It's been a long road to "The Neverending Story." The 1984 film, adapted from a book by Michael Ende, was a childhood favorite for theater teacher Jefferson Fietek. He saw himself in the challenges and the imaginative escapes of the main character, Bastian.
Anoka play is hands-on production
The Anoka Middle School for the Arts is the first Midwest student group to perform the stage adap-tation of "The Neverending Story."
By MARIA ELENA BACA, Star Tribune

"At the time ... the same sort of things were going on in my life," he said. "One of the things that really attracted me to the story was the fact that Bastian turned to his imagination, and these fantasy stories, as a healthy way to process that sort of shame and that general yuckiness of being bullied. I really felt a strong connection to that story, that he used his gift of his creativity to deal with those challenges."
As a teacher at Anoka Middle School for the Arts, Fietek continued to see children who were experiencing the same sorts of challenges.
So when he learned about five years ago that the story was being adapted for the theater, he immediately tracked down playwright David Craig to ask when he could get the rights to stage it with his students in grades 6-8.
"I e-mailed him a few years ago and he was like, 'I haven't even finished writing it,' " Fietek said, laughing. He continued to contact Craig every few months until he got the news last summer that the finished play had completed its exclusive first run at the Seattle Children's Theatre.
Fietek immediately bought the rights to stage it with his students. With his educator's discount, it amounted to about $60 per performance.
Anoka Middle School for the Arts' production is the play's Midwest premier, and the first time it has been performed by a student group.
With help from volunteers, Fietek's students not only do all of the acting, but also handle everything from props and set production to stage managing and makeup. The latter is a challenge, as the group works to bring the story's mythical creatures to life.
One evening last week, just days before opening night, a handful of students -- some actors, some not -- and parents stayed after rehearsal for a makeup clinic, which included not only theatrical makeup but floppy rubber prosthetics that turned into pointy ears, a bulbous nose and a full sea-monster face.
"Can I use your face?" Fietek asked seventh-grader Henry Nelson, who swung his legs over the edge of a stack of enormous books as his teacher smeared a purple base onto his cheek and covered his nose with the fake one.
Kayla Flanagan got the serpent mask, which covered all of her face except her chin, and Kallie Schuchard got a long white wizard beard. The troupe members were then paired up and given baggies with markers like "Troll No. 2" to work on transforming each other.
"My hopes with our program are that we try to give our students a semiprofessional theater experience," Fietek said. "It's equally important that they create it, and that they create something to be proud of.
"What I always tell my students is we don't want our audiences to say, 'That's pretty good for middle schoolers.'
"We want them to say, 'Holy cow! I can't believe those were middle schoolers.' "
Maria Elena Baca • 612-673-4409
