Hide Article Text (OCR)
‘Cat Princess' Offered at ACTby DANNY GODDARD Adi EditorA greedy princess runs afoul of an evil witch in the Abilene Community Theatre Youth Division’s production of The Cat Princess.The play will be presented at 10 a.m. Dec. I 2, 5; 6, 7. * and 9 in the ChiJrirea’s Theater in Rose Park. More than 4,000 children in the first, second and third grades of the Abilene Independent School District will be bused in to see the performances.There will be one public performance at 10 a.m. Dee..* 3. Tickets are 50. cents {or school and pubhc'performances.; •The King (Ed Stopp) and his court jester Twirl (Richard Archer) wants Morton the Magician (David* Smith to help them capture the Witch’s cat so the king can have secret powers and get pretty thinp for his vain and greedy daughter Princess Elaine (Sherry Sanders).The Witch (Virginia Hardy) retaliates by turning the princess into a white cat. Like all good fairy tales, the play has a happy ending, but not until after a lot of close calls and comedy.The ACT ran into sometrouble at first because adult actors could not be located who could appear in the play on weekday mornings. But after a couple of articles in the Reporter-Ncws and some dire predictions that the Youth Division would have to be eliminated — several actors came forward.Ed Stopp, a retired army colonel who has been active in ACT for the past 10 years, was one. of those who volunteered. The Cat Princess is. the second children's play he has appeared in.It’s strictly a kid’s play with a lot ot funny lines. It all ends happily,” he said. ltl play a sort of foolish king,- an Ed Wynn type. Stopp has appeared in several ACT productions includ-Witch 's vengeanceThe Witch (Virginia Hardy) threatens theKing (Ed Stopp) and his daughter, Princess' lUliElaihe (Sherri Sanders) in a scene from the Abilene Community Theatre Youth Division’s production of The Cat Princess whichwill be staged Dec. 1, 2,5, 6, 7, a and 9 for oyer 4,000 Abilene Independent School District students in the first, second and third grade. (Staff Photo by Billy Adams)ing The Sunshine Boys, The Man Who Came to Dinner and Diary of Anne Frank.“With children, everything has to be more exaggerated. You have to definitely point out the funny lines'and all your movements ire exaggerated. You can’t act sophisticated like you can with adults.In some ways, it Is easier to perform before a younger audience because the children are ready to accept the beautiful princess, foolish king and cowardly jester.You don't have to sell kids on a character like/.-you do adults. Children live in a sort of fantasy world Stopp said.Although his children are grown and living all over the world (his three grandchildren Jive with their parents lit Iran), Stopp has worked with local children as a member of the board of directors for the Abilene Boy's Club. Kis wife.Betiy, is active in several local civic projects including the ACT and Philharmonic Guild.“It’s fun to be in the play and-we want to convince the kids' that it’s fun,”'he said,The backstage efforts of the crew are particularly interesting to the kids, he said.“They ask about your costume and how you changed your costume so fast,” he said. The actors mingle with the children after each performance, he said.Stopp spends a lot of time nn his boat and up until a few years ago he officiated at local football and basketball games. “I've refereed everything from Little .League through college.'’ Before he retired, he was a professor of military science at Hardln-Simmons Univeristy.For reservations to the public performance of The Cat Princess call the ACT at 673-6271 from 1 to 5 p.m. Tickets will also be sold at the doer.jBSiCllt;OPcc
Newspaper Details
Abilene Reporter News
Abilene, Texas, US
Sun, Nov 27, 1977
Page 57
Full Page
Clipped by
Tony R.
NA, NA 08 Apr 2021
Other Publications Near Abilene, Texas
Abilene Semi Weekly Reporter
Abilene Semi Weekly Farm Reporter
Abilene Daily Reporter
Abilene Morning Reporter News
Abilene Morning News
