Jackson theatrical group to present first show

JACKSON, Mo. -- As if starting a new theatrical troupe wasn't challenging enough, the founders of Starcatchers Community Theatre in Jackson have adapted their own script for their first stage production.

"The Christmas Box," a best-selling book that became a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie starring Richard Thomas, will be presented Nov. 23 and 24.

Starcatchers didn't set out to make their first production more difficult. They already were trying to assemble a portable stage bought with a $900 grant from Procter & Gamble and to find enough people willing to put in the long nights of work required by community theater. But when the board of directors decided to produce "The Christmas Box," they discovered that no stage play version existed. Author Richard Paul Evans' agent invited them to write a script, submit it for approval and produce the play locally only.

Ann Swanson, heretofore known for her musical abilities, spent a month at her computer turning the book into a script. Two-thirds of the book is dialogue that was easily transcribed, but Swanson had to transform the narrative parts into conversation. She did to Evans' satisfaction.

"The Christmas Box" is set at the Parkin mansion, where Rick and Keri Evans have come to live as caretakers. He spends long hours at his formal-wear shop away from his wife and 5-year-old daughter, Jenna.

The mansion is owned by MaryAnne Parkin, a haunted widow who wants Rick to understand what "the first gift of Christmas" was.

The importance of family is one of the themes of "The Christmas Box." If not for family, this production wouldn't have been possible.

All in the family

The cast, most of whom were drafted by director Marty Koeller, includes two father-daughter teams of newcomers to the stage. They are learning about the stage and about themselves.

Amanda Johnson, a 7-year-old who attends St. Paul Lutheran School, plays Jenna. Her father, Jim, has the male lead, Rick Evans. Amanda's mother, Candy, is the stage manager.

Johnson simply read with Amanda while she auditioned. Koeller liked what she heard from both.

Amanda tried out for the play because "I really like to read." When not on stage during Thursday's rehearsal, she read Judy Blume's book "Tales of A Fourth Grade Nothing." Now she also likes acting.

"I get to show my true feelings sometimes," she said. That isn't always true in life, she said. "No one seems to notice sometimes."

Johnson's older daughter, Elizabeth, was in the production of "Wherefore Art Thou Juliet?" Koeller directed for the River City Players early this year.

"My daughters both are avid readers and have very vivid imaginations," he says. "Drama plays into what they like to do most."

As a Navy Reserve training officer, his job requires him to make many presentations, but being on stage is different, he says. "This is total freedom. On stage you don't have to look the audience in the eye. You can let loose."

Rick's wife, Keri, is played by Valerie Cauble. A hairstylist, Cauble has always wanted to act but never had a chance. Her willingness to get on a stage has surprised her co-workers and husband. "They can't believe I'm doing it," she said.

Acting has given her more self-confidence, she says, and "The Christmas Box" has affected her. "The play has helped me get a different viewpoint and has made me a better mom." She has two children, ages 4 and 2.

Cauble's father, Guy Brown, also has a role in the production. He was drafted, too. Spending this time with him has been irreplaceable, she said.

Personal parallels

Members of the cast and crew have seen many parallels to their own lives. Koeller's mother-in-law, Mildred Koeller, died a week into rehearsals. She had given her son, Stan, Koeller's husband, "The Christmas Box" as a gift.

Koeller's teen-age son, David, has a small part and has been helping behind the scenes. Stan is the technical director.

Kathy Panagos is the lone stage veteran in the cast. She plays the central figure MaryAnne. Assistant director Elaine Carlson has appeared in a number of River City Players productions.

The arts are on the upswing in Jackson. Shane West Anderson, Jackson's parks and recreation director, helped form the new Jackson Area Arts Council last spring. Since then the council has sponsored art exhibitions at the Fourth of July celebration and at Homecomers, and has been displaying art by students at City Hall.

Fifty people attended a talk by Romanian artist Bogdan Achimescu Monday, an event sponsored by the arts council.

Swanson and Koeller long have been active as directors for the River City Players in Cape Girardeau. They left the company because its venue, the River City Yacht Club, is not accessible to wheelchairs and has a small stage. They also wanted to do different kinds of productions than the RCP board was interested in.

"We want to appeal to a family audience," "Koeller says. "Jackson is a bit more conservative."

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182