Back Stage at 'What Mothers Do'

Kristen Cabrera
Photoj Final

Pic1: Some of cast and crew of the UTPA's Children's Theater play 'What Mothers Do' prepare for their dress rehearsal back stage in the Make up room on Wed. May 5, 2010.

Pic2: Cast children Martin Torres (Hermes), Kristen Le Grice (Dahly) and Meredith Cunningham (Persephone/"Percy") in a group discussion of their character names for which they now know each other as.

Pic3: Hermes or by his real name (which no one in the cast really calls him by) Martin Torres is a 9-year-old third grader from Edinburg.

Pic4: Persephone (Meredith Cunningham) is the sweet and silly twin of Hestia (played by Alyssa Galvan) and the 3rd youngest of the Shoemaker clan.

Pic5: Martin is actually a shy softspoken boy while his character Hermes as a loud and obnoxious (at first) wanna be gangster. Meredith (right) was the first to memorize all of her lines and even memorized those of her play sister Alyssa.

Pic6: Staying still in costume is not what these kids do. But it was remarkable how none of them stained or tore any of their pieces...until later.

Pic7: Discussion of how this pretend family has become more of a real family. (With photographer, Kristen Cabrera and recorder in the background)

Pic:8/9: Meredith and her silly faces

Pic10: Playing with the older kids, Alyssa Galvan was being adorable, according to the cast and crew, as usual.

Pic11: Xavier Aguilar (who plays Mac, a wanna be British Garbageman) trying to convince Hestia to shake his hand and be nice after he stuck his tongue out at her.

Pic12: Hesita telling on Mac(off camera).

Pic13: Hestia sit frustrated that Mac gets away with sticking his tounge out at her. In the back ground Heremes, Dahly, and Percy play telephone with the recorder.

Pic14: Dahly and Percy trying to think of what silly things to say into the recorder.

Pic15: Karla Gastel, a 6th grader in McAllen who plays Athena, the bossy oldest one of the Shoemaker bunch.

Pic16: Athena takes over interviews (true to her character) and asks Hercules, played by Max Carren, a question.

Pic17: Herc is the "slow" one of the Shoemaker siblings and has incredible strength. Max on the other hand is a intelligent 14-year-old from Edinburg.

Pic18: Mac and the infamous Inspector Ima Larjman, played my Charlie Palacios.

Pic19: The role of Larjman was specifly meant for a hairy man. Director and co-playwright Brian Warren said "a women made to be ugly just isn't funny. But man dressed as a hideous women will always get some laughs."

Pic20: Larjman looks down the "sweet" and tiny Hestia, who took Mac's bandana.

Pic21: Kristen Le Grice and Meredith Cunningham dressed in their costumes and playing "telephone" with the recorder. This made it very interesting to edit the audio for the Soundslides.

Pic22: Charlie Palacios dressed as Ima Larjman (the antagonist of the play) tickling Joey Gonzales who plays Bile, the youngest, sickest and cry baby of the Schoemaker bunch.

Pic23: Ima Larjman in a rare silly moment, however these moments are not so rare for Palacios.

Pic24: Andrew Adams who plays Pan the slick and suave Forth oldest of the group gets up close with Ima Larjman.

Pic25: Too close actually.

Pic26: Palacios lets costume tech Julisa Garza in on a secret.

Pic27-29: Joey aka "Bile" at first uninterested in the Olympus recorder decided to unenthusiastically talk in to it.

Pic30: Teeny Hestia takes a Ride on Mac's leg

Pic31:...and doesn't let go.

Pic32-38: Persephone decides to join in and eventually tire poor Xavier aka "Mac" out.

Pic39: Jusia(left) and Actor Coach Krista Salinas(right) keep an eye on all the "Shoemaker" children.

Pic40: Bile and his disgustingly decorated costume.

Pic41: Ruben Guajardo, who plays Sheldon an extremely intelligent and very eccentric Garbageman, is showing his eagerness to start while in the background Mac (Sheldon's brother and fellow Garbageman) and Aaron Stidwell, who plays Mr. Shoemaker the coach potato, are not somewhat distracted.

Pic42: Julie and Krista are actually cousins, and they show it.

Pic43: Xaviar aka "Mac" was considered by most of the cast and crew to be the 9th child on the set.

Pic44: Bile was the most rambunctious of the bunch he eventually tore a hole in the knee of his costume which the crew agreed to be most conferable.

Pic45: Hestia explains why exactly she took Macs bandanna away.

Pic46: Once everyone saw Pan getting Picked up by Larjma, Palacios had a line of munchkins waiting for their turn. And this turn was Alyssa's aka "Hestia."

Pic47: Alyssa's tiny voice had the whole cast "awwwwing" from day 1.

Pic48: Alyssa with Mac' "confiscated" bandana and the res of the kidos in the background.

Pic49: Heremes, Dahly (the foruth youngest), Persehpone and Hesita (the second youngest) prepare to go out on stage.

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