The Grinch gets ‘a bad rap’
Ellerslie Elementary school students are giving the famous character a new image
The Grinch has gotten a bad rap, but Little Cindy Lou Who is going to help set the record straight.
The students and staff at Ellerslie Elementary are busily preparing for their annual Christmas production that puts a new twist on a classic piece of holiday storytelling.
Their production of “A Whoville Whodonit” was written by school music teacher, Garth MacKay.
There are a whole lot of Whos in Whoville, so every student in the school who wants to be involved on stage has a role to play, and all students are helping through sketches, drawings, paintings and posters to transform their school into Whoville in anticipation of their two big shows on Dec. 19.
“It’s like putting a giant puzzle together,” said MacKay of the process. “All the pieces have to fit.”
MacKay said he started toying with the idea after the school hosted a Who Day more than a year ago, and he shared it with school principal Jason Cormier. He subsequently wrote about two-thirds of his sequel to the 1957 Dr. Seuss classic, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, in one sitting.
The story’s setting is one year later and presents are once again disappearing.
In MacKay’s story, Little Cindy Lou discovers it’s not the Grinch who’s trying to steal Christmas this year. This time it’s Mayor May who doing the dirty deeds. Worst still, he’s trying to put the blame on you know who. Will the Whos of Whoville go on to have another happy Christmas?
Like the original, “A Whoville Whodonit,” is committed to rhyme.
“I just like how Mr. MacKay works with stuff,” said Maggie Biggar, who is in the play as a Who.
Fellow Who resident, Ava Perry, explains why she likes being part of MacKay’s stage productions. “Because he goes full-out,” said the Grade 5 student.
Rehearsals and the school’s Whoville transformation have been ongoing since mid-November, all in preparation for two big shows, at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., on Dec. 19.