Charley Fronapel (left) plays a bettor listening to Jim Smiley’s (Sabrina Humbird) cocky betting deals in “The Jumping Frog Story.” Humbird added “poundage” to her costume for the part. The Eagle/Angel Carpenter

JOHN DAY – Drama students of Grant Union High School recently enlightened a sizable audience with facts about Mark Twain as they brought a few of his stories to life on stage.

The group presented the play “Twain’s Tales” on March 6 and 7 with their teacher Julie Reynolds directing.

Some toe-tapping Irish fiddling music, presented by Brianna Murphy-Johnston, got the evening off on the right foot. Then the curtains opened on Preston Ake, Amanda Buckhaults, Savannah Kowing, Noel Nelson and Sierra Elliott, who played the parts of five storytelling locals sharing their tall tales on the porch of an old general store – the events taking place around 1890 somewhere on the Mississippi River.

Each character had an occupation once held by Mark Twain – a storekeeper (and his wife), a printer, a riverboat pilot and a newspaper journalist.

One actress said she hoped the audience would “get a craving” to check out Twain’s writings at the local library.

Noel Nelson, who played Thom the riverboat pilot, shared the meaning of Mark Twain – Samuel Clemens’ pen name. “Mark twain” was a Mississippi River term used to tell when the water had reached two fathoms (12 feet) deep, the safe depth for a steamboat.

The five took turns swapping fibs they swore were the “gospel truth,” and as they spun their yarns other actors took the stage to animate their stories.

Ethan Bellinger played Tom Sawyer weaseling his way out of a day of whitewashing Aunt Polly’s (Stephaine Randall) fence – a job given to him as punishment. Along comes Ben (Kieron Callahan) who decides he wants to give it a try. Tom insists that he can’t give the job away, yet makes the task look so enjoyable that Ben offers Tom his apple just to have a go at it.

Manipulating others into the job, Tom enjoys the rest of the day with his friend Huck Finn (Zach Swayne). At the end of the day he receives praise from Aunt Polly for a job well done.

“The Jumping Frog Story,” “Science vs. Luck,” “The Joke That Made Ed’s Fortune,” “The Belated Russian Passport” and “Is He Living or is He Dead?” were other tales brought to the stage.

In all, there were five vignettes showing the human foibles Twain was so masterful at portraying.

The cast included: Preston Ake, Ethan Bellinger, Amanda Buckhaults, Kieron Callahan, Sierra Elliott, Charley Fronapel, Corey Goit, Melissa Hale, Sabrina Humbird, Savannah Kowing, Brianna Murphy-Johnston, Noel Nelson, Stephaine Randall, Nathan Roy, Shahaylie Smarr, Daniel Soupir, Zach Swayne, Kaitlyn Webb and Ashley Witty.

Reynolds said the performances drew compliments from the community.

“I’m proud of them,” she said of her students. “I would like to thank the community for their support.”

Next up, the group is working on an audience-interactive mystery to be presented in the spring.