It’s back. Marathon Community Theatre is showcasing its youngest talent on two nights this weekend — Friday, July 30 and Saturday, July 31 with a 7 p.m. curtain. The show actually features two short plays — “Brief Interviews with Internet Cats” and “This Is Your Brain on Social Media.”
The adult directors of the show say both plays are timely.
“They spoke to us, I guess, because they are so relevant to today. The ‘Social Media’ is a spoof. And who doesn’t love a good internet cat,” said Kara Pascucci. “And the authors were very open to changes we wanted to make to the scripts.”
Coming off the pandemic, it’s a smaller group of kids than normal.
“And that has turned out to be a real positive. A lot of the younger kids are getting speaking roles that wouldn’t happen during a normal summer camp. I like seeing the kids shine,” she said.
“Brief Interviews with Internet Cats” is directed by Jamie Stevens and Michele Licause, and student assistant director Lucy Segard. In the short play, a celebrity host interviews the “viral” cats — uncovering the true story behind “Tuffy’s” first dramatic foray into a cardboard box and learning just what makes “Nelson” the Grouchy Cat so very, very grouchy. The play stars Aiden Judd, Sierra Shifflet, Fisher Stevens, Ailani Banks, Aiden McIntyre, Adrianna Dworniczak, Ariella Dworniczak, Rachel Hackney and Claire Segard.
In “This Is Your Brain on Social Media,” a school stages an intervention for three of its worst social-media obsessed students. It’s directed by Pascucci and Sammy Jo Manning, and student assistant director Danielle Davis. Inspired by interviews with teens about their online lives, the play takes on both social-media madness and the grown-up hysteria over kids these days. It stars Megan Gross, Rylee Rodriguez, Hayley Price, Aiden Judd, Sierra Shifflet, Chloe Herd, Claire Segard and Maddy Judd.
For the safety of the child actors and crew members, this event will be socially distanced and seating is limited to 50 audience members. Face masks will be required to enter, move about and while watching the production. Masks may only be removed while eating or drinking in the gallery.
Tickets are $10 including sales tax and are available online at www.marathontheater.org or Monday-Friday from noon to 4 p.m. at the MCT Box Office at 5101 Overseas highway, Marathon, or by calling 305-743-0994.
