Students put new spin on old Ugly Duckling tale

"Honk" if you love acting, singing and dancing on stage.

That's what 53 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders at Rollings Middle School of the Arts — with the help of two students from other Summerville schools — did this spring.

The youths put on the musical, "Honk," a variation of the Hans Christian Andersen tale, "The Ugly Duckling." Directed by Lucia Dantzler, the play was performed last weekend after weeks of organization and rehearsals.

The players consisted of Rollings students whose core is in theater, vocals, visual arts, piano, dance and string instruments. Two children from other schools augmented the cast.

Tyler Baird of Gregg Middle School earned the lead role as the Ugly Duckling. "He's got a strong vocal," Dantzler noted. Elena Schaffer of Alston Middle School played the role of Penny the Swan.

The cast included a visually impaired Rollings student, Shelby Craig, a sixth-grader whose brother, Will Craig, is in the cast and who helps Shelby to and from her stations.

"She has a beautiful voice and she participates in our entire musical," Dantzler said.

Because numerous performances of "Honk" were planned, and because the school is blessed with a plethora of talent, some key roles were shared.

Alyssa Rowe and Jensen Stauffer, both eighth-graders, shared the role of Ida, the mother of the Ugly Duckling.

"Mrs. Dantzer thought that everyone should have an opportunity," Alyssa said. She said she loved the role, "a motherly role. I have the little baby ducklings and they are so cute," she said.

Players said they really enjoyed putting the play together. They said it was work but fun, and some "you had to be there"-type moments kept everyone smiling.

Mary Kathryn Mazell, a seventh-grader, said a fog machine was turned off as planned after a scene was rehearsed, but it kept on churning out mist. "There was a big 'poof' and everybody started coughing," she said.

Sixth-grader Micaela Arnett said the top part of a large "egg" from which a duckling was to hatch was lost, and the actor waiting to emerge from the egg "had to crouch down so no one would see her."

Alyssa confessed to mangling a line so badly it brought rehearsal to a standstill. "I kind of messed up and said the wrong thing. I was so embarrassed, and everybody wouldn't stop laughing for about 10 minutes," she said, chuckling again about her blooper.

Reach Edward C. Fennell at efennell@postandcourier.com or 745-5865.