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October 29, 2009

Born local, born evil: An interview with young 'Bad Seed' star

Andover's Emma Kelley stars in Acting Out production

By Judy Wakefield

'Tis the peak horror season and books, movies and top-rated television shows starring vampires make America's love affair with the creepy bloodsuckers seem unstoppable.

Locally, an Andover 10-year-old is biting off her first leading role in a different kind of scary play staged perfectly for the Halloween season. Young Emma Kelley, just a fifth-grader at West Elementary School, is playing a famous young sociopath capable of cold-blooded murder.

"The Bad Seed," a classic horror play from the 1950s is being staged next weekend by Acting Out!, a community acting troupe for kids and adults. Based on the 1954 novel by William March, the haunting play asks a disturbing question, "Are some people born evil?" director Rob Fitzgerald of Haverhill says in a press release.

"The play was so successful it was made into one of the best horror movies of its time in 1956," he said.

Emma plays 8-year-old Rhoda Penmark. She's at the center of the story and scares audiences because she is so well-behaved and perfectly polite one minute and then becomes every mother's nightmare. The play addresses the heartbreaking choices a parent must confront when they know their child is devoid of human empathy.

It's a challenging role for any young actress, but Emma said that's what makes it such a juicy part.

"It's acting," she said of turning into that young sociopath. "It's kind of hard but that's what you do...You do things you wouldn't necessarily do for some roles."

More specifically, this ordinarily happy 10-year-old said she works to "turn her smiles into frowns" when she's on stage for this role. She works hard to "stop my happy thoughts," she said, adding, "but I still have them."

It's her first-ever leading role, and Emma is thrilled about that. She's been acting since she was 7 in various plays staged by the local drama troupe, the Pentucket Players. Roles in Cinderella, South Pacific, Wizard of Oz, Oliver and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat are included on her acting resume already.

She typically sings on stage, but there will be none of that playing Rhoda.

"This is a non-musical, so it's different for me," she said. "It's different and will blow your mind.

"It's old-fashioned, but it's still a scary play," she said of the more than 50-year-old production. "I think it's good to be doing this around Halloween."

Christine Penmark, Rhoda's mother, is played by Molly Tannatt from North Andover who works as a lab supervisor in Andover at Wyeth BioPharma.

Kenneth Penmark is played by Les Satlow of Andover. The character of Emory is played by another Andoverite, Jeff Ashworth.

Emma believes the play will satisfy anyone's thirst for fright this Halloween season.

see it grow

The Bad Seed

Acting Out! Theater

56 Island St., Lawrence

Friday, Nov 6, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 7 at 2, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 8, 5 p.m.

$12; more info, 978-794-0001, actingouttheater@comcast.net

Cast includes Emma Kelley, Les Satlow, Jeff Ashworth, all of Andover

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Born local, born evil: An interview with young 'Bad Seed' star
by By Judy Wakefield , , Thu Oct 29, 2009, 11:49 AM EDT
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