Socorro Youth Theater Debuts Next Weekend

Mountain Mail reports

Socorro Community Youth Theater debuts with a tall tale at Garcia Opera House, Friday and Saturday, June 18-19.
Socorro Community Theater’s latest play, “Pecos Bill and Slue-Foot Sue Meet the Dirty Dan Gang,” promises to be a belly-full of laughs – delivered by pint-sized actors.
“We are excited to introduce the new Socorro Community Youth Theater,” Karin Fort said. “There are many talented youngsters in Socorro who love performing. Theater is a great creative outlet that develops confidence, discipline and teamwork. It’s also lots of fun.”
The play is an old fashioned melodrama where the good guys (and gals) are larger-than-life “good” and the bad guys are bumbling “bad” and down right dirty. There will be plenty of opportunity for the audience to add their two-cents worth of cheers and jeers. Performances are at 7 p.m., June 18, and 1 p.m., June 19. All seats are just $3, or free for a donation to the Socorro Storehouse.
For the “Dirty Dan Gang Soap Drive,” the Storehouse is looking for bar soap, shampoo, and laundry detergent. A member from the Storehouse will be on hand to accept donations. Non-perishable food items are also welcome.
The play opens in Prairie Dog, a dusty town in the old West, where a line keeps a tentative truce between the good guys and the bad. On the bad side of town is the Rattlesnake Hotel run by local Sheriff Lily Grouch (Ashlea Steele). Holed up in the hotel is the Dirty Dan Gang and the never-grew-up leader Dirty Dan (Joee Perryman), who wants Granny (Katrine Hareland) to give up her home.
The gang – including Fleas (Colin Huber) and Boots (Megan Johnston) – devise all sorts of devious tricks to get the property. But Granny has called for her granddaughter, Slue-Foot Sue (Lorna Green), who gets back-up from Pecos Bill (John Carilli).
Add the half-pint sized School M’arm (Miceta Gallegos), a talking coyote (Maria Carilli), an old timer (Brandon Steele), and various other characters, and you have the makings for a walloping good evening of fun.
Other cast members are: Eva Domschot (Widow Quakenbush), Brianna Chavez (Conchita/Mrs. Goodnew), ) Emmie Domschot (Becky), Samantha Hurtgen (Blue Duck), and school children Julie Hurtgen, Caylah Roath Huber and Emerald Huber.
“I love working with kids,” director Darlene Torres said. “It’s refreshing. They learn their lines quickly and they’re respectful. It’s really turning out neat.”
Torres has appeared in about a dozen plays and musicals and is branching out into directing. “I just felt like it was time for a new crop of actors, to introduce theater to the youth and to generate interest from other Socorro kids for theater in the future,” she said.
SCT is looking for adults interested in helping to develop the Youth Theater. For more information about SCT or Socorro Community Youth Theater, call Karin Fort at 838-0379; or visit socorro.com/sct.

Socorro Youth Theater Debuts Next Weekend