Alec Smith - Artie Choke (Villainous Rustler)
Alec has performed for City Rep, The Academy of Performing Arts, Kearns High School, Castle of Chaos, Draper Historic Theater, Western Hills Stake, and now the Bountiful Stone Creek Stake. His mother, Mary Ellen Smith, thought her sons should grow up in the theater so they could have an appreciation for the arts and open their eyes to more than just video games and sports.
Alec grew up watching TV shows such as: Thundercats, Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and He-Man. After a while Alec found he had more respect for Shredder, Skeletor, and Megatron than the heroes the shows were designed to promote. He could respect the villains' accepance of their weirdness and their courage to plot and scheme (think "outside the box") to bring their dreams to reality. So they lose in the end, but ya know what? The villians had professional story writers against them, so there.
As Alec got older his theatrical roles shifted from heroes and supporting actors to match his growing respect for villains. He used to be cast as the Tin Man (Wizard of Oz), Redleaf- the cowardly autumnal season child (Rapunzel), and even as Aslan (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe). In more recent years he has performed as Prince John (Robin Hood), Sher Kahn (Jungle Book), and Captain Hook (Peter Pan).
The measure of a hero is determined not only by his integrity, but by the size of his task to perform. The measure of a villain is determined by his ingenuity and the threat he poses. To quote the movie Legend, "What is light without dark? We are brothers: eternal."
Come on out, ya'll, and boo the Stone Creek Stake's resident villain. After all, what would you expect when facing Artie Choke, villain extraordinaire?
Clint was born on the great mountain slopes of Kilimanjaro in 1979 and moved deep into the jungles of the Congo to hide his hideous appearance from the world around him. After only two weeks his parents were forced to leave him in the hands of apes for they could no longer bear the sight or smell. A short time later he was abandoned by the apes for reasons they would not disclose. (Rumors suggest it had something to do with a banana and a coconut but we'll never be certain.)
Now on his own he worked his way on board a fishing vessel but was shortly dumped overboard when his smell overpowered even the fish. For days he floated aimlessly in the water until he knew he must soon face death. By this time all manner of sea creatures had grown acclimate to him and he was able to rope himself a couple of sea turtles and lash them together making himself a raft. He made his way to a small deserted island where he found the remains of a plane crash and became friends with a ball named Wilson. Were it not for this companionship Clint would never have found the courage to attempt life in the civilized world.
He said goodbye to his only friend, clicked his heals three times and found himself standing on top of the Empire State Building with planes circling over head. Gun fire raged as he swung wildly at his attackers. It was in vain and he soon was falling to his assured death when he reached 88 mph and the flux capacitor engaged and he was transported through time and space to the small town of Bountiful.
Unable to say no to him the Mormons were willing to take him in despite his horrid appearance and smell. In fact it was here that they created a world perfect for him and gave him the name 'Barry Smelly'. Somehow others living in this world have learned to tolerate both his appearance and unbearable stench.
They are showing this strange world to an audience not once but four times at the end of April. Please come prepared for what you will see and smell. He does not react well to being laughed at.
Katie and Ryan are happy to be staring in the Veggie Villian! They have enjoyed preparing for this play while on the side getting engaged, getting married and going on a ten day honeymoon! This is a first and probably the last melodrama that you will see them in....so we hope you enjoy! Thanks to the entire cast and directors for putting up with our lack of acting abilities. We love you all!
I have been involved in the theater since high school and drama most of my life, being a girl and all. I love to do it all, acting, singing, costuming and directing. All these skills come in handy each day as I teach 6th grade and “act” like the day is going just as I expected it to.
It has been fun and worrisome to be in a play again. Aunt Ida is just such a stretch for me, as I am so shy, quiet and reserved in my day to day life. It has been so much fun working with and getting to know the cast and crew. I really do appreciate their help and friendship.
This will be Amber’s third time to grace the open stage with her acting skills. As a child she was a crow, an Ozian, and a Poppy in The Wizard of Oz, and later (much later) in life, a suspected ex-boyfriend killer in her wards Murder Mystery. No, she isn’t a stranger to theater, though her high school drama teacher would say otherwise. When the role for Villainess (Hussy) came up, there was no one better suited to fit the part. Her bishop instantly called her up and the legendary Miss Lily Livered was born. Her furious (and frequent) bouts of blushing aside, she’s taken to the part like an elephant to a big rubber ball.
When not trying to break-up the Hero’s love life, she resides inside the Bountiful 12th wards boundaries, with her loving husband Grant, two awesome puppies, and a cat.
Holly was bamboozled into being in this melodrama by a combination of guilt and miscommunication, but is truly grateful because it has been such a fun production.
She has a brief theater career which includes mostly singing and dancing in the chorus. This is the first play where she has ever had real lines to memorize or recite. She attributes her big mouth and overabundance of enthusiasm to landing her the highly coveted roll of Val Veeta--town gossip extraordinaire. She has also had the privilege of driving the cattle each week (in her minivan). She would like to publicly thank Tammy and all the cast and crew for their tireless work, and her patient and supportive husband, Pat, and her five fantastic kids for putting up with her rehearsal schedule and endless reciting of lines. She especially wants Josh to know that she knows that dirt is yucky and wont eat it.
