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Children’s theatre is back

[photo: courtesy]
reporters@samoanews.com

On the last night of the premier of Twinderella, Poe Mageo, director of the Dancing Fingers Learning Center presented a check of $2,500 to Leilani Tilo, who accepted the donation on behalf of the local American Red Cross.

Before the curtain went up, Mageo asked all the young children in the audience to come on stage.  He then randomly asked for their names, parents, schools, and teachers.  The audience was truly fascinated and anxious as each child tried to answer the questions. 

The whole point of bringing the children on stage, according to Mageo, was to remind parents and the community about the innocence of childhood and the fact that children become curious about their surroundings; at the same time, they are eager and ready to learn.  

Silipas Playhouse, the newly founded children’s community theatre, was Mageo’s idea to take in most of the students who were on his waiting list for private music lessons.  On the first night of Twinderella, Mageo told the audience it takes 2 hours to teach only 4 students who sign up for private, one-on-one piano lessons; whereas with an orchestra, ensemble, and a theatre group, he could teach as many as 25-plus students in one setting. Mageo will open a children’s honors choir next spring.

After the curtain call for the outstanding cast of Twinderella, Miss American Samoa Matauaina Toomalatai performed the taualuga.

As for the cast, Mageo plans to host a Twinderella Trivia Party next Saturday to assess how well the students understood the play.  Fun questions and games will test their knowledge of characters, lines, conflict, and point-of-view of the play.