SUZANNE BELLING
“This has been my dream since I was little. When I was asked, ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’, I told people ‘an actress’, “she said.
And even though Amber, a grade 2 learner at Yeshiva College in Johannesburg, has a long way to go to be properly “grown up”, her dream is fast becoming realised.
“It all started when I took her to see Annie, the musical, in December,” said her mother, Marissa Kaganson. “She was riveted and said she would like to do something like that.
“We saw an ad for the People’s Theatre. They wanted a child between seven and nine to audition for the part of Roo. We were on our way to school – she hadn’t rehearsed and only knew one song. We didn’t even have a backing track – I had to download it from my cell phone. Nothing was prepared, but she got the part.”
The production of Winnie the Pooh follows author AA Milne’s story very closely and, according to Marissa, is along the lines of a Disney-type production.
Amber, who started learning ballet, modern dance and musical theatre since she was two-and-a-half, is a natural. “She has to miss some school – and also performances when they coincide with Shabbat,” said Marissa , a physiotherapist, who, from the same age as her daughter, took part in the Children’s Theatre productions under Jill Girard, 30 years ago. “We even have the same director!” she added.
Marissa had parts in the Jungle Book, Heidi and Noddy and wrote and acted in many productions at King David, where she went to school.
“We have come full circle. Amber now wants to take drama lessons and I am encouraging her with both her acting and singing.”
With the heavy schedule of rehearsals, Amber has to give up her extramurals and miss some school. Her peers are very supportive and will be attending the show en masse.
The production runs until April 30.
