“Six –The Musical: Teen Edition” directed by Angela Miloro-Hansen will complete its run of performances for Curtain 440 in Geauga County Oct. 25-27. Show times are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Berkshire High School stage at 14155 Claridon-Troy Rd in Burton. Tickets are $17 for adults and$15 for students/seniors, and are available at the door or at www.curtain440.com/Tickets. In this popular small ensemble production, the six queens of King Henry VIII tell their stories in a high-powered musical, concert style. They remix history with girl power. The cast is comprised of singers from five local high schools. Ella Gifford is a 17-year-old senior at Andrews Osborne Academy who is active in softball, Mock Trial, National Honor Society, Student Council, Global Scholars, National Art Honor Society, and the International Thespian Society. She also plays one of the queens in “Six.” “I had loved ‘Six’ ever since it came out,” Ella says. “I was obsessed with how fun the music was and how high energy the production was as well. Although I didn’t know much about the history of the queens, I knew that they were super cool and were role models for young girls like me.” “When I found out about the auditions for Curtain 440’s production of it, I immediately wanted to be a part of it not only because I loved the show, but because I knew I would get to work with an amazing production team and group of girls who have become some of my closest friends in just a couple of months,” she added. “We are all constantly supporting each other both on and off stage, and amidst all of the choreography and lyrics, we always manage to end up laughing with each other onstage as we perform.” Ella has multiple theatre credits including “The Little Mermaid,” “The Crucible” and “Hairspray” at Andrews Osborne Academy, “The Wizard of Oz” at Thrive PVA, and “13: The Musical” at The Fine Arts Association. But “Six,” as she mentioned, is a personal fave. “I absolutely love this show, and for a couple of reasons,” she said. “One of course being that I get to sing with an amazing group of girls and perform some incredibly orchestrated songs, but also that we have the opportunity to influence and inspire our audiences with our queens’ stories. “The whole point of ‘Six’ is for these queens to reclaim their stories after living in Henry’s shadow for years, and it’s meant to show the audience that you don’t have to follow the story that history lays out for you,” she added. “You have the opportunity to shine and create the life you want, and the queens in ‘Six’ are meant to represent that. “Speaking as a young woman, I find the stories they tell inspiring; especially considering the social struggles women have faced and continue to face, having the opportunity to fill the shoes of some of the most influential female monarchs in history and go against the status quo is incredibly rewarding.” Ella already has one weekend of performances down and is ready to close. Noelle Rudersdorf is a 16-year-old junior at Chardon High School active in National Honor Society, photography club and golf. She has appeared in numerous Curtain 440 productions including “Wizard of Oz,” “Mean Girls: High School Edition,”  “Something Rotten,” “Legally Blonde,” “Shrek the Musical” and the upcoming “Beauty and the Beast.” “I have always loved this show and when I found out that Curtain 440 was putting it on, I just knew that I had to audition,” Noelle says. “Even before auditioning, I knew that this show would be incredibly difficult to perform, because you are literally on stage the whole 90-minute show singing and dancing. I’m so happy that I decided to take on this challenging show, as each of the queens are all so insanely talented, and I’m so glad I have had the opportunity to get to know them all.” Like Ella, Noelle also likes the themes of the show. “Each queen is more than just a wife, and this show really raises up women in showing we each have our own voice and should not be scared to show it,” she said. “I have been given the honor of being a swing in this show, so I have gotten to know each of the queens I understudy for very well. I have been working so hard to capture each of their personalities, and bring forth the qualities of the singers they each are modeled by.” Michaela Snider, another 16-year-old junior at Chardon High School active in running and singing, has theater credits in shows like “Into the Woods,” “Legally Blonde,” “Bring It On,” “Little Women” and “Mean Girls.” “I wanted to be a part of ‘Six’ because it has been a dream show of mine for so long,” Michaela says. “I went to see it on Broadway with one of my best friends and ever since then I’ve loved everything about the history and strength of the show. I absolutely adore getting to be in such an empowering and strengthening show with such amazing castmates that make the experience worth it.” One more weekend to catch these queens of Geauga County. Ashtabula Arts Center The final weekend for 13th Street Theatre’s production of the Mel Brooks musical “Young Frankenstein” has arrived at the at the Ashtabula Arts Center. Remaining performance dates are Oct. 25-27, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Get tickets at 440-964-3396 or ashtabulaartscenter.org. Advance sale tickets are $19 for adults, $17 for senior/student/military, and $15 for children 2-12. Prices include ticketing fees. Pay What You Can Pricing is available. For tickets at the door, add $2. “Young Frankenstein” features a book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan with music and lyrics by Mel Brooks and is directed by Christy Seymour with music direction by Debra Fleming. Based on the 1974 film, the musical follows Frederick Frankenstein (Max Seymour), who inherits his infamous grandfather’s estate in Transylvania. With the help of his hunchbacked sidekick, Igor (Chris Nappi), and his leggy lab assistant, Inga (Nina Nichols), Frederick finds himself in the mad scientist shoes of his ancestor, bringing the dead to life and dodging the pitchforks of the locals. Be aware this show includes adult humor and language. Young Thespians is a column focusing on youth theater. When are your fall productions? E-mail [email protected] or post them on our “Young Thespians” Facebook group page so we can get you on our calendar!