Beginning with this post, you will see a new blog entry once a week.
Nothing matches it. Opening night...opening weekend. Last weekend was extra special in that twelve truly talented LAMB students proved to their Siouxland audience that they were definitely up to the challenge of capturing their audience's attention with serious issues told in inventive, theatrical ways. "columbinus" opened on October 28 with continuing performances through November 13. The topics in this production range from bullying, the challenges of identity-to oneself and to the high school crowd, dealing with parents, authority figures, violence, mental illness and on and on...all leading up to the events of April 1999 when the most vicious of school killings occurred at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.
Now you would think that this would prove to be way too heavy for anyone to handle in one evening....but the theatrical devises used to deal with these issues are so inventive and varied that the audience just jumps on and holds tight. Outstanding performances by the 8 actors who are just juniors or seniors in high school take your breath away. (David Meis, Nick Prior, Tony Gunn, Alex Quinlain, Billy Danner, Grace Rants, Emili Schultz, and Christina Hackbart) What has amazed me as their director and "tour guide" throughout this experience is the extent that these issues have plagued the lives of our actors...either suffering themselves or intimately knowing others who have had to deal with them. With the exciting Waitt Foundation for Violence Prevention Bully Project movie being presented at the Orpheum this week, many adult eyes and hearts will be awakened to the specific problem of school bullying and violence. We didn't know that there was going to be such a perfect tie-in between these two events, but are excited to have a part in helping our community become more tuned in to these very real problems. In my blog next week, I will be able to fill you in on how 150 Waitt Foundation mentors from the three Sioux City Public Schools will work with our cast in discussing these challenges after they have been afforded the opportunity to view this production.
Our "public audiences" will have the opportunity to stay after the show as we conduct 10 - 15 minutes of talk back/discussion with our cast and crew. If the first two talk back sessions are any indication, we all have so much to learn from one another.
The technical elements of this production add so much to the entire experience. Aubrie Wauhob and Bronny Ohl, both high school Dakota Valley sophomores have been involved from day one with this project and are masterfully controlling our new lighting system, along with sound and projections. Abby Kohout and Cole Schultz are manning the new follow spots. It is so exciting to see this type of youth involvement.
And to those who are afraid of the language....and there IS language....it is so very necessary in the telling of the story We felt compelled to let our patrons know upfront of the language used in this production, but we don't want that to be a huge deterrent to attendance. This is a VERY important theatre piece which depends on language to accurately depict the extent that language has on bullying that is so much a part of young people's lives. As one of our very long time LAMB patrons said on her way out..."I thought the language would be worse! What an incredible production which is going to stay with me for a long time. I can't wait to tell my friends that this is a show that CAN'T BE MISSED."
So....I look forward to re-opening this coming Thursday. I look forward to seeing these young people "give it all they got" and really move more audiences. And...I really look forward to hearing what our audiences say after witnessing "columbinus".
See you at the Theatre.
Diana Guhin Wooley
CEO LAMB Arts Ltd
417 Market Street Sioux City, IA 51103 712-293-0930
Keep current with LAMB--:www.lambtheatre.com
