DATE: Thursday, September 25, 1997          TAG: 9709240118

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 16   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER  

                                            LENGTH:  109 lines

LOOK FOR THE UNUSUAL IN DRAMA PRODUCTIONS THIS SCHOOL YEARTHE FIRST DEBUT IS GATES COUNTY HIGH'S ``A TERRIBLE TALE OF A DREADED DRAGON'' THIS WEEKEND.

Stephen Sondheim, Frank Loesser, and a dreaded dragon will go to school this season.

Local high schools are mixing the usual with the unusual, comedy with murder, and there will be kiddie characters for kiddies, and grown-ups.

Here is a look at the schools and some of their dramatic - and musical - plans.

Nansemond-Suffolk Academy: ``We'll have a murder-mystery Nov. 14 and 15,'' said Wanda Oberdorfer, Theater Arts director. ``13 Past Midnight'' is fashioned around the board game, Clue.

``It's about people in a soap opera who discover that the producer is going to kill somebody on the show,'' she said. ``Instead, someone in the cast kills him. We have to figure out who. We've done murder-mysteries before. They go over well.''

There will be a cast of 16 in ``13 Past Midnight,'' and a cast of about 30 in the March 20-21 production of Stephen Sondheim's ``Into the Woods,'' a popular off-Broadway production of several years ago.

``It's a dark comedy that deals with the dark side of fairy tale characters,'' Oberdorfer said. ``For instance, Red Riding Hood finds out more about the wolf than she wants to know.''

N-SA usually does a straight production in the fall, a musical in the spring, said Oberdorfer, who has been there for 12 years.

``That way, I can involve all types of kids, from someone who might be terrified of the stage, to someone with a background in dance and voice.''

Memories: ``My absolute favorite play was `Pirates of Penzance.' It's a delightful show and I had the opportunity of introducing students to a form of theater many of them never saw,'' Oberdorfer said. ``It was a delight - the kids really enjoyed it. We taught them how to sing 4- and 5-part harmonies.

``I loved `Damn Yankees' which we did last year,'' she said. ``It involved our whole baseball team. After practice, they came in, hot and sweaty, and jumped on the stage. It gave the team a second type of camaraderie. It brought athletics and drama together. It was so much fun.''

Nansemond River High School: There is nothing, yet, in concrete, but drama instructor, Jo Anne Edwards, is seriously considering ``Aladdin'' for its spring production.

``We're staying away from Disney. This version is not a musical, but we're thinking of turning it into one,'' she said. ``It's something the kids can relate to, and we usually tour some of the elementary schools during the year. It will probably be put on after Christmas.''

Edwards switched from John Yeates High to Nansemond River, when the former closed and the latter opened.

``We're looking at plays to do,'' she said. ``I want to see the group first - how many males, how many females. That will decide the kind of scripts.''

Memories: ``Last year we produced, `Beauty and the Beast,' '' she said. ``It was wonderful, but I have fun every year - I enjoyed all our plays.''

Lakeland High School: ``We're going to do `Guys and Dolls' March 5, 6 and 7,'' said Susan Rawls, chorus teacher. ``I love that era (the '30s) and that music.

``Last year, we did `West Side Story,' '' and that was the first time we brought in a lot of dancing,'' she said. ``This one also requires a lot. We want to continue with the dancing. It seems to be real successful.''

Before the dancin' and singin' that brightens the Frank Loesser spring musical, there will be ``Rumors.''

The ``Rumors,'' will be flyin' Oct. 24 and 25. It is the story of a cover-up of an attempted suicide by New York City's vice-mayor just before his 10th wedding anniversary. It's a comedy, yet - a Neil Simon comedy.

It is being directed by history teacher, Rick Ewell, who is active with several Hampton Roads drama groups. Rawls has been active with area beauty/talent pageants.

The number of participants in school productions has increased since she arrived on the scene.

``My first year - we had about 20 students to audition,'' Rawls said. ``Last year, we had about 85 - over 100 including the backstage people. `West Side Story' was a huge success for the students and the community. It was our largest audience.''

Other Rawls productions at Lakeland include ``The Wiz,'' ``Little Shop of Horrors,'' and ``Bye, Bye Birdie.''

Memories: The above list, and ``West Side Story'' were her most successful endeavors.

Gates County High School: ``A Terrible Tale of a Dreaded Dragon'' is this year's picnic theater offering. Playdates are Friday through Sunday.

Barbara Toti, drama instructor, introduced high school dinner theater in 1993, switching to picnic theater last year.

This year - it's dragons with chicken - the latter, fried. Also on the outdoor menu are baked beans, potato salad, rolls, dessert, and a beverage.

``The play is about a group of villagers living in fear of a dragon, whose secret is revealed at the end,'' said Toti, who has been at Gates County for a decade. ``The kids in the audience help find the dragon and, maybe, they'll dance with him.''

Toti keeps her young thespians busy. She is planning a Dec. 12 to 14 Christmas production. ``Maybe a Winnie the Pooh Christmas play,'' she said.

``We'll do another play in March,'' Toti said. ``The kids want to do a musical.''

Memories: ``Our first dinner theater production was `Midsummer Night's Dream.' I remember the blizzard of '93. The lights went out. We still cooked our meal, and we finished the first performance with flashlights. The kids were wonderful.''

This final note will be appreciated by all who teach drama. It happened about six months ago. The little girl, Alex, who was three, is Toti's daughter.

``It made me so proud,'' mom said. ``She was playing school with her friends. I asked her what she was doing.

``She said - ``I'm teaching them drama.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by FRANK ROERTS

Ting Li, left, and Jessica Stallings rehearse for the Gates County

High production of ``A Terrible Tale of a Dreaded Dragon'' that

opens Friday.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu