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A dragon takes the stage

By Katie Mills Giorgio

The auditorium at Washington High School (2205 Forest Drive SE in Cedar Rapids) will soon be filled with young theater goers anxiously awaiting the first sighting of a dragon.

But this is no fire-breathing dragon. He’s “the reluctant dragon,” the main character in a play of the same name presented by the Washington High School drama department as part of the Children’s Theatre of Cedar Rapids’ “Playtime Poppy Presents” 56th season of shows.

“The Reluctant Dragon” tells the story of the village of Old Greenwich and its townspeople as they hunt for the dragon they blame for their dying crops and sour milk. But this dragon is a peace-loving, poetry-spouting fellow who would prefer a cup of tea to a battle. The townspeople call in the legendary Saint George to do battle with the “beast” and save their village. And the events that follow are sure to delight kids.

Bill Lammers, director of theater at Washington High School, not only directs the show, but also wrote this adaptation of the script.

“We wanted to do something new, or rather something that hadn’t been done for the Children’s Theater before,” he says. “While the story is somewhat obscure, we knew that the title would probably catch some eyes and pique the interest of the theater goers."

Lucky for kids, the show is laced with humor. Lammers says they have tossed in a few characters and twists to the story for extra laughs and a group of deputies add comic relief.

“Kids will love the physical humor of the show and the interaction with the characters,” Lammers adds. “At times, the characters are unaware of people sneaking up behind them, or don’t know what sort of creature is out there in the countryside, and they rely upon the audience to find out.”

Not only will the kids have fun while watching the show, but they will also be learning valuable lessons.

“The story in itself is quite timely – the overall message is tolerance and ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ – and one that is pretty easy to understand at just about all levels,” Lammers says.

The show is geared toward students in kindergarten through 3rd grade, although parents are sure to have a laugh or two.

“We always try to slide in some ‘contemporary culture’ that the adults may appreciate more than the younger audience members: lines from famous Seinfeld episodes, shtick from Monty Python, a Tim Allen grunt or two, a few Homer Simpson d’oh! moments,” says Lammers. “No hidden entendres – just good, clean fun.”

Playtime Poppy Board President Julia Clair says Playtime Poppy shows create memories for parents in more than one way. “People who have grown up in the area probably came as kids so there is some of that nostalgia and tradition,” she says.

The show kicks off at 4:30 p.m. today and continues Thursday and Friday with performances at 4:30 and 7 p.m. as well as shows on Saturday at 2 and 4:30 p.m. Doors open 30 minutes before the show. A sign language interpreter will be available at the 4:30 p.m. performance Thursday and the 2 p.m. show Saturday. “The Reluctant Dragon” production lasts about one hour.

Clair says Playtime Poppy shows are a nice, reasonably priced introduction to theatre for kids. “They keep the shows as interactive as possible and do a nice job of involving kids in the show,” she says. “It’s live theater that caters to the kids.”

Tickets are $3 for all patrons 12 months of age and older and can be purchased at the door 45 minutes prior to the show.

For more information on the Playtime Poppy production of “The Reluctant Dragon” visit Playtime Poppy's web site or call (319) 369-3220.