NO/ALL/VIEW--Left-Tammy Pessagno coragrapher directs students for the Primer RagTime Audition as Domenic Procaccini RT-"Blue Shirt" rehearses his part at the Academy of Las Vegas Friday May 13, 2005. View photo Henry Vargas.
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Before three Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts students pack their bags for the 2005 Thespian Festival at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, they will perform -- along with student actors from across the country -- for hometown crowds June 16-18.
The three -- Kat Doyle, Brittani Cal-Williamson and Laura Savage -- were chosen as part of a national cast of students to star in "Ragtime School Edition" at the June 20-25 festival sponsored by the Educational Theatre Association.
The cast of 36 was chosen through regional auditions and has met several times at Las Vegas Academy and other schools to rehearse.
Academy director Glenn Edwards was chosen as the director.
"It's the first time in 20 years that the Educational Theatre Association has done a national cast show," Edwards said during a recent rehearsal at Las Vegas Academy. "They wanted to do it for their 75th anniversary. They asked me two years ago if I wanted to do it."
Edwards said organizing the production required "a lot of planning," particularly since cast members don't live in the same place.
"We have to make every second (of rehearsal) work," he said. "We have 36 kids from all over the country staying with host families when they're in town."
The production was made possible by what Edwards called a "sizable donation" from the national P&G Productions.
The cast will perform "Ragtime School Edition" twice at the festival, which features more than 50 productions presented by schools from across the U.S. and abroad, workshops presented by theater professionals, a student playwriting program and opportunities to audition for college and university representatives.
"Ragtime" weaves together strands of the American story from the early part of the 20th century, focusing on Coalhouse Walker, a jazz piano player whose life becomes a crusade for justice after an incident with a race-baiting gang of white troublemakers.
The school edition of "Ragtime" was adapted from the E.L. Doctorow novel and had a two-year run on Broadway that ended in 2000.
Eighteen-year-old Laura Savage said she feels grateful to have been chosen as the show's dance captain.
"It's a great experience for kids all across the nation to get together for one big show," the Summerlin resident said. "Everyone is extremely friendly and talented."
Savage said she plans to study musical theater in college.
Brittani Cal-Williamson has performed at the Thespian Festival before and said she looks forward to going again.
"It's different (this time) because everybody wants to do the performance," she said. "You don't have to convince everybody to work hard."
Cal-Williamson, who lives in North Las Vegas, said she plans to attend UNLV this fall and study communications.
Despite how much work it was to put the production together, Edwards said it was one of the most worthwhile experiences of his career.
"I don't think I could ever top this experience," he said. "It's a perfect show with a perfect cast."
Performances of "Ragtime School Edition" at Las Vegas Academy will be at 7 p.m. June 16 and 17 and at 2 p.m. June 18.
Tickets are $15 each and may be purchased by calling (800) 585-3737 or visiting www.lvacademytheatre.org.
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