Virtuoso Junior, Montgomery’s theatre group for seventh and eighth graders, presented two entertaining shows last Saturday evening. This lively group of young people kept the audience laughing throughout, ensuring that the high school program Virtuoso will have a large pool of talented students to join their ranks in the next few years.

They opened the evening with a humorous short play called “Three of an Unlikely Kind” that was both written and directed by Emma Klopp who is a senior this year. Three students who are assigned to write a story for English class have to learn how to work together and combine their different interests into a story they can all agree on. As each story line was proposed, the story came to life behind the writers. The cast members were Gavin Rine as Cortez, Sloan Wooten as Edwards, MaKaya Ayers as Roberts, Sami Guyer as Teacher/Queen #6, Geoff Short as Narrator/King/Boy, Kailyn Woltz as Kaylee/Queen #4, Maddie Bender as Snobby Girl #1/Girl #1, Isabella Wright as Snobby Girl #2/ Girl #2, Elizabeth Bryson as Queen #1/Villager #1, Mary Green as Queen #2/Villager #2, Kimmie Pickering as Queen #3/Villager #3, Hannah Johnson as Queen #5/Villager #5, Garret Rine as Zomber Hunter #1/Prince, Samuel Oister as Zombie Hunter #2/Villager #4, Gabrielle Segraves as Princess/Girl #3. Tori Magyer, Danyelle Brion, Peyton Nash, Caleb Hall, Jacob Walters, Aden Kiester, and Adam Stryker portrayed the Zombies. High school crew members were Ava Peluso stage manager, Brayden Foresman assistant stage manager, and Addi Heasley dresser and makeup.

The second play was a full-length production “Bestest Bedtime Stories (As Told By Our Grandpa) (He’s Silly).” The comedy featured three children getting their grandfather to tell them bedtime stories, but he’s forgotten most of them and has to make up the details as he goes. As each story was told, they were acted out by other students. In a funny twist, the stage crew members were also characters in the play. Cast members included: Geoffrey Short as Grandpa, Parker Welliver as Wally, Samantha Guyer as Ashley, Kailyn Woltz as Katie, Gavin Rine as Hans/Prince/Jack, Madeline Bender as Gretel/Village Inspector/HOA Chairperson, Garrett Rine as Hans’ Dad/King/Jack’s Dad, Sloan Wooten as Hans’ Mom/Queen/Jack’s Mom, Kimmie Pickering as the Witch/Misty/Shannon, Hannah Johnson as the Oven/Jill, Elizabeth Bryson as Fairy Lipitor/ Stage Crew 1, Izabella Wright as Fairy Miralax/Bean Seller, MaKayla Ayers as Briar Rose/The Goose Who Lays Golden Eggs, Jacob Walters, Peyton Nash, and Aden Keister as Crew 2, and Samuel Oister as Edgar. The crew members were Shanna Haden director/bulletin boards/t-shirt design/programs, Emma Klopp stage manager/set work, Tanner Shadle and Zachary Phillips poster design, Brian Rehn sound/lighting director, Iris Keister – sound assistant, Breanna Seagraves, Whitney Bolden, and Maurice Thompson-Walters lighting assistants, Aden Keister, Jacob Walters, Gavin Strouse, Bradley Foresman, Tori Magyar, Danyelle Bryson, Caleb Hall, Peyton Nash, Shane Peck, Adam Stryker set work, Jaelyn Woods show photography, Addison Heasley costume makeup, and Eric Brown construction help.

THOT “I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.” Oscar Wilde?

Happy birthday wishes go to Laura Harman, who will be marking her special day on January 31st.

Birthday wishes go to Sara Beth Miller who is celebrating on January 31st.

Congratulations to Emily Wolfgang who has qualified to participate in the District 8 Band Festival.

If you are interested in joining the Montgomery Lions Club please contact Roger McRae at 570- 971-2825.

If you would like a birthday, anniversary, or special event recognized in this column, please leave a message at The Luminary Office at 584-0111 or e-mail it to news@muncyluminary.com.

Montgomery Events

Fri. Feb. 1 Career Link’s Mobile Link will be parked outside of the library from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Fri. Feb 1 The Girls Varsity Basketball Team will have a home game against Bucktail at 6 p.m.

Sun. Feb. 3 The Oak Grove Community Center will be hosting an All You Can Eat Breakfast from 8-11 a.m. The menu includes French toast, pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, sausage gravy, biscuits, fried potatoes, toast, fruit, and choice of beverage.

Tues. Feb 5 The Girls Varsity Basketball Team will have a home game against Sullivan County at 6 p.m.

Tues. Feb. 5 The Boys Varsity Wrestling Team will have a home match against Sayre at 7 p.m.

Weds. Feb. 6 The Boys Varsity Basketball Team will have a home game against Millville at 6 p.m.

Sat. Feb. 9 The Montgomery Area Historical Society will have the Adam Room open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. All Historical Society events are free and open to the public.

Sat. Feb. 9 The Boys Basketball Team will have a home game against St. John Neumann at 11 a.m.