Annandale High School will be performing "The Witches," an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic book of the same name.
There are only three performances: Friday, Nov. 21, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 22, at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
It is a story of a boy and his Norwegian grandmother who defeat the Grand High Witch in a world where child-hating evil witches secretly exist.
The Grand High Witch is notorious for turning children into mice and other creatures so that unsuspecting adults kill them.
"Dahl is one of the first writers to write about underdog children versus ‘icky’ adults," said director Amy Sparks. "It is said that Dahl’s books were an inspiration for J.K. Rollins, author of the Harry Potter series."
Dahl is considered a very good storyteller. Some of Dahl’s other books include "James and the Giant Peach," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "Matilda."
"The Witches" has been a book, a play, a 1990 movie and an opera.
According to the American Library Association, "The Witches" is 22nd on the list of challenged books (1990-99) in libraries. It was banned in some libraries because it could be perceived to promote the hatred, dislike, or mistrust of women. Some said the book was sexist and would help boys to become men who hate women.
Samantha Stumpfl, daughter of Stacy and Chris and an Annandale High School junior, plays the Grand High Witch, the villain of the play. Stumpfl hopes to attend Moorhead State University and study film and screenplay writing.
"It has been really fun getting into my character," Stumpfl said. "My goal is to rid the world of children."
Vincent Rossberg, son of Shannon and Eric, is a senior and portrays a parent of one of the boys that gets turned into a mouse. Rossberg also designed the poster for the production.
"Theater is a great experience for any student," Rossberg said. "I have learned a lot from Mrs. Sparks. She is all about knowing the story."
Nicole Kotila is the daughter of Tami and Peter and is a senior. Many will remember Kotila from her role as Dorothy in last year’s AHS production of "The Wizard of Oz."
"I play the Norwegian grandmother of one of the boys that gets turned into a mouse," Kotila said. "I lead the boy on his adventures."
Kotila plans on attending Gustavus or Concordia-Moorhead and majoring in music and music education. She is a talented singer, and will be trying out for a part in "Peter Pan" at the Paramount in St. Cloud soon.
"I get to sing a Norwegian folk song in "Witches," Kotila said.
The cast and crew have been working hard, practicing and preparing for the one-hour production. The group practiced Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays for 2.5 hours each day. Wednesdays were set aside for Sparks to work with specific actors and specific scenes.