AMY SZPARA

RESERVE – The stage is set. A float to one side, a tarot card table to another and benches and shopping carts filled with gold, green and purple colored trinkets set the scene. It’s Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The cast spreads out, adding themselves to the festive atmosphere. The dim light brightens from a quaint glow to a brilliant illumination around those on stage. “Places, everyone!” the director shouts. That was the scene at practice any given night during the weeks leading up to time for production of “Godspell,” the musical that theatre-goers will see when they visit the St. John Theatre in Reserve this weekend. The Ascension of Our Lord Church Youth Organization will be presenting “Godspell” Feb. 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 11 at 2:30 p.m. The director, who decided to put a New Orleans-style spin on the musical, is a 15-year-old who has been in over 20 plays. Gary “Buddy” Boe, a 10th-grader at Jesuit High School in New Orleans, has spent three months directing his second play. His first shot at directing came when he was only 10. In fifth grade Boe directed “Angela,” a 30-minute comedy about a little girl who went to school early every morning to pretend she was a teacher. Boe feels he was just getting his feet wet with “Angela,” but now he’s moved on to much bigger things. “Godspell” is a production that will last just over two hours. “It was kind of a big step up,” said Boe, who just finished playing the lead role of Romeo in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Boe first became interested in theatre when he was 6 years old. He went to see a production of “Annie” and decided he would like to be on stage. “I turned to my mom and said I really want to do this,'” said Boe. The next summer he played a small role in a production of “Peter Pan.” Since then, he has played in several local theatres, and he also performs in dramas at his high school. Directing 23 cast members, including himself and a 15-year-old choreographer, Katie Olasin, Boe had his work cut out for him. He and Olasin both have small roles in the musical but large roles off stage. About the Mardi Gras theme he added to the 60s musical based on the Bible, Boe said he wanted to give it some local flavor. The original musical is full of skits and songs designed to teach lessons. Boe didn’t touch the skits or the lessons. He didn’t want to change the impact of the message, but he wanted something the audience could better relate to, modern-day situations. “Jesus is coming down to teach them to do better,” said Boe, describing Act One as a steady flow of misbehaving people being converted. In Act Two the converted turn into disciples and follow Jesus, who is played by Adam Tamplain, a Riverside Academy student who is also 15 and on his 10th play. Though Boe loves acting and directing, he wants a career in politics. He plans to major in political science and minor in drama. “You have to be able to act to be a politician,” Boe joked. “I want to be president. Ronald Reagan did it. So can I.” A young Republican, Boe admires Reagan most out of all past presidents. “I admire him. He was a great speaker. His acting helped that. He spoke eloquently, and he knew how to deal with things. He had great leadership skills, and he made correct decisions right away,” said Boe, who is currently reading a book about the Watergate scandal and how it has affected the last five presidencies. “I always wanted to make an impression,” said Boe, “and there is a lot wrong with America that can be changed.” He believes if he makes a few movies, people will forget him. “If you become president, that’s going in the books,” he said. Boe, who is also an honor student, thinks of directing as a real learning experience. He said he’s learning to deal with different people, something that he said will also help him in a political career. Boe said he admires Tom Hanks most out of the current actors on the silver screen. He said Hanks has played almost every imaginable character. “In Big,’ he was a kid in an adult’s body. In Saving Private Ryan’ he was an officer in World War II and in Forrest Gump’ he plays a retarded man. When an actor is able to totally get into his character, you have to respect that,” said Boe. Something else that most people would respect is a group of teen-agers who are raising money to help others. That is what the $6 price for adults and $4 fee for children ticket costs will go to. The CYO plans to spend the proceeds on building homes for the poor in Mexico. CYO Director Janet Guillory said it costs $500 to get a family out of a cardboard box and into a cinder block home the size of a dressing room. That’s what the kids are striving for. “The kids are learning so much,” said Guillory. “Everyone brings something to the table. And it’s like one big catechism that has lasted for three months. These are life lessons, and when it gets rough, the kids will remember them.” Tickets for the production of “Godspell” can be purchased at Ascension of Our Lord rectory, by calling 652-2615, and at Allied Express on Carrollwood Drive in LaPlace.