The Davis County Players Children’s Theatre, sponsored by the Davis County Fine Arts Council, presented the children’s play BYTES, BATS AND ABRAHAM LINCOLN, by Bloomfield playwright James Grob, at The Iowa Theatre on the Bloomfield City Square in Bloomfield on Friday and Saturday, June 24-25. Shows began at 7 p.m. each night, and audiences were thrilled by the truly unique and outstanding performances put on by local youth. A very creative script led to a very creative show! The play was directed by Julie Griffin and Michelle Williams.

The plot of the two act-play revolves around the Internet research of the two main characters, RACHAEL and BRIDGETTE. As the two 12-year-old girls look online for information for a report they have to write about Abraham Lincoln they find themselves distracted by all the things, good and bad, one can possibly come across while “surfing the net.” Everything they see on their computer screen is dramatized on the stage, including songs and music downloads of pop stars, chats and emails from friends and a grandma, and viral videos of people chasing bats and other people mixing up strange concoctions in a blender. There are incidents with a cyber-bully, tech problems with the computer and even a little actual historical research. The dramatization is at times very funny, at times outrageous and at times thoughtful and touching. The two girls are eventually guided through the research process – and through the difficulties in their lives -- by an online version Abraham Lincoln himself.

The cast was made up of children from third through seventh grade and included:

• RACHAEL, a 12-year old girl … Caitlin Paddock        
• BRIDGETTE, a 12-year old girl … Kelly Lynch
• COMPUTER, computer communication personified … Hannah Orwig
• MOM, Rachael’s mother, off-stage voice … Savanah Summers
• ABRAHAM LINCOLN, a President … Dane Stevenson
• BATCHASER ONE, chases a bat … Kennedy Clyman
• BATCHASER TWO, chases a bat … Megan McClure
• BATCHASER THREE, chases a bat … Hailey Swan
• POETRY SINGER, sings and reads Negro Spirituals … Savanah Summers
• PERSON IN LAB COAT, experiments with a blender … Camille Cook
• GRANDMA MOLLY, Rachael’s grandmother … Maddie McClure
• TROY, a 12-year old boy … Ryan Snyder
• JACKSON BEEMER, a famous pop star … Cody Good
• MISSY DANIELSON, a 12-year old girl … Sarah Gingerich

Author James Grob’s children’s play CRIMES AND RHYMES made its world premiere on the Iowa Theatre stage as the Davis County Children’s Theatre production last summer. It has since been produced several times throughout the country and has recently been picked up and published by YouthPLAYS. Grob has written several other plays, many of which were successfully produced by the Davis County Players as part of his VOICES CARRY collection. Several of Grob’s other plays are available for purchase online at Production Scripts.