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Coal City Theatre to open production of ‘Holes’ on October 15

By Maribeth M. Wilson
The Coal City Theatre Department will return to the stage with the regional premiere of ‘Holes’, a play by Louis Sachar.

The Coal City Theatre Department will return to the stage with the regional premiere of ‘Holes’, a play by Louis Sachar. (Jack Micetich)

The production opens Thursday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. and continues with a Saturday, Oct. 15 performance at 7 p.m. and Sunday, October 16 at 2 p.m. at the Coal City Performing Arts Center, under the direction of Jack Micetich.

The production opens Thursday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. and continues with a Saturday, Oct. 15 performance at 7 p.m. and Sunday, October 16 at 2 p.m. at the Coal City Performing Arts Center, under the direction of Jack Micetich. ( Jack Micetich)

COAL CITY – The Coal City Theatre Department will return to the stage with the regional premiere of “Holes,” by Louis Sachar.

The production opens at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, and continues with a 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, performance and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct 16, at the Coal City Performing Arts Center, under the direction of Jack Micetich.

“Holes” tells the story of Stanley Yelnats (played by Derek Carlson), a child condemned to a generational curse that began with his “no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather.” Suddenly, Stanley finds himself unjustly sent to Camp Green Lake, a boy’s detention center, that forces the boys to “build character” by digging five feet wide and five feet deep all day, every day. It doesn’t take Stanley long to determine there is a secret waiting to be dug up at Camp Green Lake, the warden (Brenken Johnson) is looking for something and Stanley won’t stop digging until he uncovers the truth.

The setting of the play offers a unique background to the set, allowing Micetich to “bring nature indoors” by “transforming the space into a Texan desert, including five tons of sand, which sets the stage.”

‘Holes’ tells the story of Stanley Yelnats (Derek Carlson), a child condemned to a generational curse that began with his “no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather.”

"Holes" tells the story of Stanley Yelnats (Derek Carlson), a child condemned to a generational curse that began with his “no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather.” (Jack Micetich)

The 26-person cast, led by Derek Carlson, a 2022 Ilinois High School Musical Theatre Best Actor Nominee, offers a mix of both new and old talents.

“It’s a good combination of veterans and newbies and also just the veterans taking those people under their wings and kind of trying to show them the ropes,” Micetich said.

Micetich said he wants to “do it justice” and will give audiences a “few surprises” throughout the performance.

“For me personally, it’s very nostalgic. It brings back something – I was watching this as a kid and now working with kids who are in it and hearing about how they watched it as kids. I’m excited for audiences to see these kids, these actors, in their element kind of doing what they do and what they do so well,” he said.

To purchase tickets for the performance visit showtix4u.com/events/1603.

What: Holes

When: Thursday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 16 at 2 p.m.

Where: Coal City Performing Arts Center 655 W. Division Street in Coal City

Cost: $5 per ticket, purchase at https://www.showtix4u.com/events/1603

Morris

Maribeth M. Wilson

Maribeth M. Wilson has been a reporter with Shaw Media for two years, one of those as news editor at the Morris Herald-News. She became a part of the NewsTribune staff in 2023.