Productions let children be the stars

For the past two months, students with the Children's Musical Theatre Ensemble have been memorizing their lines for two upcoming productions at the Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center at the Columbia County Library.

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The first production, Hankerin Hillbillies, is set for Saturday at 3 and 7 p.m.

"Hankerin Hillbillies is about the Hereford and the Guernsey families, who have been feuding over a piece of land for years," said Mickey Lubeck, the director of the ensemble.

Tickets for Hankerin Hillbillies, which is based on the book by Pat Cook, cost $10 for adults and $5 for children.

The ensemble's second production, slated for Nov. 9 at 7 p.m., is Aesop's, Oh So Slightly Updated Fables! and SHOES!, based on The Elves and the Shoemaker.

This production involves young actors portraying the dog and his bone, the fox and the grapes, the lion and the mouse and the maid and her chickens "in a way never before seen," Lubeck said.

"My youngest actors, 5- to 6-year-olds, are performing a lively rendition of Elves and the Shoemaker. If you like to be a part of the show and if you happen to know the theme song from Mission Impossible, this performance is right for you!"

Tickets for the Aesop production cost $5 for all ages. To purchase tickets for either show, call the Children's Musical Theatre Ensemble office at (706) 869-0089.

"All of the Children's Musical Theatre Ensemble productions are suitable for the entire family," Lubeck said. "It's theater by kids, for kids of all ages."