Eric Morris, assistant teacher, stands with some of his Little Bits super-stars.  Mr. Morris helped the 5-7 year-olds memorize their lines.  He is very proud of all the Little Bits and how well  learned their lines.

Friday and Saturday, Sunny D campers will stage their performances at Blue Ridge Community Theater.  Sunny D is the annual children’s theater camp run by Blue Ridge Community Theater volunteers.  Other Fannin organizations help round out camp logistics. Kiwanis Club provides extra space. St. Luke’s Episcopal Church provides free breakfast, and Faith Presbyterian prepares the free lunch and snacks.

This year, the camp will put on four plays and two musicals around the central theme “Heroes and Villains”.   Each year Sunny D picks a new theme and new plays.  Patricia Webb, Executive Director of Sunny D, chooses themes and situations that help campers learn something more about being human than just the lines in the play.

Little Bits, actors aged 5-7, will perform Rappin’ Fairytales around the character theme of helping each other turn “zeros into heroes.”

The Super-hero-ish good guys practice their victory song.

A mystery family connection between Super Gran and Super Girl is revealed by Tweens Actors, ages 8-12 in their play Super-hero-ish.  In this play, daughter of Super Gran and mother of Super Girl doesn’t know of the family’s secret super-powers since it skips generations. Gran and Girl unite to save the Queen of England whom Mad Maniac stole and imprisoned somewhere.  No word yet on the true identity of Super Gran during her daily Fannin life.

Pamela Smith, who is assisting with the Tweens, says that the experience teaches kids many real-life skills that they will continue to pull on.  The children learn how to work as a family, respecting other kids’ differences and abilities to work together.  Theater  also develops confidence and memorization skills.

The Teens authentic production of The Tempest includes costumes designed after 16th century British style.

The Teens, ages 13-18, are putting on The Tempest by William Shakespeare.  They have accomplished a feat that adult actors find difficult.  Within two weeks, the teens have memorized lines in Elizabethan English, matched their lines to their body movements and have full confidence in putting on a play written by the supreme master of English-language theater.

Paul Smith enjoys watching the Teens practice The Tempest in his down time from ferrying  food for volunteers and actors between the different venues.  He admires that the Teens have put in some serious practice time studying different renown directors’ version of The Tempest.  “only teenagers can pull off The Tempest within two weeks… and walk away this summer with a good knowledge of Shakespeare, the foundation of our language.

Sunny D also offers  beginning and advanced musical camps.  This year the two different productions are Beauty and the Beast and Afternoon in the Park with Heroes and Villains. Heath Burnett, lead director of Afternoon in the Park with Heroes and Villains, wrote the play especially for Sunny D. This is the first time the ever the musical has been performed.

Friday’s plays begin at 6 pm and Saturday’s at 2 pm with the Little Bits’ Rapping Fairytales.  On Friday, the Tweens perform at 7:30 and at 3:30 on Saturday.  The Teens perform at 9 pm on Friday and 5 pm on Saturday.  The musicals are on Saturday and Sunday.  On Saturday the introductory musical is at 7:30 and the advanced at 9:30.  On Sunday, the introductory group is at 2 pm and the advanced at 3:30.  Tickets are $5 per play.  Family members and friends that are going to see their special super-stars who are in different productions will need to buy a ticket for each production.  Ms. Webb encourages buying the tickets through the theater rather than on the theaters’ website since the websites’ transaction fee is roughly the same cost as a ticket.  For more information, call Blue Ridge Community Theater at 706-9223.

Sunny D also puts on two children’s plays during the year.  The fall play will be Peter Pan.  The children’s plays during the year are separate from the summer camp.  But, you can bet that many summer Sunny D campers caught the theater bug and can’t wait for the fall productions.