Entertainment : Teens audition for ACT 1's '13'

By Anthony Bopp On Saturday, over 15 area teens appeared for auditions for the 13-member cast of ACT I of Benton County's production of '13' to be staged at the Vinton-Shellsburg High School Auditorium in August for 6 performances. Another day of rehearsals took place Sunday, April 25, withanother dozen auditioning. 13 is a fast-paced, edgy look at being thirteen years old, as seen through the eyes of Evan Goldman, a Jewish boy from New York City who must move to Indiana with his mother following his parents’ divorce. The story is funny and bittersweet, told with a dynamite rock and roll score featuring over twenty musical numbers. Steve Arnold is directing the play, and Jesse Bunge is the musical director. Arnold promised the hopefuls that although he knew most of them had performed before in school plays or concerts, this would be a completely different experience. He said it would require a lot of intensive work on everyone's part. "It's going to be the kind of experience that, when we're done, we're all going to be crying together over what we've accomplished," he promised. "And I will be the first one to start crying, I'm sure." Arnold said he wants to incorporate young people into as many areas of the production as possible, which is one of the reasons he is excited about Bunge agreeing to serve as Music Director. There are plans for young people to be involved in designing and teaching the choreography and to serve as members of the pit band where keyboards, guitar and drums will be needed. Among the many other challenges presented to the young cast will be a total of five on-stage kisses, including one that is particularly challenging. Without going into spoiler details, when Arnold described the setup, there was much giggling among the hopeful young actors. ACT I of Benton County is a non-profit community theatre that offers up to seven shows each season, including two theatre camps for young performers, in the northern and southern areas of the county. '13' is a cast of all teens, but it is a main stage production.