Pinocchio gets swindled by the Fox and Cat

Photo By Roger RyDell Daniels | Pinocchio speaks with the Fox and Cat, played by Fort Stewart young family members Tanis Lynch as Pinocchio, and Lamarcus Baugh and Sophie Heinz as the Fox and Cat, during a scene of the adaptation of the story of Pinocchio performed June 15 at Woodruff Theatre on Fort Stewart, Ga.  

FORT STEWART, GA, UNITED STATES

06.20.2013

Story by Staff Sgt. Roger RyDell Daniels 

Warrior Transition Battalion - Fort Stewart

Staff Sgt. Roger RyDell Daniels
Warrior Transition Battalion

MISSOULA, Mont. - As the story goes, a kind woodcarver named Geppetto chiseled throughout the night to create a puppet in the image of a small boy.

She was unaware that the wood she labored over had come from an enchanted tree.

When Geppetto stepped away, the Blue Fairy, who had been watching from afar and who was aware where the wood had come from, entered the scene, waved her young arms toward the puppet and gave him the gift of life. And the legend of Pinocchio was born.

Thus went the Missoula Children’s Theatre adaptation of the story of Pinocchio, performed June 15 at Woodruff Theatre.

The MCT, which is based in Missoula, Mont., has been touring and performing children’s plays throughout the world for 40 years.
The MCT said they have fostered developmental life skills in more than a million kids and will work with more than 65,00 children in more than 1,200 communities – including at military bases -- in all 50 states and 17 countries. The MCT relies on charitable donations.

The MCT came to Fort Stewart at the beginning of the week, selected a cast of 40 local kids through an audition and conducted five days of rehearsals before the actual show on Saturday, said Elyssa Ackerman, the show director.

After learning that the wooden-headed Pinocchio became a living, talking boy, Geppetto became his mother and immediately sent him off to school. On his way to school and his quest of becoming a normal boy, he encountered some troubles.

The performance follows Pinocchio as he dances with Geppetto’s charming toys, travels the road to Pleasure Isle with Candlewick and his crew, is swindled by the unsavory Fox and Cat into the hands of the evil puppet master Stromboli and swallowed by a monstrous whale, where he is reunited with Geppetto.

With the help of Geppetto and the friendly Urchins, the hundreds in attendance at the performance learned with Pinocchio that there no shortcuts on the road to becoming a real, live boy.

Fort Stewart Family Member Tanis Lynch played the role of Pinocchio. Some other performers were Nikia Jeeter as Jiminy Cricket, Julia Bedford as Blue Fairy, Lamarcus Baugh and Sophie Heinz as the Fox and Cat, and Alanna Frazier as Candlewick. All together there were 41 cast of characters including MCT’s Allison Quick who played Geppetto and Stromboli.

• Date Taken: 06.20.2013
• Date Posted: 06.20.2013 11:35
• Story ID: 108940
• Location: FORT STEWART, GA, US