Lolek's Storytellers Presents: "The Princess Bride"

If you remember from a post in the beginning of June,  Dani has been working on The Princess Bride to perform for charity(s). She found the script online and created a screenplay from it (tweaking as needed), directed it and starred as Inigo Montoya. The performance was this past weekend - July 22nd and 23rd - with three showings. Total amount of donations raised... $1700; an increase of over $700  from last year's Puss in Boots.

Dani, as this project is her vision, was requested to come up with a name for our group.  We really wanted to involve John Paul II since he was once an amateur theater actor and a prolific writer of poetry and drama for the theatre - and most especially since he was beatified this spring.  And then the name "Lolek" came to me; it's nice and obscure.  Lolek was Karol Wojtyla's childhood nickname.  Dani came up - after many ideas - with "storytellers".  She loves how JPII is our patron for a children's drama group.  We have a website in the works as well. 

There were so many fantastic kids who auditioned for the play that Dani had to write in some parts!  We had a dad (father to the grandson; who the story was read to), three thieves (from the Thieves Forest), and a messenger "Myra" who informed Buttercup of Westley being captured by the Dread Pirate Roberts.

And words can't emphasize enough how amazing this performance was - people were really blown away.  When it's available (after editing) I'll post some video.

These head shots below were in our programs of the main characters and were done a week before performance.  Here Inigo's hair isn't curly and he doesn't have his scars.  All the kids' performances were fantastic and we were told time after time how the casting was perfect!

Dani as Inigo Montoya...

Therese as ... not Buttercup.... rather the Albino :)  

Rehearsals at the (old) rectory....

The Building of the Stage

Assembling the stage and wings at the parish hall...

Drilling and securing the casters

Finishing Touches...

First Rehearsals in the Parish Hall on the New Stage...

Offer me anything I ask for...

You can see here how black fabric was stapled to the front of the stage (and steps later on).  Black tabbed curtains were on sale at Lowes for under $6 ea.  I love frugal finds like that!

Candid Shots of our Tech Week 

You can see the tribute to Lolek (John Paul II) in a poster in the boy's room.

A meeting of the minds!

A little down time

Westley takin' it easy

A little thumb war with Fezzik

Inigo caught wielding a broom instead of his sword

One of our thieves... and our "secret entrance" (tree)  to the Pit of Despair

 Backstage youngsters kept quiet on sleeping bags and quiet games/books/DSs....

Scenes during the performances (in no particular order) 

Taken by a talented photographer - father of some actors

Cast and Crew

The Princess Bride

2011