Lancaster New Era from Lancaster, Pennsylvania • 78

Teen Weekend LANCASTER, NEW ERA THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2002 5 Bitten by the acting bug as a child, award-winner now wants to bring theater to next generation The cast of Youre a Good Man, Charlie Brown consists of, from left: Dan Shapiro as Schroeder, Kim Martin as Lucy, Katie McCarty as Sally, Lee Fulmeras Linus, Jonathan Groff as Charlie Brown, and Emily Fritz as Snoopy. Days. On July 31, theyll performat the Magic Kingdom, on the Tomorrow Land stage. Jonathans production of Charlie Brown is actually part of his graduation project. This year I wanted to start a student-run production for the elementary school kids to come and see, says Jonathan, who has fond memories of coming to the high school as an elementary student to see Annie.

I really, really, really got into theater after I saw that show, says Jonathan, who has acted in school plays and also has appeared in productions at the Fulton. For his project, he decided upon Charlie Brown after hearing it was a fun show to do. Plus, headds, There were kids in the school that were so perfect for their parts! (Hes quick to add that Kim, who plays Lucy, is not crabby in real life.) In addition to playing Charlie Brown, Jonathan had to block staging and discuss motivation, such as Why is Schroeder so obsessed with the piano? It was a challenge, but it was one that I wouldnt have given up, says Jonathan. It was so much fun. I didnt really have to give them much direction.

The show was performed for third- and fourth-graders from the districts elementary schools on Jan. 31. That was followed by a sold-out public performance on Feb. 3. They (the kids) were so much fun to perform for, says Jonathan.

Theyre just so honest Theyre not going to laugh if its not funny. Jonathan plans to do a similar production next year and start a tradition. I wanted to do something that will happen every year. So the kids in the third and ourth grades will be able to come and see shows here that they can really relate to. TomAmicoNEwERA By DIANE M.

BITTING New Era Staff Writer GOOD THINGS NEVER happen toCharlie Brown. The little red-headed girl ignores him, and Lucy is always tricking him with that infernal football. Even the Easter Beagle shortchanges him! Jonathan Groff has much better luckthan Charlie Brown. As an actor, this Conestoga Valley High School junior is playing the lead Jesus Christ in this weekends production of the musical Godspell. (See Sked for details.) And just last month, Jonathan won the 2002 Beth Bash Memorial Award at the annual High School Theatre Festival held at the Fulton Opera House.

For that, he can thank the hapless Charlie Brown. Jonathan, 17, directed and starred in Youre a Good Man, Charlie Brown, which he and five other CV students took to the March 27 festival. Jonathan won the award, for direction and performance, given in honor of Bash, a McCaskey High School graduate and rising theater star who died in 1985. He really did an outstanding job, says Jeanne Clemson, director of the Fultons Academy of Theatre. It was just very nicely directed.

It looked like faculty work. And the acting was delightful. Jonathan is quick to credit his co-stars. If it wasnt for them, there is no way I would have gotten it, he says. Jonathans fellow cast members are: sophomore Kim Martin as the ever-crabby Lucy; juniors Dan Shapiro, the piano-playing Schroeder, Lee Fulmer, the blanket-toting Linus; Katie McCarty, Charlie Browns little sister, Sally; and Emily Fritz, as that famous beagle, Snoopy.

For the competition, Jonathan and his fellow actors performed a half-hour of vignettes, such as Lucy stealing Linus blanket and a baseball game. In addition to Jonathans award, the cast was recognized for its presentational style of acting. In another stroke of luck, Jonathan and company were chosen by video audition to present their play at Disneyworld fra- Magic Music On the cover With a little help from his alter-ego, Charlie Brown, Jonathan Groff won the 2002 Beth Bash Memorial Award at the annual High School Theatre Festival at the Fulton Opera House last month. Also, last year at a Bucks County drama competition, he and fellow student Meredith Lamb won best production, best actor and best actress awards for Here We Are. Now' he faces portraying Jesus in Godspell.

Im just going to try my very hardest to do the best job I possibly can to portray him with a heart, says Jonathan. So many people ha ve such an intimate relationship to him. The fact that we get the chance to tell this story is really exciting. Not surprisingly, Jonathan wants to pursue theater as a career. I definitely want togo to college for theater, he says.

Id like to have the training to do anything, so I can be prepared for anything if it comes up. My goal is becoming a working actor. With the emphasis on working, headds. there. I just auditioned every chance that I got.

His other Fulton roles have been as an apprentice in Cyrano, Rolf in The Sound of Music and in the ensembles for Evita and Rags. He didnt mind all the hard work. I loved having long hours. loved every minute of it! This summer, Jonathan will be rehearsing for the Ephrata Playhouses September production of Honk, based on the ugly duckling story. Im playing the ugly duckling, he states.

As a member of Thespus, CVs drama group, Jonathan has played leading roles in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (as Finch, played on Broadway by Matthew Broderick, one of his favorite actors); The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged, as Juliet; and Kiss Me Kate, as Fred Graham. He adds, Elementary school students are sort of the audience of the future, so if you get them interested now, hopefully theyll continue to be interested in the theater later in life. After being bitten by the theater bug as a youngster, I put on my own shows and dressed up all the time and pretended I was different people, says Jonathan. He loved Disney movies, especially Mary Poppins and Peter Pan I always wanted to fly. As an eighth grader, his breakout role was as Teddy Best in Best in the West As a freshman, he auditioned for the Fultons production of Peter Pan in 1999.

When I found out that there was a theater doing Peter Pan, I just wanted to be a part of it somehow. He was chosen to be one of the lost boys. My interest just grew from Home-schoolers run off with Red Chief O. Henrys Ransom of Red Chief a tale of a kidnapped boy whose uncle doesnt want him back will be performed Saturday by the AAA Writers Club, a classics-oriented home-school support group that began performing plays seven years ago. Above, Wes Musser (being held) plays Johnny, aka Red Chief.

Also appearing are, from left, Zach Nesbitt, Melissa Hildebrand, Jesse Neustadter and Darlene Bitterman. Performance times are 3 and 7 p.m. at Lampeter-Strasburg High School, 1007 Village Road, Lampeter. Donations will be received for Christ Home, a residential child care facility in Paradise. For more information, call 786-8974..