CF library show brings kids face to face with dinosaurs
Dr. Sarah Tops and Terry introduces a baby triceratops during a presentation of “Dino Academy: A Dino Discovery Adventure” show Thursday at the Crystal Falls Community District Library. Looking on in the audience, from left are Kai, 8, and Rio Gruesbeck, 6, of Crystal Falls; Patrick Coyne of Iron Mountain; and Talvi, 6, and Ruby van Blommestein, 10, of Marquette. Seated on Lynn Janicki’s lap are Remi, 7, and Sophie Little, 4, of Houghton. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
The raptor puts the scare into Crystal Falls’ Kai and Rio Gruesbeck, age 8 and 6 respectively, during the presentation of “Dino Academy: A Dino Discovery Adventure” show Thursday at the Crystal Falls Community District Library. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
Rio Gruesbeck, 6, of Crystal Falls, takes part Thursday in the “Dino Academy: A Dino Discovery Adventure” show at the Crystal Falls Community District Library. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
Dr. Sarah Tops and Terry introduces a baby triceratops during a presentation of “Dino Academy: A Dino Discovery Adventure” show Thursday at the Crystal Falls Community District Library. Looking on in the audience, from left are Kai, 8, and Rio Gruesbeck, 6, of Crystal Falls; Patrick Coyne of Iron Mountain; and Talvi, 6, and Ruby van Blommestein, 10, of Marquette. Seated on Lynn Janicki’s lap are Remi, 7, and Sophie Little, 4, of Houghton. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
The raptor puts the scare into Crystal Falls’ Kai and Rio Gruesbeck, age 8 and 6 respectively, during the presentation of “Dino Academy: A Dino Discovery Adventure” show Thursday at the Crystal Falls Community District Library. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
Rio Gruesbeck, 6, of Crystal Falls, takes part Thursday in the “Dino Academy: A Dino Discovery Adventure” show at the Crystal Falls Community District Library. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
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CRYSTAL FALLS -- A touring theater group Thursday brought to life creatures from the time of the dinosaurs in a fun, interactive, fact-filled show at the Crystal Falls Community District Library.
Bright Star Touring Theatre members presented "Dino Academy: A Dino Discovery Adventure," featuring Dr. Sarah Tops and her assistant Terry, who introduced several realistic puppets that included a hatching baby T. rex, a baby triceratops, a fierce raptor and a hard-to-control pterodactylus.
The show starred Tori Hedlund of Roswell, Ga., as Dr. Sarah Tops and Dereon West of Memphis, Tenn., as Terry.
According to Hedlund, they've been doing this presentation most of the summer as part of the national touring company based in North Carolina. She said while Bright Star has shows throughout the year, they were under contract just for the summer.
"We have our rehearsal week at the end of May, so last week of May, and then we started our tour on June 1 and then we're done on Aug. 1," she said.
Hedlund was a theater major at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and plans to head to New York this fall. She said she hasn't done anything like this before.
West is a graduate of the University of Memphis, and is in his second year as a theater teacher at Overton High School for the Creative and Performing Arts in Memphis. This was his third professional gig, second outside of Tennessee. He would be interested in doing other tours.
"Because I teach kids, maybe try to stay away from children's theater," he joked. "But honestly, it's nice. I really love to do physical comedy, so this is just something I really like to do. If the opportunity arises, I'm definitely interested."
The library has had a series of dinosaur-themed events to go along with the summer reading program theme, "Unearth a Story."
Bright Star launched its first touring production in 2003, and has provided a variety of programming that tells diverse stories. This summer they added the "Dino Academy," an interactive show featuring handful of lifelike and colorful dinosaur puppets, which combines facts that blends history, social studies and STEM.
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Marguerite Lanthier can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 85242, or mlanthier@ironmountaindailynews.com.