Narnia is headed to Haines this weekend, and it will take four kids to fight off evil and escape.
The Summer Youth Theater Conservatory will put on “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis this weekend. They’ve been working on the show since June.
“I play a power-obsessed witch with schemes to rule Narnia,” Maddox Rogers said. “It’s a lot of fun. I used to be a bit nervous, but now I love it.”
The White Witch wears a dress, jacket, and fur coat. “It’s going to be the first time I’ll be hot in a play,” Rogers said.
“Even though we’re good friends we play enemies,” Alex Fields said. Fields plays Aslan, the protagonist who fights the White Witch. “He loves being the evil one,” Fields said of his co-star Rogers. “He kills me and I kill him!”
Rogers said that the roles were drawn out of a hat, but that the parts worked out well. The children with smaller parts have helped build the set, create props, and make the backstage aspects of the show come to life.
The cast is led by Director Marcos Najera and Assistant Director Debra Piver from Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles.
The directors said they are impressed by the kids as well as the community in Haines.
Najera said the cast has put in a lot of hard work, and their excellent work shows as a result. “We trust them. These actors are here to have fun, but we give them a lot of responsibility.”
The directors and the cast aren’t the only ones who have put in work to make the play happen. When asked how many volunteer hours went into show, Najera said “A lot. A billion, maybe?”
Among the instrumental volunteers are Katherine and Juge Gregg, whose father Tresham Gregg helped build props for the show and his daughter Cooper plays Lucy in the show. Katherine has worked on costumes for the show, while Juge has worked on the set. Juge also helped bring Najera and Piver from L.A. for the production.
“We’ve been friends since college, and I texted him to see if he knew of anyone that might be interested, with him as a hope in the back of my mind,” Juje said.
The instant Najera showed interest, Juge “unleased a PR campaign like none other: texts, emails, videos, photos of Haines. He even sent me a video from the Chamber of Commerce.”
Najera said he’s excited for the show to open. The only regret? “Given more time, we would totally have brought all the dogs from the borough together for Aslan’s army.”
The show will be at the Chilkat Center 7 p.m. on Saturday and 4 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are on sale now at the Babbling Book and Dragon’s Nook bookstore on Main Street and will be available at the door. Tickets are $7 for kids, $12 for adults and $35 for families.