By Samantha Hall
Children of all ages have enjoyed the popular story ?Holes,? and it is now coming to BYU?s Pardoe Theatre.
?It has such a strong appeal to young audiences,? said Ty Turley, a senior, who plays the part of Mr. Sir. ?Many of my friends have told me, ?Yeah, I?m coming, and I?m bringing my little brother, too. He loves ?Holes.??
Although the book written by Louis Sachar was originally aimed at youngsters ages 10 and up, ?Holes? has appealed to audiences everywhere, especially with the release of the 2003 film.
Students are performing the play starting tonight. Shows will run until June 11 and tickets cost $9, or $6 with student ID.
Director Megan Sanborn Jones, a theater professor, said most audience members will already be familiar with the story of ?Holes,? but the BYU performance will bring something new.
?If you?ve read the book and you?ve seen the movie, you?ll like the play because they?re all a little different, but they still tell the same basic story,? Jones said.
Arisael Rivera, a pre-theater major, who plays the character X-Ray, said the play will interest viewers of all ages.
?What sets ?Holes? apart is that it?s essentially contemporary, and although it is for youth, it has very mature themes in it and deals with them very realistically,? Rivera said.
At the center of these themes is the story of Stanley Yelnats, played by Ryan Dahlquist, a microbiology major, from Blue Springs, Mo.
?I think Stanley is a character that we all can relate to,? Dahlquist said. ?Stanley is unable to find himself because he is too busy blaming his great, great grandfather for his misfortunes and actions. As humans, we often find something or someone else to blame.?
Jones said as Stanley grows throughout the story, audience members can come along for the ride.
?I hope that they [the viewers] will be able to go along with Stanley on his journey and consider their own lives,? she said. ?We?re just very interested in the coming-of-age story of Stanley.?
Performing such a well-known tale has its benefits as well as its difficulties, said several of the cast members.
?Everyone already loves the book and the movie, so there is an added excitement and love that comes into the show from the start,? said Elizabeth Moss, a graduate student and member of the production staff.
Turley said, however, that the audience may evaluate the show based on what they have seen on a movie screen or read in the novel?s pages.
?This will probably be a challenge when audience members compare us to the book and the movie,? he said.
Despite this comparison, seeing the story told on the stage should fascinate the viewers, Jones said.
?I hope that they [audience members] enjoy the magic of theater,? she said. ?I?m really hoping that they come and they think, ?How marvelous to see this in yet a different venue and an exciting venue.? [I hope they] develop a love for the theater simply by seeing this beloved story told in a theatrical way.?
