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For young McDowell actor, life is some work and all play

There's no upstaging him

contributed

Here's the cast of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever", including Montford Cove's Chris Bennett (left) as Leroy. Leroy and his gang of tough bullies will learn the true meaning of Christmas, beginning tonight at the Flat Rock Playhouse in Henderson County.

By Britt Combs | The McDowell News

Published: November 18, 2009

Henderson County's Flat Rock Playhouse has been the launch pad of many a theatrical career, with stellar names like Kyle McLaughlin in its roster of "soon to go global" actors.

Add the name of Chris Bennett. The 12-year-old Montford Cove native will star as Leroy in the playhouse's production of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" beginning Thursday evening. The play is a stage adaptation of Barbara Robinson's 1972 best-selling novel about a group of unruly, rude, mean and violent delinquent kids, known collectively as "the Herdmans."

When the Herdmans show up at church (to take advantage of the free snacks), everyone believes the Christmas pageant will be ruined by the wild kids. What happens instead is a heartwarming storey of redemption, the conquering power of love and the true meaning of Christmas.

Bennett said the role of a bully is not at all natural to him, but that's the challenge of acting.

"It's a stretch," he said, "but that's the thing I like about acting."

No stranger to the stage, Bennett debuted in a Foothills Community Theatre production of "Cinderella" at the age of 4. He reckoned he had been in six plays in all, most recently FCT's "Seussical" in 2008.

The show premieres Thursday, with performances at the playhouse and in a few schools through the end of the month of November. Bennett said he is as excited by the stage today as he was in "Cinderella."

"I love (acting) more than anything," he said. "The stage and the applause make all the work worthwhile."

Work indeed. His father, Tom Bennett, signed Chris up for the Flat Rock Playhouse "YouTheatre," an educational program meant to stir the love of the stage and drama for kids in the region and throughout the state. Such was Bennett's reputation and the impression he made on the staff at the playhouse that he was awarded a full scholarship to the program.

"We have to go up there every day," said Chris. "The class is once a week, but rehearsal for the play is every day."

Tom Bennett, who has homeschooled both Chris and Chris' elder brother, Nathan, said the daily commute is a burden he is glad to bear. When he realized he would be a single parent, he made the commitment to encourage his sons in whatever interested them. For Nathan, that meant computer science. For Chris, theater seems more and more like a real career possibility.

"This kid is so smart," he said. "I don't mean to brag, but he's a great kid."

Chris said the theater is his home and the people there are his people. "There's a lot of competition," he said, "but I love it so much."

A self-described geek, Chris is already thinking about college. His interests, aside from drama, are literature, grammar and creative writing.

Keeley Duckworth has known Chris for years through his work with FCT. "I've directed him in three shows over the years," she stated. "He is very talented. But also he is just so grown up and responsible. He takes everything he does so seriously. He gets in character and will not break."

She added that Chris is an example to other young actors.

"He teaches the other kids," Duckworth said. "He reacts to everything on stage, his stage presence is always exactly what it should be. I tell the other kids, 'Watch Chris.'"

She said his maturity, as well as his intelligence, has made him a great kid to work with.

She said she was not at all surprised to hear he had received a scholarship at the playhouse.

Tom Bennett said he intends to keep homeschooling and keep making the drive to Flat Rock and do all he can to give his son the opportunity to learn, explore and work in theater. Future activities, along with classes and productions, will include a trip to New York, where the kids will see at least one live show and audition for Broadway parts.

Flat Rock Playhouse's production of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" opens Thursday night at 7:15. There will be shows nightly through Sunday, then three more Friday, Nov. 27 through Sunday, Nov. 29.

Regular admission is $15, with students getting in for $6. Curtain time is 7:15 p.m. For reservations or more information, call the Flat Rock Playhouse Box Office at (828) 693-0731.