Great Escape: Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing

A little boy, whose mother introduced him to the stage, is making his theater debut, and a mother, who is rediscovering her roots after watching her daughter perform, are both in this weekend’s Racine Children’s Theater production of “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.”

Despite his mother, Mary Kveton’s experience, 9-year-old Peter Kveton was never much interested in theater. Then, he heard about the story of Peter and Fudge, a fourth-grader and his infamous baby brother, Fudge.

After that, Peter’s reason for wanting to be in the show was pretty simple.

“I wanted to do this because in the show there’s a boy named Peter and my name is Peter, and he’s in fourth grade and I’m in fourth grade,” said Peter, a student at Bull Fine Arts Elementary School in Racine.

Known on set as the “little ball of energy,” director Cody Ernest said Peter was a perfect fit for Fudge, a precocious 3-year-old who tears his way across the stage, eating flowers and turtles and whatever else he can get his hands on.

“I’m amazed at what he picks up on,” said Ernest, who recently moved from Caledonia to Kenosha.

Cast members broke character -- and into fits of laughter – this week during rehearsal when Peter made one cute, coy and ferocious face after another refusing to open his mouth during a dentist appointment.

It’s those little moments that make the play, which is based on Judy Blume’s popular children’s novel, Ernest said.

“It’s a story about family. And, more importantly, it’s about siblings,” Ernest said. “It really is sort of a love-hate relationship, especially between Fudge and Peter, with the angst of growing up, having to face the problems that every American family member has with fights and squabbles and the everyday life of having a sibling.”

As Mrs. Yarby, Lori Stefanski plays right past all that drama.

All hell breaks loose when she and her husband visit Fudge’s family, but none of that registers for Mrs. Yarby.

“All I see is this adorable little boy. Fudgy is so cute,” Stefanski explained. “And it turns out just not quite the way we expected.”

You’ve got to see the gag to believe it, but Fudge manages to work a turtle, a book, a monkey and a suitcase peppered with stickers into a fool-proof plan for getting rid of Mrs. Yarby, but not before he gets a free train for his birthday, of course.

For Stefanski, the show was another chance to reconnect with the acting roots that took hold for her at Horlick High School in Racine – a lineage the dialysis nurse and mother set aside until a few years ago, when her daughter, Taylor Anne, tried out for a play with the Racine Theater Guild.

“I was the mom dropping off the daughter at play practice, and I said, ‘I could help.’ And they embraced me. I was designing costumes for the next show,” she said.

Stefanski , 41, later stepped on stage, and she hasn’t looked back.

“I just love it. It’s different from my real life, and it’s a way to connect with so many different people in my community,” she said.

What: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

When: Eight one-hour shows, Friday, March 18, through Sunday, March 20. Show times are 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Friday; and noon, 2 and 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Guests should arrive 15 minutes before curtain call.

Where: Racine Theatre Guild, 2519 Northwestern Avenue (Highway 38), Racine

Cost: $6 per person.

Tickets: Available at the box office between noon and 6 p.m. weekdays or 90 minutes before show times; by calling, (262) 633-4218; or online at www.racinetheatre.org.