This week's Featured Artists are more of the youth actors in Festival Theatre's "A Christmas Story," on stage now thru December 29th. The six Featured Artists of the week are Willem Hoefler, Abby Ruona, Liam Gallagher, Stephen Rice, Andrew Lewis, and Chris Lewis. These talented young people join the stage with eight other youth from the surrounding communities to make up two vary dynamic youth casts, the Red Cast and the Green Cast.
Willem Hoefler (6) plays little brother Randy Parker in the Green Cast and lives in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. If he could have any super power, he would be able to shoot webs and fly. He wanted readers to know that he is fast and good at football. He wants to be an NFL football player when he grows up because he enjoys playing the game and would make a lot of money.
For Willem, the hardest part about acting is "knowing where I am supposed to go an what I am supposed to say." The easiest part is talking because as Willem explained, "ESP once I have memorized my lines." Willem is excited to share this story with audiences because he thinks they will enjoy the part about "shooting your eye out." To Willem, the best part about the holiday season is the presents!
Playing Randy in the Red Cast is Abby Ruona (8), also from St. Croix Falls. Abby is not only a very talented young actor, she can do really good cartwheels and full splits! She wanted to thank her big brother Aidan who plays Ralphie in the Red Cast, for getting her into acting. Abby said the hardest part of acting is memorizing all the lines in such a short time, and her favorite part of being an actor is pretending to be someone else.
Abby's favorite part of the holiday season is "hearing Santa's sleigh bells on the roof." She thinks that audiences of Festival's holiday play will enjoy the humor and the action of the play. Abby wanted readers to know that she wants to be an artist and fashion designer when she grows up. She also noted that her favorite food is candy, and if she could have a super power, she would choose to be invisible so that she could sneak any food she wanted.
Liam Gallagher (12) from Dresser, Wisconsin plays legendary bully, Skut Farkus in the Red Cast. Liam is often busy performing and when he is not acting, he plays the trombone and enjoys studying turtles. He so enjoys learning about turtles that he plans to become a herpetologist as an adult.
Liam's favorite part about being an actor is opening a show for an audiences and seeing it come to life. He likes the scene when his character, Skut, is "beat up" by Ralphie. "I think what audiences will like about the show is that hard work pays off," said Liam. He added, "they should come see the show because it really just warms the heart." He wanted to thank big sister Brita Gallagher who encouraged him to try acting.
Stephen Rice (12) is from Milltown, Wisconsin. Stephen plays one of Ralphie's best friends, Flick, in the Red Cast. "I think people should come see Ralphie Parker, his friends and family this holiday season as they change tires, eat oatmeal, get stuck to the lamp post, and try whatever they can to get a BB gun," said Stephen. His favorite part of the show is when the kids are lost in the swamp and Ralphie comes to save them. Stephen thanked his parents for all the rides to and from rehearsals, allowing him to participate in this production.
Stephen's favorite part of the holiday season is the snow. When not in the theatre or playing in the snow, he enjoys cooking and baking. As an adult Stephen would like to become an airplane pilot. Stephen thinks the hardest part of begin an actor is ending a production because, "the friendships you build with everyone during all the time spent rehearsing and performing are unforgettable, but the daily interaction is gone." Although there is that bittersweet side to acting, there are a lot of positives. Said Stephen, "my favorite part about acting is getting my character assignment and being able to make my own choices about how that character moves and talks. It is exciting and fun."
Playing Flick in the Green Cast is Andrew Lewis, (10) from Grantsburg, Wisconsin. Andrew has many talents outside of his acting skills. He plays both the violin and the piano and enjoys drawing as as well. He has enjoyed working with director, Ed Moerfelder. Andrew said, "he is such a great director." Someday Andrew would like to be a professional actor, because he has a lot of fun performing.
Andrew's favorite part of the holiday season is Christmas music and his favorite quote comes from the pages of Dr. Suess; "A persons a person no matter how small." Andrew loves the lamp pole scene because it is a classic winter moment for Andrew's character, Flick. Probably most memorable as the child who gets him tongue frozen to the lamp post, Flick is also the most tormented of young Ralphie's friends by the bully of legend, Skut Farkus.
Chris Lewis (15), older brother to Andrew Lewis, is also from Grantsburg, Wisconsin is appearing in the Green Cast of "A Christmas Story," at Festival Theatre. He plays the maniacal neighborhood bully, Skut Farkus, and while he enjoys playing the role, his favorite scene in the play is the scene when Skut is beat up by Ralphie. "I like it because it's fun to flail around like I'm getting hurt," said Chris. In fact Chris is so different from the bully of Ralph's childhood, he remarked that before seeing the show audiences, "should know that I'm the exact opposite of Skut Farkus!"
Although he enjoys acting, Chris has many talents. He can act, draw, play the piano, the saxophone and the tin whistle. As an adult, he would like to become a cartoonist. "I think this would be exciting because there is no limit to what you can do with drawing," explained Chris. Chris wished to thank his parents for driving him to every rehearsal and performance. His favorite part about acting in this production is working with amazing actors in this show. He also wanted to comment that Ed Moersfelder was a great director to work with. Chris thinks that audiences will most appreciate how funny the show is, and he also thinks they will enjoy the hard work that he and the other actors put in to make each show fresh and new each time they tell the story.
These six, joined by eight other youth actors from the area can be seen on stage now through December 29th at Festival Theatre in "A Christmas Story." Tickets can be bought online 24 hours a day at www.festivaltheatre.org or call the Box Office at 715-483-3387.
Willem Hoefler (6) plays little brother Randy Parker in the Green Cast and lives in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. If he could have any super power, he would be able to shoot webs and fly. He wanted readers to know that he is fast and good at football. He wants to be an NFL football player when he grows up because he enjoys playing the game and would make a lot of money.
For Willem, the hardest part about acting is "knowing where I am supposed to go an what I am supposed to say." The easiest part is talking because as Willem explained, "ESP once I have memorized my lines." Willem is excited to share this story with audiences because he thinks they will enjoy the part about "shooting your eye out." To Willem, the best part about the holiday season is the presents!
Playing Randy in the Red Cast is Abby Ruona (8), also from St. Croix Falls. Abby is not only a very talented young actor, she can do really good cartwheels and full splits! She wanted to thank her big brother Aidan who plays Ralphie in the Red Cast, for getting her into acting. Abby said the hardest part of acting is memorizing all the lines in such a short time, and her favorite part of being an actor is pretending to be someone else.
Abby's favorite part of the holiday season is "hearing Santa's sleigh bells on the roof." She thinks that audiences of Festival's holiday play will enjoy the humor and the action of the play. Abby wanted readers to know that she wants to be an artist and fashion designer when she grows up. She also noted that her favorite food is candy, and if she could have a super power, she would choose to be invisible so that she could sneak any food she wanted.
Liam Gallagher (12) from Dresser, Wisconsin plays legendary bully, Skut Farkus in the Red Cast. Liam is often busy performing and when he is not acting, he plays the trombone and enjoys studying turtles. He so enjoys learning about turtles that he plans to become a herpetologist as an adult.
Liam's favorite part about being an actor is opening a show for an audiences and seeing it come to life. He likes the scene when his character, Skut, is "beat up" by Ralphie. "I think what audiences will like about the show is that hard work pays off," said Liam. He added, "they should come see the show because it really just warms the heart." He wanted to thank big sister Brita Gallagher who encouraged him to try acting.
Stephen Rice (12) is from Milltown, Wisconsin. Stephen plays one of Ralphie's best friends, Flick, in the Red Cast. "I think people should come see Ralphie Parker, his friends and family this holiday season as they change tires, eat oatmeal, get stuck to the lamp post, and try whatever they can to get a BB gun," said Stephen. His favorite part of the show is when the kids are lost in the swamp and Ralphie comes to save them. Stephen thanked his parents for all the rides to and from rehearsals, allowing him to participate in this production.
Stephen's favorite part of the holiday season is the snow. When not in the theatre or playing in the snow, he enjoys cooking and baking. As an adult Stephen would like to become an airplane pilot. Stephen thinks the hardest part of begin an actor is ending a production because, "the friendships you build with everyone during all the time spent rehearsing and performing are unforgettable, but the daily interaction is gone." Although there is that bittersweet side to acting, there are a lot of positives. Said Stephen, "my favorite part about acting is getting my character assignment and being able to make my own choices about how that character moves and talks. It is exciting and fun."
Playing Flick in the Green Cast is Andrew Lewis, (10) from Grantsburg, Wisconsin. Andrew has many talents outside of his acting skills. He plays both the violin and the piano and enjoys drawing as as well. He has enjoyed working with director, Ed Moerfelder. Andrew said, "he is such a great director." Someday Andrew would like to be a professional actor, because he has a lot of fun performing.
Andrew's favorite part of the holiday season is Christmas music and his favorite quote comes from the pages of Dr. Suess; "A persons a person no matter how small." Andrew loves the lamp pole scene because it is a classic winter moment for Andrew's character, Flick. Probably most memorable as the child who gets him tongue frozen to the lamp post, Flick is also the most tormented of young Ralphie's friends by the bully of legend, Skut Farkus.
Chris Lewis (15), older brother to Andrew Lewis, is also from Grantsburg, Wisconsin is appearing in the Green Cast of "A Christmas Story," at Festival Theatre. He plays the maniacal neighborhood bully, Skut Farkus, and while he enjoys playing the role, his favorite scene in the play is the scene when Skut is beat up by Ralphie. "I like it because it's fun to flail around like I'm getting hurt," said Chris. In fact Chris is so different from the bully of Ralph's childhood, he remarked that before seeing the show audiences, "should know that I'm the exact opposite of Skut Farkus!"
Although he enjoys acting, Chris has many talents. He can act, draw, play the piano, the saxophone and the tin whistle. As an adult, he would like to become a cartoonist. "I think this would be exciting because there is no limit to what you can do with drawing," explained Chris. Chris wished to thank his parents for driving him to every rehearsal and performance. His favorite part about acting in this production is working with amazing actors in this show. He also wanted to comment that Ed Moersfelder was a great director to work with. Chris thinks that audiences will most appreciate how funny the show is, and he also thinks they will enjoy the hard work that he and the other actors put in to make each show fresh and new each time they tell the story.
These six, joined by eight other youth actors from the area can be seen on stage now through December 29th at Festival Theatre in "A Christmas Story." Tickets can be bought online 24 hours a day at www.festivaltheatre.org or call the Box Office at 715-483-3387.
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