Queen, goblins to invade Paramount
Published 12:00 am Thursday, February 6, 2003
A snow queen would fit right in with the recent snowfall.
As it turns out, one will be appearing at the Paramount Theatre this weekend in the Matchbox Children's Theatre production of "The Snow Queen and the Goblin."
The play follows the story of the Snow Queen who has her Goblin capture children from earth and bring them to her snow palace. But in order to capture the children, the Goblin puts a spell on them that makes them inactive.
Because the Queen quickly becomes bored with the children, she asks for more.
One day, while peering through her telescope to earth, she spots a boy named Kay, played by Ross Pirsig who she thinks will be the most fun.
"He asks a lot of questions. He sings and dances and uses his imagination," said Johnna Kermes, who plays the Snow Queen.
But neither Kay nor his best friend Gerda, played by Samantha Johnson, want to be taken to the snow palace. When Kay is captured, Gerda tried to bring him a special salt, which he can use to melt anything.
As the story comes to the end, Kay is faced with an important decision and characters aren't what they seem.
"Everyone has a little bit of good inside them," said Pirsig.
The play is based off a story by Hans Christian Andersen and dramatized by Martha Bennett King. The Matchbox Children's Theater board selected the play, said director Gordy Handeland.
"It's a good story. The set is nice. They (the actors) interact really good," Handeland said.
Pirsig thinks the audience will enjoy the fantasy element to the show.
"It's different from a normal play," he said.
The play also adds humor to keep both children and adults engaged throughout the hour-long performance, said Kermes and Paula Novak, who plays the grandmother of Kay and Gerda.
"I think that the directors added a lot of silly stuff," Novak said.
The play has also given some of the actors a chance to meet children who live throughout the area. Actors come from Blooming Prairie, Hayward and LeRoy, Handeland said.
Novak's son and Kermes' daughter are in the play, in fact, their children are the reason they tried out for the parts.
"I like being in the play because I'm in it with my son," Novak said.
Elementary school children will get a sneak peek of the show this afternoon and Friday morning and afternoon. The show opens 7 p.m. Friday and continues at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $5.50 for adults and $4 for children. They can be purchased at the Paramount Theatre, Black Bart's/Nemitz's or at the door.
Cari Quam can be reached at 434-2235 or by e-mail at cari.quam@austindailyherald.com