Baker Lake (Feb 28/05) - Jonah Amitnaaq secondary school in Baker Lake produced a new wave of Kivalliq thespians earlier this month. The school sponsored the production of A promise is a Promise to rave reviews.

Mariele de Peuter and Steven Oovayuk of Jonah Amitnaaq secondary school in Baker Lake played the mom and the dad in the play A Promise is a Promise and performed a juggling song.

Sign language interpreter Dianna Rasing directed the play, based on the book of the same name by Michael Kusugak and Robert Munsch and adapted for the stage by Barbara Poggemiller.

Rasing says once she decided to proceed with the project, the call for auditions went out to the student body.

"We have some new blood here at the school with myself and language arts and drama teacher Lynn Goodwin, and we thought it would be a great idea for the kids to get involved with a theatrical production," says Rasing.

"We had about 20 students audition and they all received a part in the play."

A pair of students were brought in from Rachel Arngnammaktiq elementary school for the roles of the two children in the play, producing a cast of students from Grade 5 to 12.

"We adapted the play to fit our community. Originally, there was a juggling song from the Rankin Inlet region, but we asked elder Irene Taviniq Kaluraq to come in and teach us a local song, which cast members Mariele de Peuter and Steven Oovayuk performed very well."

One performance was held for both the elementary and middle schools, while two public shows drew about 100 people each night.

Rasing says the students enjoyed taking part so much, they're already asking about next year's play.