Baby dragons and Puffs: Chalkboard, the Mischief and Magic edition
LAUNCH builds baby dragons
STAUNTON — What do baby dragons have to do with international space travel? More than you might think, at least for students at the LAUNCH Post-High program housed at Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation Center in Fishersville.
Knowing that Staunton hosts the Queen City Mischief and Magic Festival, LAUNCH teachers Katie Ditchen and Jenna Anderton thought it might be fun for students to be involved in a community project. They decided to build a baby dragon who would take residence inside the Triwizard Tournament Maze designed by volunteer Denise Moclair and hosted at the Arcadia Project.
The students had to decide on a design, build the armature, and make multiple coats of plaster before priming and painting. These activities, that develop their interpersonal and environmental skills, are two of the program’s focus areas.
“The LAUNCH Program is centered around a space theme,” said Ditchen, “and the students finished the dragon just in time to celebrate the latest SpaceX Crew Dragon mission to the International Space Station.”
The students named her ‘Spectra’ because they were learning about the James Webb space telescope analyzing spectra.
The Arcadia Project is thrilled to add the creature to its growing menagerie of magical beasts to be found within the maze. The baby dragon will be joined by blast-ended skrewts (a baby and a mama), a hippogriff, a dementor, a thestral, multiple acromantulas and bowtruckles, and an owl.
“We are so pleased to involve these students in this community project,” said Arcadia Project Executive Director Pamela Mason Wagner. “The proceeds from the maze will benefit the renovations at the historic movie theater located at 125 E. Beverley.”
To visit the maze and meet the baby dragon, tickets may be purchased for $5.00 in front of the historic theater on Friday, Sept. 22, from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday, Sept. 24, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The students, aged 18-21, built the dragon in the LAUNCH vocational lab, a space that is set up as different business environments.
“These young adults are working on independent living skills and community engagement by doing meaningful service projects," Ditchen said. "The students were proud and excited to contribute to the Arcadia Project since it will be such a wonderful and inclusive community center for the whole area.”
The Arcadia Project received a $1.5M grant from the Industrial Revitalization Fund in early August.
Many of the students who worked on the dragon plan to visit her in the maze this weekend. Their program is for students with disabilities who graduate from high school but still need additional support to build skills and confidence as they prepare for adulthood.
It is a joint venture of Staunton, Augusta, and Waynesboro school divisions, run by the Shenandoah Valley Regional Program.
Silver Line presents "Puffs" during Queen City Mischief and Magic
STAUNTON — Silver Line Theatre Exchange (SLTE) presents "Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic" by Matt Cox, opening Friday, Sept. 22, at Silver Line Theatre Exchange on 211 N. Lewis Street in Staunton.
This fast-paced and irreverent retelling of the Harry Potter franchise from the perpective of the underdogs, the “(Huffle)Puffs,” was SLTE’s first show in their warehouse blackbox space last year, and they’ve brought it back this year due to popular demand.
“You won’t see a crowd who enjoys a show more than this one,” says SLTE Artistic Director Jeremy West. “It’s a dream audience — everyone is all in and ready to have a magical time.”
The play takes audiences on a breakneck journey through seven years at a certain school of Magic and Magic, complete with parodies of everyone’s favorite potions teacher to the famous trio of friends played by an actor carrying a couple of mops. Though irreverent and hilarious, the play also highlights the theme of belonging, resulting in a show that’s satisfying on all levels.
This is SLTE’s second pre-professional production. These productions showcase talent from local college students who aim to make a career in the performing arts. Many students in this year’s cast are from Mary Baldwin’s graduate studies program in Shakespeare and Performance.
“It’s important to have an acting resume that isn’t just university shows," West said. "It shows casting agents and companies that you’re serious."
This production, and others like it, are SLTE’s effort to provide that resume line to talented local students. Like all SLTE productions, professional theatrical standards are met, like employing intimacy directors, and following equity rules to ensure a safe work environment.
Performances are on Friday, Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 23 at noon and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Sept. 24 at noon at the Warehouse; 211 N. Lewis St., Staunton.
For tickets and more information, visit silverlinetheatre.org/shows.
Silver Line Theatre Exchange is an education-led theatre company offering classes and performance opportunities for students in grades PK-12 and adults, and a professional producing body that connects regional professional actors and aspiring artists to performance and teaching work.
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— Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Baby dragons and Puffs: Chalkboard, the Mischief and Magic edition
