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<< Previous   of   Next >> Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Kaley Trapp (in gray) makes sure that director Jennifer Owen of the Missoula Children's Theater can hear her as the group sings during tryouts for "Hansel & Gretel" in late September at Cedarcrest Middle School.   ADVERTISEMENT     CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 Aspiring young actress shows what she can do By Kaitlin Manry, Herald Writer Kaley Trapp throws open the gym door, trying to look confident. She's been imagining this day for weeks -- years, really -- since her debut as an archeologist in a first-grade play. Now a seventh-grader at Cedarcrest Middle School, she feels destined to be Gretel. The audition begins. "Just because you audition doesn't mean you'll be cast," play leader Jennifer Owen says. "We only have a couple of leads in the show and there's a lot of you here." Kaley sits silently, smiling, hands fidgeting. Like the 55 other aspiring actors, she has two hours to stand out and be cast in "Hansel & Gretel." Her plan: be expressive, smile big, speak loud. But she's nervous; has been all day. Before school, she raced around with her puppy, Koda, to burn energy. She dressed in a stylish gray Mickey Mouse T-shirt and jeans to look fun. Now she has to act. She joins a line of kids, one at a time auditioning for Owen. "I'm Kaley and I'm 12," she shouts, kicking her legs up. Again: "Hi, y'all. Whad up? I'm Kaley and I'm 12 years old." Owen moves a few kids to the front. Kaley stays behind. An hour later, she sings "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." She swings her arms and shakes her hips. She moves up. "Everybody's so good," Owen says. "You're making my job so hard." Kaley plays a memory game, reciting a long grocery list. She remembers everything. "She's good," Owen whispers to a colleague. Decisions are being made. Auditions are over. Now announcements. Kaley sits cross-legged, clapping as her classmates are cast as nasties, campers and Wallybirds. The only roles left are Hansel, Gretel and the witch and her cadre of cooks. Kaley is called. Minutes later, the actress phones her dad. "I got cook!" Young actors Students at Cedarcrest Middle School in Marysville auditioned for "Hansel & Gretel" after class on Sept. 30. Four days later, they performed in the school Commons. The event was organized by The Missoula Children's Theatre, a traveling group that organizes plays at schools. About this essay This is part of an occasional series of 300-word essays about school life. If you have a suggestion for the series, contact reporter Kaitlin Manry at 425-339-3292 or kmanry@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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