Cue the triumphant adventurer's theme music. Onto the stage strides Indiana -- no wait, it's Illinois Jane, not a hero, but a heroine!
"They are more alike than just a sharing a name with a state," says Hadley Apple, the star of "Illinois Jane and the Pyramids of Peril." Both have action, adventure and humor."
FAQ
‘Illinois Jane
& The Pyramid of Peril’
WHEN — 3 p.m. Saturday & Sunday
WHERE — Arts Center of the Ozarks, 214 S. Main St. in Springdale
COST — $9-$16
INFO — 751-5441
In the Child's Play production on stage Saturday and Sunday at the Arts Center of the Ozarks, the map to a pyramid lost for 3,000 years is discovered, and it is up to Illinois Jane, cartographer extraordinaire, to stop the evil Frenchman Pierre LeMalodeur from reaching the pyramid first and stealing the Elixir of Life, the secret to immortality.
"Like Indiana, Illinois has a father that tends to not give her the credit she deserves, but that all changes in the end," says Danny Hobson, the director. "Also, Illinois Jane has a sidekick, Sid, who is there every step of the way to make sure that Illinois doesn't make any wrong moves. The only problem is that Sid (played by Rylee Loftin) is somewhat of a coward. Finally, just like Indiana Jones, our story has a villain that Illinois, with the help of Sid and her father, must stop in order to save the world from his sinister plans."
"The villains are a bit different," Apple appends. "[At least] I am fighting a French thief, not an entire German army!
"I loved the script, and the idea of a female heroine," adds Apple, a senior at Har-Ber High School who was introduced to drama working with Hobson there. "Especially since I love the witty humor of Indiana Jones."
"I think the slapstick-style comedy is what appeals to me the most about this show," agrees Hobson. "I think the audiences will love the humorous characters," he adds. "It plays like a melodrama at times in that you have a villain that the audience will root against, and the classic good guy -- or in this case, the good girl, Illinois Jane -- that the audience will root for."
Hobson says at the heart of the story is "another classic battle of good versus evil. I want to kids to recognize the importance of standing up for what is right and to see the courage it takes to do so. I also want the girls in the audience to feel empowered when they see how Illinois Jane goes toe to toe with our French villain, Pierre (played by Chad Gurley). She doesn't quit until she knows her family, her friends and the world are safe from Pierre and his henchman."
NAN What's Up on 03/06/2015