PCA Holds Annual Katie Belle Jarriel Dinner Theater
By: Brayden Gravley, PCA junior
This year for Pinewood’s annual Katie Belle Jarriel dinner theater, the Pinewood drama team presented Into the Woods, a play by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. Mrs. Jenna Watkins, assisted by Mrs. Angie Whiten and Mrs. Susan Nobles, directed this year’s play. The play consists of several different plots from various fairytales. “Little Red Riding Hood”, “Jack and the Beanstalk”, “Rapunzel”, and “Cinderella” are just a few of the stories that make the intricate plot possible. Before enjoying the show, a dinner featuring herb-crusted chicken catered by Cathi Willett was served to guests.
The play starts off with a character introduction. Cinderella (Gracie Hodges) wishes to attend the ball, Jack (Smith Dekle) wishes that his cow would give milk, a baker and his wife (Aaron Lyons and Anabelle Brannen) wish to have a child, and Little Red Ridinghood (Claire Mullis) needs bread to take to her sick grandmother in the woods. All of the characters are longing for different things in life and, in order to find what they’re looking for, their fates must intertwine.
Cinderella’s stepmother (Emily Thompson) makes fun of her wish. Her stepsisters, Lucinda (Audrey Kate Smith) and Florinda (Peighton White), laugh at her as well. Cinderella is heartbroken while the others ride off to the festival. Meanwhile, the baker and his wife are burdened with a problem of their own. They want a child more than anything, but can’t have one. An evil witch (Sydney Anne Stickland) visits them one night at their home. She reveals that she is the one who has placed this curse on their family, all because the baker’s father stole her magical beans. The witch, as if cursing the family wasn’t enough, kidnapped the baker’s sister and hid her away in a tower. The baker never knew his sibling, Rapunzel (Cadence Lynn), existed, but he vows then and there to break the curse in order to bear a child and bring his sister back. He forbids his wife from accompanying him on his journey, so he is in charge for remembering the witch’s request on his own. He has three days to bring the witch a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold.
Jack’s mother (Hannah Rice) wishes for a less foolish son. She commands him to go to the market place and sell his best friend, Milky White (Evan Belding and Nathan Scott/Ronnie Griffin and Wade Durrence) the cow. While at the market, Jack is approached by a mysterious man (Cade Beecher), who tells him that his cow is worth no more than a sack of beans. While this is going on, somewhere else in the woods Little Red encounters a wolf (Kennon Bell). Though the baker fails to take Little Red’s cape, the baker’s wife shows up in the woods and succeeds in buying “the cow as white as milk” for five beans. The baker feels guilty for taking the boy’s best friend as he mentally checks one item off the list. However, Jack’s mother is furious about the exchange and throws the beans away after deeming them worthless. The witch visits Rapunzel in the tower, and Rapunzel’s prince (Aden Williams) observes from afar, accompanied by his steward (Ben Bradley).
Cinderella is in the forest, visiting the grave of her mother (Julia Hethcox). Her mother’s angel comes back to talk with her and grants her wish by giving her a beautiful gown. Also in the forest is Cinderella’s prince (Korbett MacGregor) and his steward (Jonah Rogers). Cinderella doesn’t want the prince’s affection and is thankful when the baker’s wife leads them away. As the baker’s wife is calling Cinderella foolish for not wanting to date the prince, she notices the shoes on the young lady’s feet. She tries to snatch the golden slipper but fails after Milky White escapes her grasp.
As the story continues, the beanstalk grows, the baker is rewarded with the red cape after saving Little Red from the wolf, Rapunzel’s yellow hair is snatched by the baker’s wife, Cinderella gives her shoe to the baker’s wife, and each problem is resolved by the third midnight chime. The witch becomes beautiful again and lifts the curse on the baker’s family. The narrator looks over the kingdom and sees that everything that was once broken is now fixed. Just like the different plots came together to make a wonderful story, the students and directors overcame their struggles and worked as a team to produce an amazing play.
Director Jenna Watkins shared, “This One Act season has been an incredible journey. Over the last several months, these students have learned the script, practiced choreography, rehearsed songs, built the set, painted props, and grown to become a beautiful eclectic family. Our motto is “When the lights go on and all eyes are fixed on us, our eyes are fixed on Him.” My life is more blessed because of these young people. It has been an honor to get to know them on a more personal level.”
