A theatrical metamorphosis

Just like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, adolescents go through a metamorphosis as they emerge from their childhood characteristics into those of young adulthood.
This process in adolescents is commonly described as coming out of a shell and can be spurred on by a variety of factors such as new found interests.
One adolescent who is currently a sophomore at Pine Prairie High School came out of such a shell thanks to finding a new interest of performing on stage in theatrical performances.
“Mom got me into theater because I was shy,” said Sami Jo Welch about her mother Cindy. “She started me out with Eunice Players’ Theatre with Jody Powell to get me out of my shell. I just liked it, so I kept doing it.”
Cindy in talking about the process in her 15-year-old daughter said, “It’s taken her so long to come out of her shell, and she does better away from town and away from home where her close friends and the people she knows are.”
Sami Jo joined the Eunice Players’ Theatre two years ago and first appeared as one of the main characters in Law and Order: Fairy Tale Unit. “I played one of the Three Little Pigs, and the thing was The Three Little Pigs knocked down their own house for insurance money,” she said. “I had to learn how to do a real thick Southern accent, but it wasn’t hard.”
Soon after rehearsals started, Sami Jo could see a change in her personality. “I could tell a difference because I was a little shy in the beginning of rehearsals, and then, by the end of it, I just busted out.”
Earlier this year, Sami Jo appeared in the Eunice Players’ Theatre production of Romeo and Winifred, which is a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet.
Because she started performing in Eunice, Sami Jo’s cousin Parker Elliott convinced her to get involved with Lagniappe Theatre Company in Alexandria.
“We went to go see Parker in Alexandria when she was in The Little House on the Prairie,” said Sami Jo. “She told me I should start doing plays with her. And I did an acting camp with her where we had to memorize a monologue and do a dance.”
Cindy commented about her daughter’s time so far with Lagniappe Theatre Company, “We put her over there, and the place is amazing. The kids are all the same and are all just alike. The passion and the talent these kids have is just amazing.”
Sami Jo’s father, Todd, was also impressed with the quality of the program in Alexandria. He said, “You go up there and hear this little bitty kid singing like a canary. You’d be amazed at the talent.”
After joining Lagniappe Theatre Company, Sami Jo appeared this August as three characters in The Little Mermaid. She played sea gull, a lily pad, and a fish.
Cindy said, “They took these kids and taught them tap dancing, and Sami Jo never took dancing before. Seeing her dress up like a sea gull and tap dancing almost brought tears to my eyes.”
Sami Jo expressed tap dancing is “stressful at first.” She added, “Once you learn how to do it, it’s actually pretty fun.”
She then described the sea gull costume as being suffocating and feathery. She said, “I had every part of my body covered and had a wig on too. Everything besides my face was covered. We had gloves and knee high socks on too.”
What impressed Todd the most about The Little Mermaid was the footwear called Heelys which allow people to roll across an area. He said, “That’s what most of them did on stage to get around. They weren’t walking but would just take off on the Heelys. They looked like ducks swimming on the water.”
Sami Jo’s latest production with Lagniappe Theatre Company was in Newsies where she played the part of a newspaper boy. It was also her first opportunity of playing a male role.
“It was different,” she commented. “I had to learn how to put my posture more masculine, and I had to learn how to run differently.”
Even with all its differences, she went on to say about male roles that she would “definitely do it again.”
Newsies was Sami Jo’s favorite production so far because “the music and the play are so much high energy and gets everybody pumped up.”
What impressed her mother about Newsies is the new friendships and connection made by Sami Jo. “They make lifelong friends,” Cindy said. “We have a scheduled Newsies reunion and cast party. These cast members ranging in age from eight to in their 30s will get together on a Saturday night. They will be singing the songs from the musical and dancing around. They really get into it, and that’s their fun.”
For Sami Jo, acting with Lagniappe Theatre Company was an eye opening experience because it allowed her “to realize how beautiful theater is. It’s not just a play. It’s more than a play. The amount of talent in one room is crazy.”
“I do want to stay involved with theater,” she continued. “I want to stay with Lagniappe as long as I can.”
About her daughter’s coming out of her shell, Cindy said, “We’re just proud of her for taking this step and to let people know she’s not afraid of this and this is her passion. We’re 100 percent behind her.”
“It’s something that she likes because there’s not a lot around here for kids like her who don’t like sports,” continued Cindy. “Not everybody is an athlete. We had an athlete (referring to her and Todd’s older child Cassie). Now, we have a song bird and an actress.”
Sami Jo quipped that she is now a theater nerd. To which Cindy replied, “If she wants to be a theater nerd, then so be it. I love my theater nerd.”