With the Wilder Pageant still months away, aspiring actors armed with hopes of performing this summer put their acting chops to the test
Being on stage, one would assume, is the last place a teenager with a speech impediment would want to be. But it’s home for Carson Domine.
Domine is a student at Murray County Central in Slayton who has a stutter. But it’s not enough of a roadblock to prevent him from his journey, which now includes trying out for this year’s Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant.
“I use tactics like slow speech — thinking about what I’m going to say but speaking it slower,” Carson said after his pageant tryout Saturday morning. “I just don’t think about it, and I don’t care what people think, I’m just going to do my own thing. If someone has a problem with that …” Carson, who says he doesn’t stutter whatsoever while singing — which made the musical he performed in even more fun — performed in his school’s musical this school year, kind of on a whim to see if he would like it.
“And I loved it,” he said. “I also tried my school’s one-act play and loved that. I’m pretty sure grandma saw how much I loved it, so she brought this up.”
Indeed his grandmother did take notice. And her eyes well up with tears when she sees how much he has overcome, how he actually thrives despite what many people would consider a major hindrance in life.
Joni is no stranger to the Wilder Pageant. She found herself “on stage” about two decades ago and made the decision to return, only this time, with her beloved grandson.
“It’s like I’m stepping back in time,” Joni said. “I always had fun doing it; it was just a fun part of my life. To be able to do it with my grandson is a really special thing.”
LEFT: IVY SAGMOE (LEFT) AND GEORGIA PETERSON read lines as they tried out for this year’s “Fragments of a Dream” Pageant last Friday. LEFT: Two pageant veterans — Tyler Edwards (left) and Matt Coleman did the same, although it’s a pretty good bet they won’t have to return for a call-back, given their vast experience. Photos / Tara Brandl
WILDER PAGEANT DIRECTOR ERIN RICHARDS gives direction to a young Wilder Pageant hopeful at Saturday’s pageant tryouts in Walnut Grove. Photo / Per Peterson
CARSON DOMINE, a student at Murray County Central, tried out for this summer’s “Fragments of a Dream” Pageant Saturday. Photo / Per Peterson
Tryouts for this year’s play, “Chasing the Dream,” the next part of a trilogy, were held last Friday and Saturday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Walnut Grove and were very well-attended. There were a number of fresh faces as well and callbacks are planned.
“We had some new folks, which is kind of nice,” said Bill Richards, who has been deeply involved with the pageant for decades. “We’re just looking for people who are willing to put their time in. If they don’t have a lot of what they think is talent, we can develop that.”
While the big shows that attract thousands of people to Walnut aren’t held for another four months, last weekend was an important part of the process, as this is where future Lauras and Nellies are discovered. However, it’s not the first step, as script read-throughs take place during the dead of winter, as do other behind-the-scenes work.
Then there are the tryouts. “It’s a community thing, so if you’re willing to join us, we’re happy to have you,” said Richards. “It really has become kind of a year-round thing because the recruitment goes on … we visit other shows — we go to Tracy, we go to Slayton, we look at New Ulm, Sleepy Eye. We’re scouting.”
Richards added that acting chops are just part of what they need from pageant hopefuls. Because it’s an outdoor setting that spans a very large area, big voices, as well as big personalities are a must.
“If they’re very good, they still need some focus and direction,” he said. “Our type of show is a bit different because of the distance … a lot of people come in like it’s close up, like TV — they have the nuance, the eye, but that’s not enough when you get out there; it’s more of a Shakespeare approach — you have to have movement before you even speak so people know who’s talking.”
Richards’ daughter, Erin, the director of the pageant, said she is looking for people who are all in when it comes to participation and comfortability during tryouts. That, she said, will translate into effective acting in front of large crowd of Wilder fans.
“Sometimes you have people who have been in it before; it’s really exciting to see the people who have the passion for this,” she said.
She added that those who work together throughout the year have developed a special connection — a bond that plays a big role in putting together a special show every summer.
“It’s like a long-lost relative, because we don’t really see each other during the year,” she said. “It’s really fun to see who comes back — they walk in the door and there’s this huge smile; you get to catch up with each other.”
