1999 

The Spell of Sleeping Beauty

an Interview with Dianne Giannakeff by Alan North

"I love the classics," Youtheatre's Assistant Managing Director Dianne Giannakeff says with elan, "which Youtheatre does pretty much exclusively. Sleeping Beauty is one of those stories that everyone knows and loves -- and this is every delightful version of it.

"We had a hundred and twenty-seven kids at auditions and the most boys that we've ever had at auditions," Giannakeff continues with a smile. "There were a number of boys who had been in other Youtheatre shows and some new kids too. We're always hopeful that it's a good experience for the kids and that they will come back."

What does Dianne look for at auditions? "Readings that are exceptional and energetic are the qualities that both Harvey [Cocks, Youtheatre's Managing Director] and I look for. We look for that spark and that energy because then we feel that that's half of it right there."

About half the cast in this production are new faces to Youtheatre, with enough veteran actors and actresses to keep an even balance and insure some favorites for the Youtheatre audience to appreciate again. "We want to involve as many kids as possible," Giannakeff says. "That's what Youtheatre is all about."

Included in the cast of THE SPELL OF SLEEPING BEAUTY are Ashley Anne Caveda, James Caveda, Michael Coffee, Lydia Dahling, Ann Detweiler, Cristina Diaz, Melissa Dowry, Brittany Funk, Andrew Helmkamp, Emily Hoham, Katie Hollenberg, Kaila Jarmain, Johnell Kelly, Cassandra Lin, Nick Long, David Love, Hannah Manges, Nikki Perry, Charita Roque, Nicole Schram, Nikki Taylor, and Amie Wagner.

Backstage the production will cast its magic on fairy tale lovers though the efforts of set designer Richard Schory, costume designer Becky Mahuren, and stage manager Becky Hollenberg, as well as the small army of Youtheatre volunteers who share their skills and talents so that children's theatre in the Fort Wayne area can be one of the artistic attractions that community boosters point to with pride.

"The challenge is that we have kids involved in so many things that a lot of times when they come down and audition they forget about conflicts," says Giannakeff. "We have three girls who are graduating on dress rehearsal night. It's a real frustration, but I know that kids don't think that far ahead, and I'm dealing with that."

Rest assured that every cast member from the Spider to the Prince will be onstage at Trinity English Lutheran Church on Friday, June 11th for opening night when THE SPELL OF SLEEPING BEAUTY rises from the mist of folklore to weave its enchantment on the public. According to Giannakeff, "I tell the kids when we get ready to start rehearsal, 'We can still have fun, but you're here to work.' That's one thing I try to drill in really hard. I want them to have fun, but they are going to work really hard with me."

Giannakeff feels fortunate in the creative freedom she's been given in the past, both at Concordia High School and at Trinity English Lutheran Church. This freedom has continued at the Fort Wayne Youtheatre. "Harvey and I are planning ahead," she says. "I have directed Shakespeare's morality plays, Christian musicals, and musical comedies, and I've had really good experiences as a director with the different things I've done. I've not been just locked into what a board dictates." Indeed, over the past nearly thirty years, Giannakeff has directed a wizard's variety of productions, including ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, OUR TOWN, HARVEY, CURIOUS SAVAGE, SOUTH PACIFIC, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER, and THE TAMING OF THE SHREW just to name a few.

The Dianne Giannakeff "director's favorite" award goes to OUR TOWN. " I did it at Trinity Church with a cast that was ninety per cent congregation members," she says. "We had standing room only for all three performances, and I think it showed to the rest of the congregation the amount of talent in the church. And it was wonderful to work with that script. We had gotten a new lighting system in the Church, and we got some very nice special effects with the lighting. It was just a wonderful experience."

When asked what the audience should look for in THE SPELL OF SLEEPING BEAUTY, Giannakeff replies with the energy she attributes to those who are cast at her auditions. "I want it be very fast-paced, and I think when they see it they'll find a lot of fast-paced, energy-packed action. It has a lot of humor and special effects. I think it's going to be the kind of thing that's going to pull an audience right into the moment. Pacing has always been a real thing for me as a director, I'm very, very tuned to that and when something doesn't feel right to me as I'm sitting there watching it, I've usually found that it's because of pacing. This is a very high-energy show!"