Children's theater to present 2 plays

Two upcoming musicals by the Children's Musical Theatre Ensemble aim to please both children and adults.

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"Little kids get a kick out of it; adults get a kick out of it," said Mickey Lubeck, the director of the ensemble. "I try to make it exciting for everybody."

The first performance is a one-act musical called Flying Colors that addresses the color issue in the town of Splitsville. The "blue" and "green" residents in the town are feuding and each color despises the other's different appearance.

The musical will be held at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, featuring actors from ages 7 to 10.

Lubeck said the production is designed to teach children about racism and to accept differences among people.

"It's great because the kids get the message, and yet it's not so blatant," she said.

The second play, Way Out West in a Dress, is performed by the Teen Ensemble and will be held at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on March 15.

The two-act musical is set in the late 1800s and focuses on a group of actors from New York City who head west in anticipation of inheriting a saloon, but find they actually inherit a hair salon .

Both musicals are designed to be comedies, Lubeck said.

For her youngest students, Lubeck also wrote a short play that will be performed before each main production.

The actors in the main shows started practicing in January, and Lubeck said she expects their hard work to pay off.

In the past, she said, members of the audience usually enjoy themselves.

"We've just gotten a lot of great feedback," she said. "People who just see it and show up are amazed that there are these little 7-, 8-, 9-year-olds up there singing and talking and acting like a real character."

Both productions will be at Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center in the Columbia County Library.

Tickets for each production cost $12 for adults, $6 for students, and are free for children 4 years old and younger. Tickets can be purchased at the door or by calling (706) 869-0089.