Playing Cruella De Vil in this year’s Aurora Junior Woman’s Club production of “The Descendants,” long-time member Sue Rahn, who is sometimes cast in a male role in the traditionally all-female productions, is following up her performance as Hans in last year’s “Chilled” production.
“I have a really low voice, so I am always cast as one of the male leads, however, Cruella has a deep voice,” she said.
Rahn, who has been acting in Aurora Junior Woman’s Club shows for almost 30 years, said the club takes a traditional story and “puts our own twist on it.”
More Top Picks Best Outdoor Saunas
“We have parents who used to bring their children now bringing their grandchildren to the show,” Rahn said.
For the last several years, Rahn has been acting alongside her 26-year-old granddaughter, Vanessa Ochoa, who has taken on the role of Evie, one of the villain kids.
Each year, it takes about nine months for the approximately 40 members of the Junior Woman’s Club to put together the productions by writing the script, building sets, and making the costumes.
The cast, which is mainly comprised of Junior Woman’s Club members, typically is all female with the members playing the male parts. However, this year is an exception – Rahn said a club member’s son has joined the show.
For those members or potential members who prefer behind-the-scenes work, Rahn said, the group needs help selling tickets, helping with the badges that are available for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts to earn by attending the production, and moving scenery.
“There are so many ways to be involved without necessarily performing on the stage,” she added.
The musical serves as the primary fundraiser to support the Aurora Junior Woman’s Club’s sister organization — Aurora Children’s Dental Service — a nonprofit devoted to providing free dental care to children in need.
The focus on dental health evolved as the group saw other Aurora-based services fulfilling other community needs such as clothing and shelter.
“When children have rotting teeth in their mouth, that is a permanent situation,” Rahn said. “There are very few opportunities for these individuals to receive the dental care that they need.”
At one time, the Aurora Junior Woman’s Club did not provide money for dental care for individuals who qualified under a state-funded plan.
However, Rahn said, “With the state budget crisis, dentists are not being paid for services rendered to families that qualify for those programs.”
Hence, the dentists have stop accepting those patients or take very few.
“Many of the kids who come to us for services are really suffering,” Rahn said. “They are malnourished and in regular pain due to cavities or decay and lack of any dental care.”
Money raised from the production is also used to purchase gift cards which are turned over to local schools to purchase essential items such as coats for children in need, she added.
Scholarship money is also awarded to area high school theatre programs, Rahn said.
She said the group tries to keep tickets prices low. The tickets are $7 for this year’s show, Rahn said.
“We provide an affordable theatre experience for children whose parents cannot take them to a large expensive venue,” she said. “We feel like we are one of the best-kept secrets in town. You can’t even go to the movies for $7.”
The shows are kept to just about one hour so that younger children can come and enjoy the show, Rahn said.
“We kept the dialogue to a minimum, the show is all singing and dancing,” she said. “We also put in some current events, so parents also can enjoy the show.”
Looking for new members, Rahn said, “We kept laughing that we are the junior woman’s club, except we are really the senior junior clubs.”
“We have had some long-time members pull back this year and are hoping some young people can become more involved,” she said,
Many Fearn Elementary School second-graders will be coming to cheer on their teacher, Stephanie Leo. Leo, who in addition to being the production’s music director, will be donning a purple wig to play Maleficent’s daughter.
Leo, who used to attend the Aurora Junior Woman’s Club plays when she was little, said, “It is such a fun process and to give the profits back to community makes it that much cooler.”
“Our organization has worked miracles for some of my students,” she added.
More Top Picks Best Left Hand Microwaves
Cathy Janek is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News
Aurora Junior Woman’s Club Show
What: Woman’s Club production of “The Descendants”
Where: West Aurora High School Auditorium
When: 7 p.m. Feb. 24 and 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Feb. 25.
How much: Tickets are $7