Fun arts Saturday

By Fran Odyniec

Editor

Directors Madeline Conley and Adam Wheelbarger, left, share notes with some of the cast in “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” From left are: Hunter Larison as Dormouse, Madison Duffield, a Mad Hatter No. 2, Jacob Apperson, as Tweedle Dee, Olivia Catanella, as Queen of Hearts, Elise Bailey as Alice, and Daniel Rodriguez as Mad Hatter No. 1.

Some interesting drama will unfold at the Plain City Public Library next Saturday, Aug. 11, both inside and outside the building.

Outside, the 12th annual “Chalk in the Walk” will allow kids of all ages to chalk up the sidewalk around the library without any fear of reprimand whatsoever. In fact, there will be prizes for winners in five different age groups ranging from preschool to adult. Chalking begins at 11 a.m and runs until 2 p.m. with chalk provided by the library.

“It’s a long sidewalk,” laughed Amanda Warner, youth services librarian referring to the sidewalk that skirts the library from the front door to the wall on the parking lot side of the building, “and we can go up to the area up to the book drop behind the library.”

Usually 40 to 50 chalking enthusiasts show up for the event, but Werner indicated that there is enough room for up to 75 chalkers.

“The idea is to have fun, be artistic, and draw whatever they want,” she said. “It’s a fun way to end our summer reading program.”

Each person will be assigned a block on a first come, first served basis.

“Some kids draw on a summer theme,” said Warner. “Some draw on a reading theme.”

Regardless of the inspiration, creativity is the order of the day.

“That’s very important, especially for kids,” she continued. “We try to inspire kids through reading to promote their imagination.”

When it comes to teens and adults, Warner said that some of them arrive with their ideas already thought out. Some even bring their own chalk. “They do some amazing artwork,” she commented.

Be they young or older, those imaginations produce sidewalk artwork that, like art shows mounted in museums, changes with each “Chalk in the Walk.”

At one point in the six years that she has been at the library, Warner expected to find a common thread in each chalk event.

“Every year it is something completely different,” she said. “It’s really exciting to me.”

For more information, call the library at (614) 873-4912, ext. 30.

After the chalk dust settles, the afternoon of drama will continue inside the library at 3 p.m. with the self-styled Pioneer Players’ production of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” based on the classic novel by Lewis Carroll.

This group of 25 eight- to 12-year olds promise to take the audience on Alice’s wondrous adventure during which she meets so many unforgettable characters like the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, the Queen of Hearts, the March Hare, and the Dormouse among others. Keep an eye out for the surprising production number with the Flowers, which has all the earmarks of a showstopper.

The production is directed by Madeline Conley, a seventh-grader at St. Brendan’s School in Hilliard, and Adam Wheelbarger, a sophomore at Jonathan Alder High School.

“We haven’t done anything like this before,” said Amanda Warner, who was excited when Conley and Wheelbarger came to her with the idea, one which they said they had been considering for quite some time.

“We like to entertain people,” said Wheelbarger who has known Conley “since we were kids,” given the fact that they are neighbors in New California.

Both have been involved in various school productions in the Jonathan Alder School District and at St. Brendan’s. They held auditions for “Alice” right after school had let out for the summer.

“The kids are great,” Wheelbarger said after the first dress rehearsal this past Thursday evening at the stage in the library’s conference room. “We’re treating them the way we would treat each other.”

“They’re so excited,” said Conley. “It’s sometimes tough to keep them quiet. They’re ready to do everything.”

In addition to the Saturday afternoon Aug. 11 performance, there will be a second performance on Monday, Aug. 13 at 1 p.m. at the Plain City Public Library, 305 W. Main St. For information on “Chalk in the Walk” and “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” contact the library at (614) 873-4912, ext. 30.