Cascade students invite community to join for bedtime stories

Many kids fall asleep restless if mom or dad doesn't crack open a book or recite a familiar tale before bedtime. Some of Cascade School District's younger counterparts were cast in "Bedtime Stories (As Told by Our Dad) (Who Messed Them Up)" by Ed Monk and will be performing May 16-19 on the Cascade auditorium stage.
    "The show is basically three fractured fairy tales told by a very tired dad.  His three girls insist that he tells each of them a bedtime story from memory which doesn't go very well, but it's amusing to see," said Mandi Wickline, drama coach for the district. "The author does a great job showing the realities of parenting in a believable and funny way."
    There will be no show tunes as this is solely a play. According to Wickline, there was the idea to harness in Alpine Lakes and Icicle River students who just wanted to act rather than the hefty pressure of being able to hit a note as well.
    "Often, people are intimidated by having to sing at auditions, so we wanted to give our actors a place to become more comfortable onstage. It's really weird to not have the singing and dancing element, but it's a luxury for us to just focus on acting," said Wickline.
    With a wide range of experience levels and age groups on the stage, Wickline said watching the progression of their skills has been fun. Acting shouldn't be too difficult of a feat since the show is centered around a storyline that kids are familiar with.
    "Some kids inherently understand keeping your face out to the audience.  Some kids don't but they learn over time.  Some kids naturally speak loudly and clearly.  Some kids feel like they're overacting if they do that. It's a fascinating process trying to create something real with stage conventions that don't feel natural, but the kids do a really good job of creating believable characters," said Wickline.
    "There are a lot of really funny, talented kids in the show. And the play really captures what it's like to be a kid.  I'm looking forward to seeing how audiences react to their performances because they are all so unique," said Wickline.
    Wickline stated that roughly 40 kids tried out with only 18 roles to cast. However, Wickline quickly came up with the idea to double cast so everyone could be included. Audiences are encouraged to see the two different casts because students interpret their roles differently.
    This bedtime story won't put anyone to sleep - The comical double cast play will keep the audience wide awake, giggling throughout the show.
    "Kids are always sharing ideas, expressing emotions, and asking questions.  That openness is what makes good actors," said Wickline.