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Published Monday, October 05, 2009 in Education

Photo by Winston Skinner

Mary Girard (Natalie Markham) is taunted by the Furies in “The Insanity of Mary Girard,” the drama in the triad of plays to be presented later this week at East Coweta High School.

ECHS graduate directing 'The Wise Men of Chelm'

By Winston Skinner

The Times-Herald

Stephen Coles was in lots of plays at East Coweta High School before he graduated in 2006.

Now, he is back in the ECHS cafeteria in the afternoons -- running students through their paces as the director of "The Wise Men of Chelm," one of the three one-act plays to be presented as part of the annual Echostage Dinner Theatre.

Echostage, the East Coweta High School drama organization, will hold Dinner Theatre 2009 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Advance tickets are now available for $13, reserved seating, and $11, general seating. The three plays will be presented each evening at 6:30 p.m., and dinner will be served.

"Dinner Theatre consists of three one-act shows with dinner and all-you-care-to-eat desserts," said Kendall Trammell, publicity chair for the project.

"Tickets must be purchased in advance from any Echostage member," said Trammell, who also plays one of the Furies in "The Insanity of Mary Girard."

Dinner theater tickets may also be obtained by contacting Dr. Richard McMichen, Echostage sponsor, or Scott Ondovchik, co-sponsor, at East Coweta High at 770-254-2850.

Trammell said two of the plays -- "Small Actors" and "The Wise Men of Chelm" are comedies. "The Insanity of Mary Girard" is a dark drama based on a true story about a well-to-do woman committed by her husband.

Coles is working for Unalysis, a factoring company, and was quick to accept when McMichen offered him a chance to direct a play. "I've always wanted to," he said.

"Chelm" is "my very first show" as a director, Coles said. He said he has been struck by "how much you have to think about it all the time."

The director has to consider all the factors that go into the play.

Coles actually brought "Chelm," which is based on a Polish folk tale, to McMichen's attention. Coles' wife, Mary Anna, is a theater performance major at Columbus State University. She studied a version of the story and showed it to Coles.

The version being presented for dinner theater is a blending of that play and another version of the tale. "The show is actually a combination of two different plays," Coles noted.

Echostage offers drama students at East Coweta a lot of opportunities. Students are serving as assistant directors for each of the upcoming plays.

Andrea Schumann is the assistant director for "Small Actors," which is being directed by Ondovchik. McMichen's assistant for "The Insanity of Mary Girard" is Devin Johnson, and Kayla Cargle is working with Coles.

Cast members for "Small Actors" are Marilyn Naughton, Benjamin Coles, Sophia Santos, Nic Lyon, Danielle Alexander, Jacob Demlow, Jordan Collis, Rebecca Ispas, Barry Weaver, Alison Dees, Rachelle Gillett, Joel Tharpe and Jake Witty.

In the cast of "The Insanity of Mary Girard" are Natalie Markham, Kendall Trammell, Micaela Siraj, Abby Cowdell, Mark Nations, Brandon Streetman, Gasten Warren, Morgan Chandler, Kevin Upchurch, Daniel Kneuer, Lexx Ashe and Ariana Weaver.

Heather Rose, Kent Craig, Daniel Lees, Benjamin Rabun, Drew Turner, Cassidy Lyon, Iliana Garcia, Rhea Hankinson, Aleecia Williams, Kallie Brook, Antoinette Bowman and Zach Widener will appear in "The Wise Men of Chelm."

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