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Arts & Entertainment

Once Upon A Time In Missouri: YAT Transports Audience In 'Tom Sawyer'

Y'all will practically hear the sound of crickets cutting through the dense Midwestern humidity during the Young Actors' Theatre production of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," at the Encore Theatre in Spring Valley.

It is an admirable feat for a theater actor to occupy a character so completely that the audience forgets they are watching a real person, instead of a fictional one.  It is even more impressive for an entire theater production to transport the audience to another place, another time, or—even better—both, and the production of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” comes pretty close.

Due to the intimacy of the YAT’s Encore! Theatre in Spring Valley, and the modesty of their budget, the troupe could not rely on big, splashy backgrounds or special effects or other large theater advantages to suspend the audience’s disbelief and send them back to 1840s Missouri.  Instead, the actors relied on the accumulation of several little details—such as accents, dialogue and strategic costuming—to work in their favor.

For instance, whether it was dictated in the script or not, small word choices added a sheen of authenticity to the dialogue: “wash” pronounced “warsh,” “creek” pronounced “crik,” etc.—anyone who has spent significant time in Missouri would recognize these variations instantly.  Other regional eccentricities were apparent in the dialogue, which was a believable mix of Midwestern dialect and the formal sentence structure apparent in nearly all areas of mid-19th century America.

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Simple costume details had the same effect, such as pants held up with rope and several characters going barefoot—country boys with a taste for adventure like Tom Sawyer (Brandon Hurst) and Huckleberry Finn (Chris Pleman) wouldn’t be caught dead in shoes outdoors.

But of course, such details only served to highlight the setting and bolster the acting—without strong central performances, all the authenticity in the world wouldn’t matter.  Luckily, “Tom Sawyer” was supported admirably by the titular lead, portrayed by Hurst, who recently charmed YAT audiences as the Artful Dodger in “Oliver!” 

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Not even needing the mic strapped to his face, Hurst projected his aw-shucks accent throughout the theater, whether he was shouting in frustration or yelping with glee.  His charisma and infectious enthusiasm carried the production—a daunting responsibility for a young actor but one he accomplished with aplomb.

Another standout performance was that of Tom’s onetime “fiancée,” Amy Lawrence, played by Alex Doar.  It was amusing to see how little has changed in young girls’ motivations in the last 150 years—Amy had her sights set on Tom, and used every manipulative trick and honey-voiced platitude in her toolbox to get him, especially once new girl in town Becky Thatcher (Kori Cook) became the competition.  Doar’s sweetly cunning performance was an interesting foil for Tom’s good-natured orneriness, and it was almost a disappointment that they didn’t end up together (spoiler: Tom picks Becky).

It was also a slight disappointment that the production featured so few songs—YAT’s productions are usually chock-full of highly entertaining musical numbers.  However, the introduction of new dancing techniques made up for it, such as the use of tap during “Painting the Fence,” an energizing number that had the whole cast clicking their feet away onstage.

It’s little things like that—throwing tap into the mix—that speaks for YAT’s commitment to growth and creativity, and their ability to pack the most punch out of available resources.  And who knows—maybe their next performance will feature something equally unexpected, such as a new dance technique, innovative staging, or a new performer to join the YAT’s ranks of famous actors-to-be.

The next performances of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” will be at 7 p.m. March 23; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. March 24; and 2 p.m. March 25.

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