When Jonathan Mitchell of North Cross School auditioned for a part in Mill Mountain Theatre’s “Into the Woods,” he never imagined he would end up spending six days a week as a cow. But when opportunity came-a…mooing, he thought he might as well jump at the chance.

Mitchell said he originally auditioned for the role of Jack (yes, the one with the beanstalk).

“I’d never seen [the play] so I didn’t really know about the cow. I thought the only part I could get would be Jack, but I didn’t think I would get it so I was really doing it for the experience of auditioning.”

When the director asked him if he would play the role of dancing cow, Milky White, Mitchell said he’d do it.

Mitchell has been in three other performances at Mill Mountain, playing such parts as a tin soldier in “The Stinky Cheese Man” and Ralph Herdman in “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” But none of those roles prepared him for the physically demanding feat of wearing a full-body cow suit.

“[The costume] is really hot, but they put in ice to cool me down,” he said. Mitchell also uses crutches to support his weight and operate the cow’s front legs. “It kind of makes my back sore, but they gave me a back brace to help with that.”

He has to spend the entire first act, plus intermission in the suit. But he gets a welcome break during the second act.

Despite the difficult working situation, Mitchell is glad to be a part of the show. “The cast is really incredible so it’s really fun to work with them and be around them,” he said.

Mitchell, who will be a sophomore next year at North Cross, wants to try acting as a career. He has been involved with the performing arts since Kindergarten when he did the Odyssey of the Mind, a problem-solving competition that includes an element of themed performance. Mitchell has also participated in school plays and he attended theater camp at the Mill Mountain Theatre. “It just kept growing and growing on me,” he said.

Mitchell might spend the entire show hidden from view in a giant cow, but his dedication to the role brings to mind the old saying: “There are no small parts…”

Photo by Ayme Gierchak: Jonathan Mitchell (right) playing the role of Milky White the cow in "Into the Woods" and without his cow costume (below)

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• Posted by ryan jones in Arts and entertainment
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