Sometimes, the stress of school just makes you want to revert back to the times of Power Rangers and popsicles, of cartoons and coloring books. Well, that is exactly what some Grinnell students have the chance to do.
This coming weekend, the Neverland Players will put on their production for the seventh year running. The program is a collaboration with Davis Elementary, where, once a semester, Grinnell students turn elementary students’ stories into short skits which are then performed for the Grinnell community.
“It’s fun… a lot like let’s pretend,” director Barbara Monaco ’10 said. The affair helps to improve college community relations by getting students involved with the schools, as well as provide a comical respite from being a grown-up.
Even so, it has been an intense process to put the show together. About 25 people auditioned for this year’s performances and were narrowed to a cast of between 8-10 people. Practices started the first week of September and lasted four weeks to produce the 10 skits that will be shown this weekend in hour long shows.
Neverland Players has been directed by Barbara Monaco ’10 and Mitch Avitt ’10 for the past two years, carrying on a tradition begun by Kat Henry. Brandon Lei ’10 is the musical director, in charge of the opening number, transition music, sound effects and writing the scores for the musical number at the end. Given the collaboration with the school, the skits and accompanying music are all extremely PG­—fun for the whole family.
Show times are Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 3, at 2 p.m. and 7p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 4, at 2 p.m. All performances will be held in room BCA 154 of Bucksbaum.