DLT’s Youth Ensemble Theatre presents ‘The Trial of the Big Bad Wolf’ this weekend

Published 5:32 am Thursday, February 28, 2013

Throughout fairy tale history, the Big Bad Wolf has always gotten a bad rap. Or so he claims.

Was he really that bad? Or big? Were his actions somehow justified?

These are among some of the questions that will be addressed when his case goes to trial in “The Trial of the Big Bad Wolf,” a musical children’s play written by Kitty Nesius Beletic, which will be presented this weekend on the stage of the Dalton Little Theatre by DLT’s Youth Ensemble Theatre.

“It’s the trial of the century” involving the case of The Three Little Pigs vs. The Big Bad Wolf which takes place in “The Royal Court in the Northern District of Wonderland.” The Queen of Hearts is the reigning judge who tries to keep order in the courtroom while Alice, the prosecuting attorney representing The Three Little Pigs, battles it out with the Mad Hatter, the defense attorney for the Big Bad Wolf.

The cast of characters includes many fairy tale favorites who serve as police, a bailiff, jury members and witnesses who give their testimonies, some through song and dance.

Renae Duckworth, Kate Snowney and Karen Webb co-direct this version of the play which was written with musical numbers included. The songs can be enacted through dialogue versus singing, which is what the directors had intended to do when they auditioned children for the roles. They did not audition for singing voices as they did not intend to use the music in the performances.

But the kids had a different idea.

Duckworth said, “We did not intend to make the play a musical. On the first night of practice the kids asked if they could sing the songs that go along with the play. We asked them, ‘Can you sing?’ We played the first song and out came these sweet beautiful voices. They wanted to sing and it was great.”

The children’s creative involvement in the production did not stop there.

Duckworth continued, “Some of the kids wanted to do choreography for their songs. So once again we allowed them to show us and they did a great job. We are using it.” She added, “I truly have enjoyed working with the children in this cast. I have never seen a cast work so much as a team.”

Alex LaVelle, who serves as producer of the show, said, “I’m impressed by the progress the directors have made and by the opportunities they have given to the kids in helping to develop the musical part of the show. It has been a great creative experience for the kids.”

Performance dates are Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. For more information, contact DLT at (706) 226-6618, email dlt@optilink.us or visit www.daltonlittletheatre.com.

The cast

• Construction workers/police: Justice Anderson and Jalisia Famber.

• Judge/Queen of Hearts: Caroline Webb.

• Prosecuting attorney/Alice in Wonderland: Eden Scruggs.

• Defense attorney/Mad Hatter: Morgan Hurlock.

• Plaintiffs/Three Little Pigs: Sarah Forberger, Rayna Wilson, Caroline Scoggins.

• Defendant/Big Bad Wolf: Guy Hartline.

• Bailiff/Scarecrow: Audrey Webb.

• Little Red Riding Hood: Anna Claire Scoggins.

• Jack and the Beanstalk’s mom : Emily Anderson.

• Witnesses: Cinderella, Lexa Dawn; Jack and the Beanstalk, Gavin Willis; Dorothy, Kiera Snowney; Lupo Luigi, Riley Anderson.