ICHS Students to stage productions

WINTERSVILLE -- Students are setting the stage for upcoming children’s shows and a fall production at Indian Creek High School.

The ICHS Performing Arts Department is gearing up to showcase two half-hour Creek Kids children’s shows which were penned by students. Creek Kids is a children’s theater program that was created to perform productions and give students credit toward graduation. The initiative ties into the school’s career-technical education program and students gain work-based learning hours by helping during productions.

The first performance of “The Great Circus Sabotage” is set for noon Oct. 24 in the school auditorium. The play, which was written by sophomore Raenika Smith and directed by classmate Farrah Lash, follows the attempt of circus performers to prevent the sale of their company. The second Creek Kids production that is set for December will be “His Sisters,” which was scripted by sophomore Tyla Poncik. The story tells of a young boy named Maximillian who gains support from his siblings after being bullied on his first in fifth grade, while his sisters face their own travails. Tickets for both shows cost $5 and sales are cash only.

Performing arts instructor Bobby Zinsmeister said the student-scripted productions began last year when a student asked to adapt William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” for a Creek Kids performance. That prompted other students to step forward and provide more of their original works for the stage.

“(The first play) went well, and another student was interested in writing the second Creek Kid’s play, ‘A Fractured Fairy Tale: Happily Ever After … ish.’ I knew a number of kids were interested in writing this year and asked if anyone was interested in doing a play,” he said. “A number of them responded. It’s a good opportunity, and for the ones who are writing, it and it gives them a huge sense of ownership. People will see the production and it’s a huge confidence builder.”

He noted that many students were involved in the Ink Society creative writing club and were sharing their talents in the theater. The shows also allow students to experience other aspects of the performing arts.

“It gives students an opportunity to run things on their own, and it gives kids interested in directing to do that for the first time and to write lighting cues or design the set,” Zinsmeister added.

Smith said she did not initially intend to write a play, but when the time came she stepped up and brainstormed ideas with director Farrah Lash. Both liked the idea of a circus and Smith penned her script about performers who try to sabotage the sale because it is a place they have long considered to be their home. She was excited about the prospect of seeing it performed on stage.

“I’m pretty happy with what I came up with and I’m excited to see what (the actors) do,” she added.

Poncik said the idea behind her play was to create a situation many people would relate to, and while she was nervous about the performance she also was thrilled.

“I’m happy and I love writing, and I get to put it into something that people want to see,” she commented.

Meanwhile, Zinsmeister said his students opted to perform a fall play instead of creating monthly radio productions. ICHS is now planning to stage a dramatic adaptation of “The Outsiders,” based on S.E. Hinton’s novel about rival teenage gangs in 1960s Oklahoma. The tale centers on 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis and his gang, the Greasers, which includes kids from troubled working-class backgrounds, and their adversaries, the Socials, whose members are from upper-middle-class families. Performances will be held on Nov. 6-7 and directed by student Cat Eisnnicher.

“They chose to do a play in the fall and one spring musical, so we are not doing the monthly radio programs,” he said. “We may be doing two spring musicals because of all the talent we have.”

For information on any of the productions, email Zinsmeister at robert.zinsmeister@iclsd.org.