Holladay Art Council’s Page to Stage annual week-long theatrical program brought the magic of children’s theater to the stage June 17 in the Cottonwood Room at Holladay City Hall. Adapted from the picture book by Dr. Seuss, “The Sneetches,” the 10-minute children’s play captured the theme of diversity and the importance of treating others with kindness and acceptance.

According to Holladay Arts Council Arts and Culture manager Megan Attermann, the 16-member cast was selected on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration for the popular program was filled within one hour, and a waitlist was filled within four hours. 

“There’s a special magic in children’s theater,” Attermann said. “It combines a child’s natural tendency toward play and imagination with theater’s form and structure. And when these things are combined, magic can happen quickly! When children get the chance to experience that magic —especially with friends (new and old)—the feeling of accomplishment they get is unmatched. Holladay Arts is grateful to be part of that magic for these kids. We wish it were possible to accommodate everyone who wanted to participate.”

Holladay City Councilmember Paul Fotheringham opened the one-time theatrical performance by welcoming an enthusiastic audience and play cast members to Holladay City Hall. He continued by thanking the volunteer program directors for their time and dedication to serving the Holladay community.  

“I’m delighted to serve as the council liaison to the Holladay Arts,” Fotheringham said. “The Holladay Arts mission is to inspire, engage and unify the community through the arts. This wildly successful Stage to Page children’s theater program is the brainchild of program coordinator Natalie Bradley. We invite all of you to follow the example of all of these Holladay kids and discover yourself in art.” 

Attermann expressed her gratitude to this year’s new play director and scriptwriter, Maggie Chamness, and for the valuable life skills taught in public speaking, teamwork, memorization, consistency, hard work, emotional literacy, empathy, creativity, friendship and collaboration. 

“I think theater is such a great experience for kids,” Attermann said. “It gives kids a chance to find their voice and to be able to step out of themselves and become someone else. I think that is so important for kids. They have learned a lot this week. I don’t know if you know how hard it is to put even a 10-minute show together in five days. They have worked so hard. I want to say thank you to our new director this year, Maggie Chamness, who has been a delight. I think the kids have put her through her paces, and I think they have grown to love and respect her and her work with them.”

Chamness grew up in Holladay and began her theatrical career in second grade. She has rehearsed and performed on the same stage and hopes to introduce her love of theatre now to new generations. She plans to graduate from the University of Northern Colorado with a B.F.A. in musical theater. 

“I had the wonderful opportunity to direct ‘Frozen Kids’ at the Performing Arts Center at Kapolei, Oahu, which was one of the best experiences of my life,” Chamness said. “It is evident kid’s anxiety levels are rising at a very young age growing up in the world today. I can see the benefit of theater participation for all kids. Theater teaches self-confidence, how to work together and how to respect each other.”

In 2019, Bradley introduced the Page to Stage children’s theater program while serving on the Holladay Arts Council. From learning the basics of theatre, auditions, the memorization of lines and the final performance, the entire Page to Stage theatrical play is cast, practiced and presented in a brief one-week timeframe.

“It’s fun to watch kids’ confidence develop from when we begin practice on Monday and then go on stage on Friday,” Bradley said. “We do two-hour classes, and in under 10 hours, kids learn to work together and to help each other succeed. The message of the script this year is no one is better than anyone else; we can all work together and learn from each other.” 

Last year, Attermann wrote and directed the Page to Stage play, and this year, she remained actively engaged in the production process by attending rehearsals and cheering the performers on during the captivating final performance.

“I had the opportunity to sit in on some of the rehearsals,” Attermann said. “I watched the group painstakingly rehearse the sequence where the Sneetches were getting stars on and off. They practiced over and over and over and over. It was hard work! There was so much coordination, choreography, memorization, and teamwork needed to pull that sequence off. And they totally did it. They nailed it in front of the audience, and I couldn’t be more proud. They had every reason to feel so accomplished when taking their bows.”

For more information about the Holladay Arts Council, visit
www.holladayarts.org. λ