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‘Dr. Dolittle’ Asks the Big Questions
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Thursday, June 21, 2018
 

STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Dr. Doolittle has a burning question: If animals can be friends, why can’t we?

He wants to talk to the animals, conversing in Python and Pekingese. He wants to play chess with camels and search for the giant pink sea snail.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Dr. Doolittle, where crocodiles talk and elephants sing…where polar bears wear top hats…

Company B Performing Arts Camp, which comes under the umbrella of St. Thomas Playhouse, is staging the charming children’s musical “Doctor Dolittle Jr.” today through Saturday, June 23, at Community School Theater. Showtimes are 2 p.m. today through Saturday with a morning show for early risers at 10 a.m. Friday, June 22.

“At its heart, it’s a good message about animal rights and treating every creature with love and respect,” said the play’s Director Anik Zarkos. “It’s about respect and friendship between animals and between animals and people, too.”

“I saw this musical when I was a child and it has always had a place in my heart,” said Music Director Joel Bejot. “It sends a good message about taking care of all God’s creatures. And the original 1960s music is so fun to teach.”

Indeed, Dr. Dolittle, played by 13-year-old Sage School student Charlie Coulter, knows cool facts, like the fact that ants have more intelligence than hippos and that grasshoppers have more power in their hind legs than kangaroos relative to their size.

And he amasses more than 500 animal languages, allowing him to communicate with everything from an oyster to a two-headed llama and allowing him to remedy a horse’s shortsightedness and a fox’s sore paw.

“We need to save the animals because they may save us!” he sings.

As Dr. Doolittle grows in his knowledge of animals, the townspeople of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh grow, too—learning to stand up against a leader who casts a dark shadow over Dr. Doolittle’s wonderful magic.

“It’s all about learning to accept everyone and making friends with everyone,” said Coulter.

This is the first play Anik Zarkos has directed outside a couple scenes for a play she wrote for her senior project called “Into the Wild.”

This involves directing 80—count ‘em!—80 actors, who assembled their costumes and some of the props with help from 28 interns.

“It’s so much fun and a little nerve wracking because I want to tell the story well,” said Zarkos, who is planning to study theater in college this fall. “But the kids take direction well and I’m learning about patience and about putting a good structure in place that gives them the freedom to experiment a little, rather than me micromanaging things.”

Savina Barini, a Twin Falls actor who got involved with St. Thomas Playhouse in sixth grade, came back from Howard University in Washington, D.C. where she majored in theater, to choreograph this play.

“It has a lot of upbeat songs for the kids to dance to. And, of course the young kids are figuring out how to move in their bodies so they’re adorable to watch,” she said.

While Charlie Coulter plays Dr. Dolittle, other key characters are played by Etienne Blumberg, Grant Hedien, Annika Peterson, Parker Turck, Emma Klingenfuss, Bridgette Silva, Karley Johnston, Eva Hatzenbuhler, Lanley Bier and Brookie Olson.

A menagerie of animals, including a two-head llama and Chee-Chee the monkey, are played by Piper Kolb, Santiago Rico, Gentrey Cabitto, Maddie King, Maeve O’Connell, Tessa Lightner, Lucy Carter, Lucy Lamoureux, Rose Sheerin, Eliza Zimmer, Abby Berner, Leigh Harned, Sarah Olson, Kai Young and Sarah Olson.

Villagers and warriors include Ellie Dahl, Jake Harris, Jordan Jenner, Hoken Johnston, Will Lamoureux, Ocean Larkey, Sacchika Morris, Keane Phillips, Torin Vandenburgh, Gracie Albright, Miyako Bliss, Fleur Brazil, Abigail Hobbs, Caroline Hobbs, Zoe Kolb and Liam Stahl.

Island Animals are Grace Bloedorn, Jude Carter, Bradley Chavez, Blakeslee Davis-Jeffers, Campbell Leady, Max Leidecker, Fiona Neville, Aila Pettit, Angus Ramsay, MacKenzie Rundell and Minnie Webster.

Rabbits include Lilla Bloedorn, Emily Chavez, Josie Dondero, Samantha Heidel, Taliesin Hemmings, Lachlan Hollis, Mykala McCann, Asher Pettit, Ford Ramsay, Thomas Rex Roberts and Casey Rolf.

And Tigers include Iris Bejot, Charley Berner, Jack Cohen, Sloane Connolly, Jennings Fraser, Lucy Harris, Alexandra Heidel, Maggie Leady, Max Smith and Izaak Stahl.

Tickets are $5 and $10, available online  at http://www.stthomasplayhouse.org or at the door.

COMING ATTRACTION

Company B performing arts day camp will journey under the sea with “The Little Mermaid Jr.” Aug. 6-17. Youngsters 4 through 7 will meet in the mornings and those 8 through 13 all day long. The public performance will be Aug. 16-17. For more information, visit www.stthomasplayhouse.org

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