Area residents a hit on stage at the Candy Factory

BRISTOW, Va. - There are, perhaps, only two people who could bring ancient Greece back to life in two weeks: Zeus and director Vince Worthington of the Center of the Arts at the Candy Factory.

In this case, it was indeed Worthington who managed this spectacular feat, though Zeus played an important part in "Look Out, Olympus!" a nearly two-hour production put together at the Center of the Arts' two-week camp, "OnStage at the Kellar Theater."

The July camp gave 12 middle and high school students the opportunity to develop and show off their acting, singing and dancing talent under the experienced hand of Worthington, who has brought many Center for the Arts' productions to life and many more in the Washington metro area.

Otherwise known as Iago from the Pied Piper Theatre's production of "Aladdin," David Capen of Gainesville played Zeus, a philandering Greek god sure to be brought up on harassment charges in any other setting.

Zeus and his fellow gods and goddesses are threatened by the sweet and clear-voiced Ashley (Anna Taylor of Woodbridge), a Dryad who is sick of being a spirit of little consequence, disdained by the gods.

She and Persephone (Laura Isaac of Woodbridge) steal Poseidon's trident, Hade's Helmet of Invisibility and Zeus' thunderbolt in an attempt to even out the balance of power and teach the gods a lesson in fair play.

Isaac's rich, mature vocals led the audience through the tale with an impressive array of well-rehearsed yet subtly ad-libbed lines.

"It gives you a real feel of what it's like to be a real actress because you have to put it together so quickly," said Deja Dozier of Centreville, who had triple-duty as Athena, Europa and Hecate.

Kendall Vu of Bristow, who played the Dryad Olive, said, "The hardest part was hitting the high notes."

Pied Piper Theatre veteran and Manassas resident Kelsey Taylor somewhat lamented being cast as a male, but she enjoyed her part as Hades.

"He's kind of evil. But it's kind of fun being a jerk when you know you're not going to hurt anyone's feelings," she said.

While not evil like his brother Hades, Poseidon (Bristow's Alexandra Mooney) showed off his alternately intimidating and powerful self -- when he wasn't cracking corny jokes.

Taylor described her character Ashley as "really bubbly … unquenchable … nothing can stop her."

Ever jealous of the full-fledged gods, Ashley most likely also envied the delectable ambrosia served up by Hestia (Emily Baker of Clifton, who doubled as Leda, one of Zeus' many conquests.).

Lauren Priddy of Manassas said her character, Artemis, "is a tomboy," while Briana O'Hanlon of Manassas, who played the overbearing Hera, Zeus' wife, said, "It's fun telling people what to do."

Kayla Bruni of Haymarket, as Aphrodite, Selene and Danae, said the hardest part was "not falling off the stage."

Fortunately, no one did, though Bristow's Erika Mooney as Hermes (complete with winged baseball cap) performed several slip and slides appropriate to delivering messages to the gods.

Worthington said the Center for the Arts' two-week intensive camps are "always a chal-lenge." Even so, he lets the kids come up with many of the dance moves and ideas for stage interac-tion. He said that he gives them the framework but that they have a lot of flexibility.

"It's a team effort," said theater director Anne Ridgway.

"[The kids] have a good time … that's what's important."