Eight-year-old Oliver Calderon said to his friends: “Let’s put on a play!”
And so, on Friday evening, Nov. 22, 18 kids under the age of 10 took to the stage of the Flossmoor Community House to the delight of their family and friends to present their version of “Wonka.”
And Oliver donated just over $1,000 in proceeds from the production to Breakthrough T1D, an organization supporting diabetes advocacy and research. Both Oliver and his friend Maggie Pack were recently diagnosed with T1 diabetes.
Oliver said his parents, Anne and Fidel Calderon, inspired him to write the play. Oliver’s mom, who is a theater teacher at Homewood-Flossmoor High School, helped him develop the 35-minute script. She admits they took liberties from the original musical but the story line generally kept to the plot.
“He would tell me, ‘Oh, we don’t need that scene. That line’s not right,” she said.
Oliver’s dad worked on getting microphones and other technical gear for the production. Their neighbor, Andy Weberg, shared his lighted “Wonka” sign from his yard display and came that afternoon to restring the marquee’s lights.
“Wonka” is the 2023 movie that tells the story of how Willy Wonka, inventor, magician and chocolate maker, developed his craft to the delight of the general public. “Wonka” is the prequel to “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” based on the book by Roald Dahl.
the police chief in the Flossmoor children’s presentation
of “Wonka.” (Marilyn Thomas/H-F Chronicle)
The kids had all seen the movie and knew the songs and when a few were included in the production, the young actors lip synced to the music.
After just three rehearsals, the lines weren’t committed to memory so the kids read off the script, but no one minded. The fact that they stood on a stage and performed delighted the audience who gave them a standing ovation at the end.
Olson Cutcliffe, who portrayed the police chief, got laughs as he waddled onto the stage, a pillow stuffed into his uniform, cane in hand. “It could be more comfortable, but it’s not the most uncomfortable” costume, Olson said.
And the candy factory’s Oompa-Loompas Sullivan Calderon and Leo Berrini stole the show with their green wigs and white shorts with suspenders.
The play was meant to be a backyard production, but the weather forced the show indoors. That was probably a good thing, since nearly 100 people came out to cheer the kids on.
Anne welcomed the guests saying: “This means so much to myself, Oliver, our family, the Pack family. Oliver and Maggie both have Type 1 diabetes. It’s just super meaningful for us.”
Cast members on stage with Oliver Calderon, who starred as Willy Wonka, were Ben Airey, Wren Barker, Julius Berrini, Leo Berrini, Sullivan Calderon, Easton Calderon, Olson Cutcliffe, Wells Cutcliffe, Spencer Janowski, Baylor Kerr, Claire Pack, Maggie Pack, Charlie Rude, Edie Rude, Avi Siengo, Josiah Sills, and Rowan Willard-Rose.
This was Oliver’s second children’s production. In 2023, he wrote and directed “Super Mario Bros” as a backyard show. He donated those proceeds to Cradles To Crayons, an organization for homeless children.