Theater department digs up ‘Holes” at USU
The set may make you cry, but the play is sheer entertainment.
Starting Monday, Oct. 18 and running through Saturday Oct. 23, Utah State Theater (UST) will present the stage adaptation of “Holes” by Louis Sachar in the newly remodeled Morgan Theater.
Just as the book and movie versions of Sachar’s award winning story, the theater production of “Holes” focuses around Stanley Yelnats IV, who is sent to Camp Green Lake after being wrongfully accused of stealing a pair of shoes donated to charity by basketball star Clyde “Sweetfeet” Livingston.
Upon arrival, Yelnats quickly discovers that Camp Green Lake is like no other camp he’s ever heard of. Forced to dig holes every day to ‘build character,’ Yelnats quickly discovers more behind the seemingly pointless manual labor.
But for those who have seen the movie or read the book, the play offers something different.
Director Colin Johnson said he believed one of of the reasons the play is so appealing is because it leaves out a lot more than the movie or the book.
“[The play is] rather sketchy,” Johnson said. “The film gives much more information about the characters, and I think there’s a reason for that. I think the author, who is the same author of the screenplay and the book, wanted children and parents to talk to each other.”
Johnson said the play is not only written to be enjoyed by children, but has something for everyone.
“It’s for the entire family,” Johnson said. “I think adults and college students would be just as entertained and intrigued by the script. But, I think if an adult doesn’t know the show, the child is going to be able to explain what the adult is missing.”
The play is not only entertaining, but it teaches these values Johnson said.
“[The play is] very much about loyalty and friendship and owning up to your responsibilities, like taking responsibility for your actions and not blaming things on other people, on outside forces,” actor Dallyn Steenerson said. “It’s growing up, basically.”
The actors in the play had difficulty getting into their roles, since they began rehearsals early in September.
Steenerson, who plays Yelnats, found the process of bringing to life a character that was different from the one in the movie difficult. Knowing that his audience would already have a picture of what Yelnats was like, Steenerson read through the script and lines on his own to see what type of person Yelnats was and the things he would do.
Kynsie Kiggins, the actress who plays Camp Green Lakes warden, said because she wasn’t a mean person and tried to care about other people, getting into the role of the heartless warden was a challenge.
“Its been a difficult character to get into because she’s just mean. She’s a mean person who could care less about these boys and just wants what she wants,” Kiggins said.
With five people working on the set 40 hours a week for the last three weeks, the set is very integral to the fluidity of the production.
“The set is more important than the play,” Kiggins said and immediately countered, “[Well], not more important, but it will make you cry.”
Special effects, including bringing to life the stories integral yellow spotted lizards, and casting proper ethnicities have also been some of the challenges Johnson and members of the technical crew have encountered.
Referring to casting the proper ethnicities, Johnson said “it was impossible. We had to change the ethnicity of some of the characters because I couldn’t find three African Americans to play those roles. I didn’t like to do that, because, the kids know that Armpits supposed to be black, that X-ray’s supposed to be black.”
But despite the setbacks and challenges, UST will open the production to the public Monday evening at 7:30 p.m.
“If [college students] are coming to watch [the play],” Steenerson said, “[they should] bring their sense of fun, their inner child and come and enjoy.”
Tickets are $9 for adults and $6 for youth and non-USU students. Tickets are free to students with ID, and there are special family rates available. Call 797-1500 for more information.
-mattgo@cc.usu.edu