Malta actresses 'break a leg' at Fort Peck Theater

Most of us only think about the 1920's in a passing breathe, but two young teenagers Clara Waters and Devyn Salsbery, for the last couple of months have had no choice but to live in it, through acting.

The duo from Malta have been a very important part in the Fort Peck Summer theatre's rendition of the 1920's based play "Cheaper by the dozen."

If you're looking to get out of town for an evening, this weekend, you should make your way to the Fort Peck Summer theatre to show these young ladies support.

According to Waters the play "Cheaper by the Dozen" is an excerpt from an autobiography about a dad and his competition with his daughter, who wants to grow up.

"She's a senior in high school and the dad (Frank Gildbreth) is a motions study guy, a real important guy," said Clara Waters. "The dad has to have everything ship shape," Devyn Salsbery added.

The story gets even more intriguing, because Frank and his wife have a rather large family of close to twelve children, nine of which are represented by actors in the play.

Frank is known as a pioneer in industrial efficiency and seems to think he can manage his family through the same tactics that makes him an efficient boss at work. Apparently the results are embarrassing.

Clara, 13, is a third year actress at the theatre, and plays a ten year old, Frieda, a tomboy like character, who eventually finds herself becoming a young lady.

"In the beginning I'm a tomboy and later I spend too much time with my older sisters and turn into a girly-girl," Clara Waters.

The role is a significant upgrade for Waters, who in the past played the role of an extra.

"Two years and only five minutes," she joked, explaining that this role in Cheaper by the Dozen is 20 lines long.

According to Salsbery, the duo didn't have any lines and they were just in the voice band during their last play together.

Clara like many young people want to act, however opportunities like this one give her the chance.

"I really do want to be a main character," said Clara. "I was in the Missoula Children's Theatre since kindergarten and then my grandparents took me to see 'Annie' in Fort Peck."

That's when Waters looked through the program at Fort Peck and saw an ad for the summer camp. Noticing her interest in the camp, the grandparents offered to pay her way.

Unlike the camp, there is no admission fee for acting in a play at Fort Peck, however there are live auditions.

The girls have both played that waiting game.

"That is the most nerve-racking month of my life," said Salsbery.

Day after day, Waters beckoned her mother to check her email to see if she made the cut.

"I didn't know I got the part yet, but my mom posted it on Facebook and someone else told me, 'Devyn congratulations on being a part of the Fort Peck Summer Theatre again," said Devyn, who didn't even know she made the cut, let alone what part she received.

For this play, Devyn and Clara auditioned January 21 of this year.

"I was nervous and I don't get nervous," Waters told the PCN.

Devyn, a second year actress at Fort Peck, is playing Daniele a character very close to her own heart.

"I'm kind of the sassy kid," Salsbery said. "I don't care what you say, my way goes."

Devyn, like Clara is an aspiring actress, for other reasons. Reasons that should not be in this county or in this nation.

"Ever since I was really little, I was picked on a lot at school," Salsbery explained. "So when I was in the Missoula Children's Theatre, you weren't the 'weird kid' or the kid with vampire teeth or being the kid who had to step on a stepping stool when you got married. You were just a cute kid in a play."

Salsbery is really looking forward to graduating high school, so she can attend Concordia a school for the performing arts in Minnesota.

She will be following in the footsteps of both of Waters' parents if she is one day accepted.

"Let's just say, I have to get amazing grades because it is expensive," said Salsbery. "So donations will be accepted."

The girls have learned a lot about the acting world, including the world of makeup, hair and wardrobe.

"We have hair, makeup and costumes all within a period of an hour and a half," said Salsbery. "Our last performance we had only 45."

That may seem like an eternity for some, but the amount of layers of clothing make it hard to do.

"I had so many layers," said Salsbery. "I had to put on tights, a leotard, stockings, an under-slip then another slip, then my dress."

"We get no help," said Waters.

To be a teenager, with no knowledge of the 1920's fashion was hard at first glance for the girls, due to the fact the hair-styles were so different.

"We had to figure it out," said Waters. "They sent us pictures of hair-styles."

Originally the designers wanted the girls to cut their hair, but the young ladies figured a way to pin it back, saving their gorgeous manes for everyday life.

According to Salsbery the hardest part has been being away from home.

"I've been away from my family for weeks at a time," she said. "This is the longest I've ever been away from them. Not being able to see my daddy for a while was really hard for me. He's like my best friend and so is my mom."

Waters' hardest experience have been the late hours, which included a day where rehearsal started at 9 a.m. and went to 10 p.m.

Other than having the task of getting ready for curtain calls, missing home and having long days of practice, the girls had been up and down the hi-line for most of their summer months. It doesn't take a genius to know how expensive traveling can be, let alone lodging if you plan to stay for the summer.

"We stayed down there for quite a while so we bought a camper," Clara said. "He (dad) actually bought me a camper and furnished it, just so that we can stay down there."

For those that think a camper may be too much for the young actress, the family did the math and with her having to drive to Fort Peck and back almost everyday during practices and plays. They decided it was more efficient for them just to stay in Fort Peck.

Salsbery and Waters are asking citizens of Phillips County to make that drive, this weekend.

"You should come because it's a great way to support local artists and it's a great place to take your family," Salsbery said. "It's just an awesome experience."

She realized this while looking at "The Ring of Fire." She has also heard that the FPST's performance of the Music Man, a play that Salsbery has been a part of, was better than the Broadway rendition.

Show times are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 P.M. and 4:00 P.M. on Sunday.