The opportunity to reprise her role as town gossip Liz Onnia is more than Andrea ever anticipated. A graduate student in her last semester at BYU's Marriott School of Management, she isn't sure whether what the year's greatest accomplishment will be: finishing her Master's of Public Administration degree or The Veggie Villain. Regardless, she looks forward to having time to read, camp, and hang out with the family when it's all over. A huge thank you to her parents, who keep her going and support her 100% in whatever she does, and sincerest apologies to her cat, Reina, who despises getting up early on Saturday mornings almost as much as she does. "We'll sleep in soon, pretty kitty!"
I was the Wall in "Midsummers Night Dream"
I showed up to tryouts with my husband, and they asked me to read lines with him, and then when asked if I was willing to be in the play if needed, my husband answered yes, so here I am.
It seems that Monica de Ruyter has always been involved in the performing arts. She started dancing, at age 3 at the neighborhood dance school in Northern California. She remembers having lots of fun and enjoying her many dance classes very much. She remembers one summer day when she was 6 she didn’t want to be late to class and wait for her mom to finish what she was doing that she rode her bike 1 ½ miles to the studio. Monica started singing and acting in local theaters in Elementary school, which continued through High School. She remembers being involved in a kids summer arts program in Danville California where she was featured in the town’s newspaper; she still has the script from that performance. She has also been involved in church dance festivals, Oakland Temple Pageant and many stake musical and play productions.
Her performing career was dormant for a while until she moved to Huntington Beach California and participated in their stake play/musicals and especially the 4th of July shows for 6 years.
Monica is excited to dust off her acting skills once again and especially the opportunity to be involved with the stake melodrama. Monica would like to thank her employer for the ability to be flexible with her work schedule, her parents for taking care of Spencer every Tuesday night until practice was over and her family and friends for taking time to travel to see her perform again. But most of all a BIG thank you goes out to Wendy Davis for her excellent sewing skills in making her costume; I couldn’t have done it without you.
Dodi volunteered to help out in the Melodrama but on an ‘as needed’ basis. Well, it turns out that they needed her, so here she is! Dodi has limited acting experience. However, she did have a small role in a musical in high school. Dodi is used to a different kind of a stage – singing – which she is extremely passionate about. Dodi stays busy trying to juggle raising her three sons, staying active in sports, and fulfilling her church callings. Her family has been supportive through all the play preparation, but will be grateful when this is over (especially her boys, who will be very happy when they don't have to go to practice every Tuesday night!). Through it all, Dodi has really enjoyed being in the melodrama, especially getting to know the other cast members.
Bill grew up in Salt Lake City in a family of 11 and went to Granite High School. After high school, he served a mission in Scotland, came home and after serving in the Navy, went 2000 miles to find himself a wife...He and Penny have 8 children, but raised 9. At the beginning of last year they had 8 grandchildren, but by the end of the year they had 15. Bill started doing plays during the old Road Show days when he was 12 and was happy to continue to act in them as an adult when he and his family moved to the West Bountiful 7th Ward. Although he loves doing it, he has a terrible memory for remembering lines and cues, but he still loves having his BE-hind on stage. He is a carpenter by trade and still has most of his fingers.
I have been into the theatre stuff for awhile, but this is the first time that I don't have to sing. It's weird not being able to go on stage and to burst into song. I would like to thank my mom and dad for all their support and also all of my past theatre teachers.
I am so excited to be in this Melodrama! It is great to play such a fun character part! I have been in theatre for a long time. It is always so exciting to be involved on or off the stage.
Jennifer Ann Sorensen was an angel in RMT's "The Best Christmas Pagaent Ever!", and was a pioneer girl in "Deseret Destiny". She was shot with an arrow in "Robin Hood's Merry Men" @ Bountiful Junior High, and died twice on stage. Jennifer loves children, and loves to sing. She volunteers at Lakeview Hospital each week, and has done so for the past three years. Jennifer says: "I would like to thank the Academy for the opportunity to play Cow #1. It is the role of a lifetime! I learned to speak another language!"
This is Jeremy's first theater experience. He begged his mom to bring him to rehearsals when he heard that one of the "cows" was moving and they were in need of a replacement. Jeremy has always been a big fan of cows and was delighted to have the chance to play one. He is a sixth-grader at Meadowbrook Elementary where he enjoys lunch and recess and tolerates the rest of the day. In addition to cows he is interested in legos and X-box. He wants to say thanks to Tammy for letting him join the show and that he has had a great time.
I started learning piano at age 6 and along the studies path took piano from Beverly Decker Adams at McCune School of Music and Art in Salt Lake City, Utah for 2 ½ years. I have played piano and organ solo, accompanied LDS church congregations and choirs and taught and accompanied by piano and organs in 3 mission fields for congregations and missionaries. I delight playing piano background for the Bountiful Stonecreek Stake Melodrama and also did so in her West Bountiful 1st Ward 3 years ago in the same melodrama.
