• Article Photo. Ian Stuelke says playing the
    Ian Stuelke says playing the "crippled kid" in "13" taught him about disabilities.
  • Article Photo. Luke Owen, Colin Schlotfeldt, Bentlee Birchansky and Will Hancock rehearse for
    Luke Owen, Colin Schlotfeldt, Bentlee Birchansky and Will Hancock rehearse for "13."
  • Article Photo. The characters of
    The characters of "13' had to learn drama, comedy and action, as in this fight scene.
  Ian Stuelke learned a lot while playing the role of a handicapped boy in "13." He even learned about how to overcome his own physical limitations. "I learned how to sing with athsma," he said.  Ian said he has not had any asthma attacks while rehearsing or performing "13" with the ACT 1 cast this summer, but he has learned how to overcome the limited lung capacity associated with his illness to sing the many parts he has as "Archie" the boy with a spinal disease who must use braces in the musical.  Ian said he learned more about much a person with a disability — he's called the "crippled kid" by other charcters in "13" — can and can't do.  "I had to learn to walk slower," he said. "But I also learned that there are many things a "crippled" person can do." That is just one of many lessons learned about music and life and friendship by Ian and the six other young men who play the seven male characters in "13."  Ian said one of the biggest surprises for him this summer is the number of new friends he has made and the time he enjoys spending with them.  The cast of "13" has spent much time together this summer, while doing the substantial work of producing a Broadway musical. They have also spent much of their free time together, at restaurants or the pool or the house of one of the performers.  "It's common for them to call me at lunch and say, 'We're at the Peony, want to come join us?'" said director Steve Arnold.  Ian said the lessons he learned about singing will help him in high school. He will be a freshman at Center Point-Urbana this year. He enjoys singing, playing the bassoon and has acted in some CPU Middle School plays. Ian's favorite part of "13" is the song "All Hail the Brain."  "I like where it fits in the musical," he said.    The other six boys of "13" also shared their thoughts about what they have learned from the musical.    Colin Schlotfeldt "Well, the musical "13" is a lot like every day life," said Colin Schlotfeldt, who plays Eddie, one of the friends who helps Brett find a way to get the girl he wants, Kendra. "It's cool to be able to show adults what being 13 is like," he said.  Colin said his favorite part of "13" is when the cast returns from standing in the aisle near the end of the show, because it demonstrates the lessons the characters are learning.  And what is the main lesson Colin has learned from "13?" "Keep an open mind," he said.     Luke Owens Luke, a freshman at Vinton-Shellsburg High School, shared his memories of being 13 in his profile in the musical's program. "When I was 13, my life was crazy. I would wake some mornings two inches taller and sometimes a tenor, sometimes a baritone. You never know. The same as being 14: I'm almost a different person every day."  Luke said he's made "a lot of friends" and has grown up a lot this summer as a member of the "13" cast. He said his favorite part is the end of the musical, which shows Evan, Patrice and Archie, the three true friends, together.    Nathaniel Sietz Nathaniel, also a freshman at VSHS, plays Simon in his stage debut. He said being in "13" was a very fun experience that taught him more about music. His favorite part: The line where his character says about a girl, "She's a cow!"   Kevin Schlotfeldt Kevin Schlotfeldt, Colin's younger brother, is entering 7th grade at CPU Middle School. He plays Richie in "13." He shared his 13th birthday with Eamon Foley, the actor who played Richie in the Broadway version of "13." "I learned a lot of musical stuff," said Kevin. "And I learned how a good director can make your performance better." It was a great honor performing in "13," said Kevin. "It was a great experience and I made a lot of new friends," he said.    Will Hancock Will is one of the older cast members of "13." He plays Brett, the class tough guy.  "I have vocally improved," he said. "I have increased my vocal range."'  Will is a sophomore at VSHS, where he plays a drum in the percussion session of the VSHS Marching Band. He has appeared in several ACT 1 productions, including as "Billy Ray" in "On Golden Pond." He was the Earthworm in "James and the Giant Peach" in a VSHS production last year.  Will said his favorite parts of "13" are the funny parts. "I love to hear the audience laugh," he said.  He also loves performing "Hey, Kendra," in which Brett sings of his feelings for the popular cheerleader.  "The audience loves it," he said.  While Will said he learned most of the main lessons of "13" a couple years ago, he said in the "13" program that at that age he outgrew his childhood chubbiness and began to notice girls in a new way.    Bentlee Birchansky Bentlee, who will turn 13 on Labor Day, the day of his own Bar Mitzvah, plays Evan, who in "13" plans for and celebrates his Bar Mitzvah. As the cast of "13" began rehearsing for the musical, Bentlee was finishing up a very different role: He played Wayne Newton in "Follies," singing the song, "Danke Schoen." Bentlee  will enter 7th grade at Franklin Middle School in Cedar Rapids. He has performed in several Theatre Cedar Rapids shows as well as in Iowa City, Anamosa and Winthrop.  The main lesson Bentlee learned from "13," he says, is: "Hard work pays off."  The musical, he said, teaches many lessons about people. His favorite part is the song "Terminal Illness," which is a sad and funny duet Evan and Archie sing about the challenges and benefits of such a condition.