THT's Young Company to Attend THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL

The School For Scandal by restoration playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan will be presented at THT August 22ndand 23rd at 7pm by THT's Young Company. This is the second Young Company production of the summer following on the heels of Annie. The comedy will be directed by THT's Education Director Lindsay Pontius and Kendra Gratton.

The Young Company acting ensemble ranges in age from 12 to 25, and all the young actors are learning the style of restoration comedy, including the language of fans and gestures. The company is spending a lot of time developing the vocal capacity to handle deceptively flowery language that is actually chock full of gossip and insults.

"This play is really fun with characters named Lady Sneerwell and Benjamin Backbite," says director Lindsay Pontius. "We are having a ball adapting the restoration style to a more modern approach. It's like Gossip Girl meets I Love Lucy."

Gianna Kiehl, who is in her third year at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) is coaching the cast in restoration acting. Kiehl spent the last year in London mastering the style and has great insight into the form.

"It is very different from plays we have done so far. It is complicated but also funny and witty," says Sophie Pope McCright who is in her 3rd THT Young Company production. Alongside Kiehl and McCright the cast includes: Jack Desbois, Merry Kimble, Theo Wells-Spackman, Jack Wallace, Akhila Khanna, Katie Isham, Anders Bright, Cathy Dyer, Griffin Schneider, Talin Teague, Devyn Pratt and Andrew Trombley.

August 22ndand 23rd at 7pm. Tickets are $10 for adult and $5 for ages 12 and under. Tickets may be purchased at www.townhalltheater.org, 802-382-9222, at the THT box office, or at the door Mon- Sat, noon-5pm or 1hr before show time.