STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

A young islander is crossing the reef in search of a better future for her countrymen. And 120 young Wood River Valley residents are going right along with her.

The kids of Company B are staging the heartwarming coming-of-age tale of “Moana” today and Friday at Sun Valley Community School. The St. Thomas Playhouse production starts at 10 a.m. today—Thursday, June 19—and at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Friday, June 20.

The musical with its catchy numbers revolves around an island that has been dying since the demigod of wind and sea stole the heart of the world.

When the coconuts begin turning black and the fish disappear, Moana decides to venture out beyond the reef to look for the heart, even though her fellow countrymen have long ceased sea travel because they feared Te Ka’s wrath.

Moana is played by Makena Seitz; the demigod Maui, by Jack Cohen and Moana’s wise Gramma, who encourages her to draw courage from her inner voice, by Georgie Payne.

Van Flandro plays Moana’s father; Mykala McCann, her mother, and Soleil St. Onge and Noland Jackson, her best friends.

Casey Rolf, Riley Meyer and Simone Spachman play a giant singing crab; Tea Smithers, a lava demon, and Satchel Swindley, the mother island.

Other children, who range from pre-kindergarteners to eighth-graders, round out the cast as Glow Monsters, village weavers, fishermen and waves.

“This is about Moana finding her path,” said Olivia Barnes, a sixth-grader who is in the ocean ensemble.

“She’s curious about what lies beyond the reef,” added fellow wave and sixth-grader Zoe Young. “And she’ll stop at nothing to save her people.”

Indeed, Moana is undeterred by what lies beyond: “There is a line where the sky meets the sea and it calls to me,” she sings.

Maui teachers her about making a warrior face when she’s scared: “It doesn’t matter how you feel inside…you make a face that makes them terrified,” he sings.

And it ends on an inspiring note with all singing “We know the way.”

The musical is directed by St. Thomas Playhouse alum Julia Ott with musical direction by Joel Bejot and choreography by Megan Mahoney.

“The show is very epic, with Moana’s father and mother wanting to keep her on the island so she can be the next chief,” she said. “And the show is one of those big ensemble shows that depend on lots of people to carry the show.”

The youngsters have learned to make costumes and props during the two-week camp and sing a few verses in Samoan and Tokelauan. They’ve become immersed in theater language, such as blocking, choreographer, house left and house right and protagonist.

And they’ve even learned some big words pertinent to the musical, such as bioluminescent, crustacean and doldrums—in this case, meaning an equatorial region of ocean with light winds and calm ocean currents.

“A lot of the kids started with us in fourth- and fifth-grade, and now they’re in eighth,” said Wyatt Root. “They’re kids who care about and are passionate about their work. And, with the upcoming release of ‘Moana 2,’ everyone is pump up and energized.”

THE CAST (in addition to those already mentioned in the story)

Ancestor Ensemble and Chief Ancestors: Ava Banta, Darlene Bridwell, Ethan Cortez, Sepp Flandro, Alena Grabow, Morghan Kearney, Magnolia Lansing, Darby McCarthy, Madeline Menzies, Millie Menzies, Caroline South. Alexa Fowler, Lili Archibald

Ocean Ensemble: Kaitlyn Cooper, Jed Schmidt, Olivia Barnes, Raley Gill, Beau Kendall, Rafaela Lopez Bello, Asa Sattler, Lillian Tillotson, Emma Werth, Zoe Young, Jandi Gonzales

Village Dancers: Emil Beatty, Mia Cortez,Althea Dean, Emiko Dutcher, Juniper Farmer, Katsuhue Hinojosa Sihuicho, Eleanor Hopeman, Madeleine Hotard, Olympic Kosach

Villagers: Justin Armas, Emily Chavez, Olivia Safley, Asher Pettit, Thomas Robert, Lachlan Hollis

Villagers Weavers: Clancy Flavin, Ava Klemer, Jasper McCollum, Payton Minor, Thatcher Ross, Ria Sakuma, Hazel Schmidt, Keaton Swindley, Tindsley Glenne, Colter Christian, Serena Sheue

Fishers: Tobin Van Hook, Vivian Cox

Maui Ensemble: Emma Costigan, Torin Farmer, Arabella Freeman, Lane Hendricks, Galena McCann, Agnes McLaughlin, Aveline McMahan, Yonny “Brayan” Povis, Samuel Sattler, Nathan Sattler, Will Turzian, Quinn Woodward

Glow Monsters/Shiny Ensemble: Gate Monster Cole Meyer, Ruby Rager, Brierly Schroder, Norah Seppa, Wren Simons, Luca Smither, Estelle Turzian, Ian Vidalon, Isla Young, Ellie Young, Adeline Zook

Shiny Ensemble (2nd Grade): Georgia Brandenberg, Aislinn Klemer, Heidi Lees, Finn Mallory, Mia Minor, Lala Payne, Briana Perez Hinojosa, Sawyer Riccardi, Jasper Riccardi, Khloe Rios, Roland Winter

Glow Monsters (1st Grade): Dorothy Bridwell, Lennox Drew, Jack Hotard, Juniper Kesselman, Lea Kessler, Poppy Lees, Skyler Mamedov, Waverly Solie, Dagny Stanek, Rooney Stevenson, Phoebe Taylor

Keiki (Kindergarten): Boone Brandenburg, Sophia Casey, Bode Cox, Eleanor Gilligan, Melody Mayne, Aurelia McCollum, Mateo McLaughlin, Lisha Povis, Penelope Tautkus

Ocean Waves (Pre-K): Thomas Hammond, Sylvie Hayashi, Evie Loufek, Chase McLaughlin, Adelaide McNulty, Sammi Minor, Bowie Read, Rell Riley, Jude Schubert, Ivy Simons, Lulu Swanson

CREATIVE TEAM: Director  Julia Ott; Music Director  Joel Bejot; Choreographer  Megan Mahoney; Art Direction Tanner Riley, Ida Belle Gorby & Sara Gorby; Technical Director Tyler Salvoni; Sound Operator/Teacher Onni Petersen; Lighting Design  Ida Belle Gorby; Teacher Jessica Mayne; Audition Prep Teacher Brett Moellenberg, and Director of Operations Wyatt Root.