Sibling rivalry takes center stage at the Norvell Theater next Thursday
Published 12:00 am Thursday, March 23, 2017
- Fares Khatib, left, fights with Aaliyah Cain over a present in front of Clinton Efird. KRISTI CRAVEN/ SALISBURY POST
By Josh Wainright, PPT
Peter is the oldest son of the Hatcher family, and he’s fed up with his younger brother getting all the attention and getting away with everything. Grown-ups think Fudge is absolutely adorable, but Peter and his pet turtle, Dribble, know the truth. Fudge is actually a tiny terror in disguise; causing mischief everywhere he goes and making Peter feel like a fourth grade nothing.
Whether throwing temper tantrums, smearing restaurant walls with mashed potatoes, throwing popcorn at people when they go to the movies, or otherwise making Peter’s life miserable; one catastrophe follows another as Fudge turns the house upside down with his antics.
Based on the popular title by perennial favorite Judy Blume, Piedmont Players Theatre’s first full-length youth production of the season, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, is a humorous look at family life and the troubles that can only be caused by a younger sibling.
Published in 1972, Blume came up with the idea for this story after reading a newspaper account of a young boy eating a pet turtle. Fudge proved to be such a popular character, Blume continued with 4 more books in the series about the irrepressible trouble maker.
Adults as well as children will recognize other Blume titles including; Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret; Blubber; and Just as Long as We’re Together. She has also written four novels for adults, Summer Sisters; Smart Women; Wifey and In the Unlikely Event, all of them New York Times bestsellers. More than 85 million copies of her books have been sold, and her work has been translated into thirty-two languages. Among Blume’s many awards is the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement.
In a national survey published in USA Today, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing came in fourth place as students’ favorite book.
PPT’s production of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing opens at the Norvell Theater next Thursday. For tickets call 704-633-5471 or purchase at PiedmontPlayers.com. Show Dates: March 30-April 1 and April 6-8 at 7:30 p.m., April 1, 2 and 8 at 2:30 p.m. Adults $14, seniors/students $12. Producing Partners: Owen and Elizabeth Norvell.
MEET THE CAST
PETER Clinton Efird
FUDGE Cooper Thomason
MOM Emma Patterson
DAD Michael Bass
JENNIE & MURRAY Aaliyah Cain
VINCENT Cooper Fleeman
CAMERAMAN Drew Bitzer
JIMMY Eli Thomason
AMBULANCE DRIVER 1 Emery Franz
RALPH Fares Khatib
AMBULANCE DRIVER 2 Grace Bemus
DENBERG Griffin Evans
BERMAN Hannah Carr
CONE Hayes Hartpence
JANET Jillian Rippey
SHEILA Jordan Dry
YARBY Jude Smeltzer
MRS. YARBY and 1ST MOTHER Laura Bullock
NURSE and 2ND MOTHER Lucero Mercado
DR. BROWN Macy Abramson
SAM Sophie Carter