Review: HOLES at The Belmont Theatre

Opening night of Holes at The Belmont Theatre was an inspiring event. With great energy from so many young actors, many of whom took to the stage for the first time, it reminds audience members of the joy that can be found performing and watching live theater.

Holes, by Louis Sachar, is a beloved family movie based on the award winning young adult novel. Now as a stage play, it is sure to be a popular student and children's theater production. The story of Holes revolves around a young man, Stanley, who has been falsely accused of theft and sent to a camp for troubled youth as his punishment. The story challenges audience goers with themes of honesty and betrayal as well as racism and misogyny while keeping in mind a young adult audience. To Sachar's credit, the novel, the book, and the stage play manage to accomplish this while still being entertaining and funny.

Making this event a success was the talents and enthusiasm of the young actors playing Stanley and his campmates. Lukas Donagher as Stanley, Malakai Wolf as Zero, Daniel Ronald as X-Ray, Keshawn Moore as Armpit, Calvin Jones as Magnet, Jayden Smith as ZigZag, and Moor Rogers as The Toughest Kid all brought the story to life and should be proud of their performance. While these young men led the cast, other young actors filled vital roles. Playing supporting characters well were Ava Luster, Ethan Duick, Safia Middleton, and Tre Weyant.

As a family show, the focus rightly revolves around the children. It is important, however, to recognize supporting adult actors whose performance stood out. Strong performances and sweet moments between Kate Barlow (Lindy Keefe) and Sam (Na'San Jamison) made for some memorable moments. Other strong performances came from Alicia Weyant's Madame Zeroni, Kevin Allen's Sheriff, and Charlie Heller's Mr. Sir.