Matt Drake,

a rising senior at Starr's Mill High School, had a featured cameo in the

film "Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry met Lloyd." It did not take

him long to decide that what he really wanted to do is direct.

Drake has taken

the helm for Fayette Players and Community Theatre's summer production

for children of "The Emperor's New Clothes," which will be presented

at all of the Fayette County libraries.

Each year,

Fayette Players chooses a high school student with aspirations to pursue

theater as a career to direct a play. They provide the director with a

producer and give him or her access to costumes, props and sets. It is

usually the first time that a local student has had an opportunity to

direct a show and their growth during the process makes them not only

a better director the next time around but also a better performer in

future shows.

In "The

Emperor's New Clothes" a mean emperor is revealed to be a fool when

a tailor plays a joke on him. The tailor convinces the Emperor that he

has crafted an invisible fabric and the Emperor ends up wearing the "fabric"

in public and appearing naked before the citizens. Drake has assembled

several of his Starr's Mill drama colleagues to perform in the play. The

cast includes Amy White, Tom Legree, Mandi Kulaga and Nick Abelein. The

cast also acts as crew and members of the pit orchestra.

This is not

the first time that Drake has taken a seat in the director's chair but

it is the first time the work is seeing the light of day. He was directing

a middle school play for Rising Starr Middle School when it was cancelled.

He is looking forward to this chance and presenting a show that is fun

for the kids.

In addition

to his featured cameo, which means he had stage direction but no lines,

Drake has recently appeared in Southside Theatre Guild's "Camelot,"

and Starr's Mill's "Little Shop of Horrors." Drake has also

played football for Starr's Mill and plans on participating with the debate

team this year in dramatic and humorous interpretation.

Drake admits

that scheduling and getting everyone in the cast together has been a challenge

but he feels the show is coming together. "I am very positive about

the show," said Drake. "Everyone should see it."

"The Emperor's

New Clothes" played at the Peachtree City Library yesterday and will

be performed at 10:30 a.m. today at the Fayette County Library. It will

also be performed Tuesday, July 29, at 10:30 a.m. at the Tyrone Library.

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