly: Addison Herr

Sid Sawyer: Sam Meyer

Cousin Mary: Bailey Wood

Ben Rogers: Sunny Htoo

Amy Lawrence: London Bergland

Widder Douglas: Paige Monson

The Preacher: Brecken Koepke

Judge Thatcher: Jack Skinness

Joe Harper: Grace Juntunen

Lyda Hollis: Ashlyn Berven

Jim Hollis: Erin Boorsma

Ted Austin: Hannah Williams

Hope Austin: Bailey Abrego

Susie Harper: Alexis Jones

The Schoolmaster: Bree Weilage

Faith Harper: Kiki Dual

Huck Finn: Jaylee Waters

Doc Robinson: Joseph Calderon

Injun Joe: Pranav Jha

Muff Porter: Nate Garrison

The Constable: Imogene Brumbaugh

Director: Laura Kuisle

Set designer/assistant director: Alissa Sauer

Lights: Kuisle, Jacki Reyna Lopez

Spotlight: Elijah Jacobson, Paige Becker

Sound: Meer Gach

Backstage: Tayla Hendrickson, Aurora Cox, Eh Ler

Prop manager: Sophia Gordon