Creativity abounds

Gorgeous mural adorns boy’s bedroom

KENOZA LAKE, NY — Just how much does youthful talent abide in our midst?

More than you can possibly imagine. During the past week this reporter took a whirlwind tour around the county to document some of our area youths’ resplendent artistic and thespian endeavors. After years of producing “Amphibian” and “Teen Amphibian,” the arts journals for kids and teens, this youth editor can attest to the fact that fine local student artwork has never been in short supply.

One of the area’s most impressive works to date was recently rendered by a young area artist. Rob Kautz, a 2003 graduate of Sullivan West High School, painted a striking panoramic Jurassic era mural on the walls of seven-year-old Adam Luckey’s bedroom. The colors and details are stunning. It took Kautz more than two and a half weeks to complete the mural for Adam, who is a lover of dinosaurs and a self-described “bug expert.”

Kautz, who is finishing up a two-year study at Pratt Intstitute’s Utica Campus, worked from small pictures he found on the Internet and methodically painted the brilliantly colored scenes in large scale on the walls of Adam’s bedroom.

Kautz began studying watercolors with Jack Yelle of Roscoe at age 11. He plans to continue his studies in art and photography in the fall at either the Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, FL or at Pratt’s Brooklyn campus.

Eldred’s Once Upon a Mattress’ was no sleeper

ELDRED, NY — It’s that time of year when high school productions fill the calendar, and Eldred’s production of “Once Upon aMattress” was a visual delight. Regaled in gorgeous medieval costumes, the large cast of dancing, singing and cavorting inhabitants of the little kingdom ruled by the severely demanding Queen Aggravain, played by Courtney Girdwood, have been waiting for the day when some princess can pass the Queen’s demanding tests and marry her son Prince Dauntless the Drab. Joshua Poston delightfully portrayed that role.

By Queen Aggravain’s decree, no one in the kingdom can marry until Dauntless is wed, thereby driving the urgency of the matter into the minds of the prince and the other castle inhabitants.

Starring Tara Contrera as the unusual Princess Winnifred, the play, which is a musical version of “The Princess and the Pea,” works its way to its romantic conclusion with the help of the jester (Jamie-Lee Schombs), King Sextimus the Silent (Kyle Bosch), Sir Harry (Kyle Steimle), and Lady Larken (Sara Doran). Directed by Tara Krawcyk, the play features the music of Mary Rodgers and lyrics by Marshall Bare. It drew enthusiastic audiences to Eldred on March 18 to 19.

Tri-Valley’s ‘Good News’ portrays campus antics back in the day

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY — Enlivened with such familiar tunes as “Varsity Drag,” “Button Up Your Overcoat,” “Lucky in Love” and “The Best Things in Life Are Free,” the Tri-Valley production of “Good News” was a high school musical extraordinaire.

Starring Owen Williams as campus heartthrob football star Tom Marlowe, Marissa Hitt as the tutor who saves his eligibility for the big game and becomes the love of his life, and Rachael Pompeii as the vivacious “Babe” who flirts her way through the play and ends up with Bobby Randall (Jeremy Mathsen), the production seamlessly flew through complex staging, dancing choreographed by Janna Worden, music led by Matt Weyant and fine acting under the direction of Regina Hartman.

Cast in late December, the play recently involved students in lengthy rehearsals that went on into the night, but as the production took shape, it was clear that it was all worth it. Fine roles were turned in by Devin Kaminsky, who played coach Johnson, and Johnson’s former flame-turned-newfound-love Professor Kenyon, played by Patty Bertholf. Alan Coombe, as Beef, lent solidity to the fine cast of “Good News,” which packed the house on March 18 and 19.