York Town News
Wacky fairytales and more at York Parks and Recreation this summer
By Melissa Wood
"Peter and the Big Bad Wolf" is just one of an array of fun camps, outings and opportunities being offered by York Parks and Recreation this summer.
Courtesy photo
YORK - Whether you're looking for self-improvement, something fun to do this summer or simply wondering how you're going to survive those 10 weeks of the year when the kids are home from school and bored after 10 minutes, York Parks and Recreation can help.
Registration starts this Friday, June 1, for most of the activities in the department's summer program. Director of Parks and Recreation Mike Sullivan said he believes that on Friday the line will be winding out the door.
Any youngster who's ever been bitten by the acting bug or just wants to give theatre a shot, can take part in an off-the-wall, original fairytale production that will leave audiences chuckling. For ages 8 to 18, "Peter and the Big Bad Wolf" features familiar characters in some unconventional roles.
The play's co-writer and director Lisa Stathoplos said the story is a send-up of the Prokofiev drama first written for the Ogunquit Playhouse's children's program and again featured in a "Schtick Happens!" production at York High School last spring.
"It was received very well," said Stathoplos, who wrote the play with Michael Crockett. "I think both kids and adults can get a huge kick out of it."
This version of the Russian classic features an assortment of familiar characters from movies and fairytales. There's a wolf that resembles Clint Eastwood's "Dirty Harry," an arresting Sleeping Beauty, a testy Tinkerbell, a poker-playing Wicked Witch of the West, a Gretel who lives at Yummies when she's not at The Goldenrod, three little pigs who sing a-cappella and, of course, poor Peter, lost among giants, whose only friends are the self-serving and hugely manipulative cat, duck and bird.
"Because there are so many different parts, and where it's a true ensemble piece, there's no one child that's the most important," said Stathoplos.
The camp will run from Monday through Friday, July 23 to 28, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Within that time, the play will be cast and rehearsed, sets will be painted and, if necessary, the writing may be tweaked, all in time for shows on Friday and Saturday.
Participants will be joined by York High School student Sara Demos who has been in many productions and is described by Stathoplos as an amazing actor.
"I certainly think the kids who come out to the camp will have a blast," said Stathoplos. "I think they'll have a real crowd-pleaser in the play so that's nice too."
She said the show is pretty witty with lots of references to things that adults can get a kick out of.
"It's one of those evening at the theater that leave you chuckling," she said.
Recreation Department Program Coordinator Sarah Francke said she heard the play is a lot of fun.
"Although I've not seen it yet, it's supposed to be absolutely fabulous," she said.
Francke said that volunteers like Stathoplos, Crockett and the York School Department's Gary Phipps and Pam Lombardi help make her job of putting together the summer program a little easier.
She agreed with Sullivan that lines will be long on Friday when registration begins for most of the programs. She said some take as many participants as sign up, but others with restrictions on the number of participants, such as both the adult and youth kayak camps and tennis lessons, fill up fast.
For a full list of this summer offerings pick up a program guide at York Parks and Recreation in the Grant House on Route 1 or visit http://parksandrec.yorkmaine.org/.
