Story submitted
Pinocchio…check. Kenickie…check.
Linus…check. Pugsley…check.
CWCHS and Carmi League of Arts alum Cooper Craig (’19) has provided the community a long list of memorable renditions on the theater stage. He will add perhaps his most difficult character to the list when Ride the Cyclone is presented by the University of Southern Indiana Theatre February 15-18 at the USI Performance Center.
Ride the Cyclone takes place in a dilapidated warehouse at an abandoned amusement park. An aging mechanical fortune-teller called The Amazing Karnak comes to life, and brings with him a ghostly choir of five deceased high-schoolers – all members of the Saint Cassian Chamber Choir, who were tragically killed on the park’s Cyclone roller coaster. Now, Karnak has the power to return one of these youths to life – but they must all decide among themselves who is the most worthy of a second chance to “ride the cyclone” that is life.
Craig will portray one of the deceased choir members named Mischa Bachinski, a Ukrainian adoptee who puts on a gangsta persona to conceal his passionate nature.
“It’s challenging because I have no experience with a Ukrainian accent,” laughed Craig. “In addition to learning the regular stuff (lines, songs, etc), I have had to work with a dialect coach. It has been quite the experience so far, but I am looking forward to the final product.”
Craig has followed in the footsteps of his sister, Chaselyn Bain, who graduated from CWCHS in 2016. While having a successful high school theater career, Bain went on to Vincennes University and performed in numerous theater productions (including Hairspray as Tammy on the Corny Collins Council) and annually in the Carmi League of Arts presentations.
Tickets are available by calling (812) 465-7110 or online at https://usitheater.universitytickets.com
