"Humms and Poems of Pooh" was first done by a little acting company
in Kansas City. It was written by a close friend of Susan Selvey's (the director of the play), Judith Yeckel.
Judith came down from Oregon to write a play for the Arts Center in 1994.
They had a contest in the area grade schools where they had to make up stories
about different things, like, "why do mosquitoes buzz in peoples' ears?" and
"why do coyotes have yellow eyes?" Then they took the best stories and combined
them in a modern time, virtual reality type of children's play. It was very
humoristic and yet educational, as it shows you how a child's mind thinks--very
wildly! :)The show was called "Why Do's, What If's and How Come's?"
Susan Selvey, the executive director (the artistic director
at that time) of the West Nebraska Arts Center, adapted the play and directed
it in the Foothills Theater. Susan was one of the members of the acting
company that first wrote and performed it. In the production that I was in,
there were four characters: Andy, Courtney, Bobbi and David. Andy was portrayed
by Rick Silverman of New York (Denver, Colorado at the time), Courtney by
Nadine Griffiths of Chicago, Illinois, Bobbi by Melissa Saito of Scottsbluff,
Nebraska (THAT'S ME!!!), and David by Dustin Jacobsen of Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
The Plot and Setting
The play starts when the four children (ages 12-14) find their way into an old
dusty theater. Costumes and props lay discarded around the room. They explore
around and find themselves wrapped up in an adventure of "Pooh!" Donning
costumes and different "Pooh" characters, they act out several of the old
stories about Pooh and his friends. Mainly, the play is designed to entertain
children in a good, wholesome way, and show kids how to cooperate and work together
as friends. We had a lot of fun, and the best part was during one of the shows,
when Andy and Courtney are bouncing a rubber kickball back and forth while Bobbi
is reciting a poem, and David is acting it out. I think the ball got a little
carried away (literally) and bounced right off the stage! And the best line was
from Courtney, "And there it goes!!!"
