Students learn acting while preparing for 'My Son Pinocchio Jr.' this weekend and next

Not long after Pinocchio came to life as a real boy, Geppetto has doubts and is ready to give his son back to the Blue Fairy.

The toymaker learns, though, that he cannot undo having a child, and that parenthood is not always easy, according to Doug Wertz, director of the Mansfield Playhouse.

The venue at 95 E. 3rd St. is featuring performances of Disney’s "My Son Pinocchio Jr." this weekend and next.

"We're focused on the relationship between Geppetto and Pinocchio and some of the parental lessons that Geppetto learns," Wertz said. "We take our kids for granted sometimes and we think that they should know everything that we know, and Geppetto has fallen into that rabbit hole as well."

Showtimes for the musical are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, then again June 23 and 24. A matinee will begin at 2:30 p.m. June 25.

Doors open an hour before curtains. Each show last about 90 minutes, including a short intermission.

Adult tickets are $10 and students are $5.

'We go through the very basics'

The junior performance is cast by 39 actors and actresses ages 5 to 18.

"They come from different schools: Ashland, Shelby, Madison, Mansfield, the charter schools and home schools," Wertz said. "So many strangers, and by the end, they become a great ensemble family. It's just a whole life-changing experience for them."

While most of the cast are veterans, many are newcomers to theater. The director said that turns the Playhouse's junior productions into miniature acting schools as well as a productions.

"We go through the very basics all the way up," Wertz said.

The children learn stage production and even have to crew many of their own sets.

"They're moving the set pieces and understanding and respecting what it takes to move things backstage and how to be responsible to do it," Wertz said.

'It goes from one scene to the next pretty quick'

The musical features several Disney classic songs, including "I Got No Strings" and "When You Wish Upon A Star."

"There's some wonderful music," Wertz said.

Since the show is a junior production, there isn't a lot of dialogue or extra backstory.

"It's really pretty concise. It goes from one scene to the next pretty quick," Wertz said. "It's really meant, of course, for the younger audience."

'I'm enjoying it a lot'

Two of the show's main characters are played by Mansfield residents who have very different levels of experience.

Geppetto is portrayed by Liam Paxton, 18, and the Blue Fairy by Maddie Shafley, 12.

The musical is Paxton's seventh production and Shafley's first.

"I'm enjoying it a lot," Paxton said. "It's a younger cast ... but that gives me hope because, especially since COVID, trying to get people to do shows can be tough."

The lead has doubled as a mentor for the younger cast members the past several weeks. He's taught them about stage etiquette and how to listen.

"Musically I try to help them a little bit because it's harder for little kids to understand sometimes what our director might say," Paxton said. "He's a trained musician and little kids don't understand that necessarily, so I just try to help them with that and just try to keep them on their best behavior."

'She's a sassy fairy'

Shafley remembers from a very young age watching productions throughout Cleveland and Mansfield.

"I was like, 'You know, I want to do that, I want to do that when I'm older,'" the 12-year-old said.

When she saw auditions open for "My Son Pinocchio Jr.," she knew the time had arrived. So far, it's been a lot of fun.

"I like working with other people and like meeting new people," Shafley said. "I also like dancing and singing a lot. But, during the show, I'm probably going to be really nervous."

Being the lead fairy has been another adventure that the young actress has enjoyed.

"She's a sassy fairy," Shafley said. "Helping Pinocchio along the way, she learns a lesson that not everything goes your way."

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Twitter: @zachtuggle

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Mansfield Playhouse to present 'My Son Pinocchio Jr.'