Christmas times two for TISD thespians
The Tiger Theatre Company at Texas High School will celebrate the Christmas season when the troupe stages a duo of Christmas productions in a week.
At the Sullivan Performing Arts Center’s John Thomas Theatre, the Tiger Theatre Company presents both “What Could Go Wrong the Night Before Christmas?” and “Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!” on Dec. 15 and 16, a Friday and Saturday, at 6:30 p.m.
Lisa Newton, the theater company’s director, will direct the “Junie B.” play, while Texas High student Olivia Parks will direct the “What Could Go Wrong” play.
“Both shows are on both nights,” Newton explained. The actors for these shows come from Texarkana Independent School District schools, not just the high school. “What Could Go Wrong” features kindergartners through 6th graders in a show that runs about 25 minutes. Following an intermission, “Junie B.” features middle schoolers through high schoolers.
“Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells” tells a holiday-themed tale about an iconic first grader, who’s the subject of the popular book series. Area elementary schools will get to see a daytime performance.
“Basically, the overall Christmas message is the true spirit of Christmas,” Newton said. “What makes it good in the end for Junie B. is that she gives unselfishly to someone she doesn’t necessarily care for. That makes her happy. As a first-grader, she’s puzzled by why that makes her happy.”
One cute aspect is that the high schoolers play first-grade students, the director said. As part of their prep work, they’ve examined video clips of how young kids move and talk for this comedy.
“The Junie B. character, I call her sassy. She is just a sassy character,” Newton said. “And not in a
mean way. She’s one of these children that takes everything literally. There’s no figurative in her world.” She also owns a big vocabulary, which proceeds to get her in trouble.
For “What Could Go Wrong the Night Before Christmas?,” Parks gets to put some of the experience she’s gained with Silvermoon Children’s Theatre into use.
“It has a narrator telling the story of ‘The Night Before Christmas,’ and the kids are acting it out on the stage. Then there are little interruptions throughout the whole show,” Parks said. Random kids frustrate the host in this comedy. Kids are awake when they’re supposed to be sleeping and other shenanigans ensue.
“Everything’s going wrong. The title basically,” Parks said. As director, she has to work with actors as young as 5 years old, so attention spans are brief. “They’re all really good kids,” she said. But she has an energetic bunch, too.
“She has a knack for children,” Newton said about Parks’ patience. “She’s directing a show that is predominantly little kids.”
What made her decide to take a leap and direct a play for the first time? Well, she’s dedicated.
“Theater is the one thing that I’ve solely devoted myself to in high school,” Parks said. She plans on studying English and theater in college.
Last year, Tiger Theatre Company staged “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” Newton may continue the Christmas show next year, too. She sees it as a good opportunity for local TISD students to see a live performance.
In addition to the Christmas production, Tiger Theatre Company stages several shows during the year, including “Oklahoma!,” a musical they’re preparing now. This spring they’ll stage a traveling children’s show.
(Tickets: $8 for adults, $4 for students online at ttcths.booktix.com; $10 for adults and $5 for students at the door. More info: Call Lisa Newton at 903-7943891.)