Theatre program touring panhandle schools

The adaptation and its presentation is the project of CSC Theatre’s Children’s Theatre Workshop and will tour to panhandle elementary schools including Hay Springs, Gordon-Rushville, Hemingford, Alliance, Crawford and Sioux County at Harrison. The group will also perform at CSC’s Memorial Hall Auditorium for Chadron area schools, including Kenwood, East Ward, Chadron Middle School, Trunk Butte, Whitney, Alpha and Prairie Home.

The touring dates are Nov. 4, 11 and 18 with the Memorial Hall performance slated for Dec. 2 sponsored by the Chadron Public Library Foundation Board.

“Ounce, Dice, Trice,” the book, was written in 1958 with illustrations by the renowned artist Ben Shahn, and was reissued in 2009 receiving rave reviews.

“I want every children's book editor and also every primary and middle school teacher and librarian in America to read this book. It is the antidote to plotting, plot-driven, two-line synopsizable, anti-imagination books,” said Daniel Pinkwater, author of children’s books and critic for National Public Radio.

The adaptation is the first ever completed of this renowned book through the courtesy of New York Review Books, which generously granted permission for this presentation.

Prior to preparing the performance, the students of the CSC Children’s Theatre Workshop were required to prepare and present a lesson plan of dramatic activities suitable for young actors. Each one led the group in these activities. Students then researched and prepared a study guide that was sent to all the elementary teachers whose students would attend the production. The guide provides background information about the author and illustrator, classroom activities to enhance the elementary students’ understanding and enjoyment of the production, and other authors whose work is in the vein of Reid’s sense of fun and wonder with words and language.

The members of the workshop are Anna Avila of Loveland, Colo., Travis Beguin of Rushville, Katie Curtis of Custer, S.D., Angela Heesacker of Hay Springs, Ryan Helton of Grand Island, HeatherAnn Hicks of Valentine, Shalee Jones of Minatare, Erin Neal of Crawford, Amber Nightingale of Mitchell, Amanda Pintore of Omaha, Shannon Smay of Sidney, Angela Stransky of Scottsbluff, and Jessica Van Cleave of Rapid City, S.D.