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Mom, daughter bring children's theater to Parker

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Contributed by: Erin Feese/YourHub.com on 10/13/2008

In the spirit of the Halloween season, the Mainstreet Center auditorium in downtown Parker was full of ghosts, ghouls and a headless horseman as 30-plus kids donned costumes to perform The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

The play was directed by Carmella Gates and her daughter Meghan Gates, both of Parker. Carmella Gates wrote the script as an adaption designed especially for kids.

A retired schoolteacher, Carmella started writing plays for her students since there were so few quality plays for older children and youth, she said.

As her collection of plays grew, she founded Classic Acts, a company dedicated to distributing them online at www.classicacts.net.

"I take classics that are too hard for kids to read, and adapt them to they can gain an appreciation of literature through performance," Carmella said.

She said her goal is to introduce kid to classic literature in a fun way that is understandable. Examples of her plays include Beauty and the Beast, Romeo and Juliet and Oliver Twist.

"I've worked with kids my whole life," said Carmella, "and they never cease to amaze me with their abilities and enthusiasm."

Carmella and Meghan, with funding from the Parker Cultural Commission, have teamed up to offer children's theater in Parker. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was their second production; they directed It's Tough Being The Prince, an adaptation of Sleeping Beauty, in June, and hope to put on three to four shows a year.

Meghan has been involved with theater since she was a young child and has a degree in theater from Loyola University in Chicago.

"Such an important part of my life is theater, and so it is important for me to give theater back to the kids," she said.

Meghan said she involves the kids with all aspects of the production, such as sound, lighting and set design to teach them there is more to theater than being "the star" actor.

"It's a great way to teach responsibility," she said. "Even if they are just moving a chair at a certain time, it's important to the play."

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What: Auditions for A Christmas Carol children's theater production. The fee to participate in the production is $75 and rehearsals are held two times a week from 4 to 6 p.m. Performance dates are Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 14 at 2 p.m.
When: 4-6 p.m. Nov. 13
Where: The Mainstreet Center auditorium, 19650 E. Mainstreet, Parker
More information: Call 303-805-3263

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