Learning to pantomime

British actors start children's group

DANIELLE NADLER/VIEWActing students Zachery Sefia, left, and Shosana Sefia do a handstand during an acting class put on by the local nonprofit British National Theatre of America on Aug. 8, as fellow students and artistic director Jo Cattell, right, look on. The classes for children meet each Saturday at The Music Bug, 9420 W. Sahara Ave. Clockwise from left, acting students Zachery Sefia, Rain Nelson, Shosana Sefia, Sean Jones, Victoria Loren Sefia and Alexander Sefia practice their scary faces during a class put on by the local nonprofit British National Theatre of America on Aug. 8. The students are learning different acting skills in preparation to perform in an adaptation of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," scheduled for November.DAnielle Nadler/View DANIELLE NADLER/VIEWVictoria Loren Sefia pretends to be a ghoul during an acting class put on by the local nonprofit British National Theatre of America. Advertisement

"Everybody make your most ghoulish face," Jo Cattell announced at an acting class on a recent Saturday.

Seven kids glared into the studio's wall-length mirrors to compete for the scariest face. Some stuck out their tongues, others curled up their lips in a snarl. They coiled their fingers and focused their beady eyes on their reflections.

The troupe of budding actors will not only work to perfect scary faces throughout a 16-week theater course, but also to undertake acting, singing and tumbling. The course, called the Panto Project, is put on by local nonprofit British National Theatre of America. They meet each Saturday at The Music Bug, 9420 W. Sahara Ave., for 90-minute lessons on the ins and outs of theater.

Three British actors who met while working on Cirque du Soleil's "LOVE" started the pantomime theater organization last spring. Since they moved from their home country to the Las Vegas Valley, they found a lack of theater opportunities for young people. They started weekly acting classes and paired young actors on stage with professionals from "STOMP" and Cirque du Soleil shows for a performance of "Cinderella."

BTNA's three founders -- Cattell, Richard Perkin and Rob Winch -- planned to put on just the one show, but calls and e-mails poured in from British families who were thrilled to see pantomime in Las Vegas.

"We said, 'OK, let's actually make something of this and get kids involved in theater,' " Cattell said. "That's what it's really about for us."

Pantomime is musical theater that is, as Perkin describes it, true family entertainment. It is written to amuse kids, but also includes subtle undertones directed toward adults.

In England, every town has pantomime groups that perform in regional theaters. Young kids are introduced to theater as they work and perform alongside professional actors.

Pantomime is how Cattell, Perkin and Winch got their starts in theater. Their hope is to pass on their experiences to the next generation of young performers.

"Pantomime is something that, when you do it, it's completely about having fun on stage," Cattell said. "It's a great way to introduce kids to theater."

The BNTA trio's ultimate goal is to start an ongoing theater education program with classes for people of all ages that teaches everything from stage presence to playwriting.

The Panto Project will finish with a performance of Cattell and Perkin's adaptation of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" Nov. 17-27 at the Horn Theatre at College of Southern Nevada, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave., in North Las Vegas. Not the typical story of Snow White, the adaptation is set in Las Vegas, where Snow White is stage manager to her evil stepmom Posh Nosh.

The kid-actors will play ghouls in the play (hence the scary faces) and perform dance numbers to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and Beyoncé's "Single Ladies."

The Panto Project has room for three more children who can quickly pick up lines and choreography.

Thirteen-year-old Shoshana Sefia said she joined the Panto Project to have fun and to realize her dream to one day work as a singer and actor.

"I like entertaining people," she added. "Once I get on that stage, it's great. I love making people happy."

Todd Nelson enrolled his 12-year-old daughter, Rain, in the course to give her an experience outside of school and sports.

"It's nice having something with less rules and regulations," he said. "They're getting to see the world right now without having to travel it."

Contact Southeast and Southwest View reporter Danielle Nadler at dnadler@viewnews.com or 224-5524.