An international cast will take the stage this weekend as the Augusta Junior Players present Disney’s Moana Jr. at the Augusta University Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre.
“We have a very diverse cast,” said Roy Lewis, the show’s director. “We have Filipinos, Samoans, Hispanic, African Americans and Asians.”
About 40 children between the ages of 8 and 16 make up the cast in this stage retelling of the Disney animated film about a young girl on a journey of self-discovery.
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Lewis said he wants to portray the culture of the Polynesian islands accurately, so he enlisted an expert to assist.
“Kira King is helping me to make sure everything is cultural accurate in terms of images and symbols,” he said. “There’s a rich culture.”
Danielle Vergara, a student at John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School, has choregraphed the show.
The cast is diverse in other ways as well, Lewis said.
In many productions, the Augusta Junior Players are split into different groups with the teenagers working on one show while the younger children work on another. This show brings the entire spectrum of youth theater together.
The age range can bring its own set of challenges.
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“We have experienced actors, and some who are brand new to the stage,” he said.
Rebecah Chacon, who plays the role of Moana, has never been the lead although she’s been in other productions.
But having the younger actors on stage is exciting for Lewis to see.
“This is the next group of actors. They are so talented and eager to learn,” he said.
The stage version of Disney’s Moana Jr. follows the same storyline as the animated film, but there are some changes. Not all the same songs are in the movie and play, he said.
In all, Disney’s Moana Jr. is a fun show with great sets and props, he said. Instead of traditional stage backdrops, there’s a multimedia screen incorporated in the show.
Disney’s Moana Jr. will be at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Oct. 2 and 3 at Augusta University’s Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre.
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Lewis said he’s grateful to be able to work in the space. Other Augusta Junior Players productions have been performed in area high schools. That’s sometimes a challenge during the school year.
Tickets for the production are $10 and are available at the Augusta Players website www.augustaplayers.org.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
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