Okotoks Junior High School is ready to sweeten up spring with its latest production.

The school will begin showing performances of their play Charlie and the Chocolate Factory this week.

The play is an adaptation of the book by Roald Dahl where a man named Willy Wonka opens up his factory to five children who are "golden ticket winners" and they go through the factory disappearing according to their vices until it's just one kid, Charlie, who's left at the end.

Charmaine Ferguson, fine arts teacher at OJ, says it's been amazing watching students work together for the play.

"I did a very, very small production last year and this is a much larger scale and the kids have really risen to the occasion," she says. "It's a lot of pressure for them, it's a lot of responsibility, and they really come into their own and I think they're going to be really successful."

Ferguson says casting wasn't limited to just those in the drama program.

"We have all the grades, so seven, eight, and nine involved and it was by audition process so kids who are in the drama program and aren't in the program got to participate."

Students began performing for their peers this week and will hit the stage for their first public performance Thursday night at 7 o'clock.

The play will go over the weekend as well with performances Friday at 7:00 p.m., and Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Tickets are $5 for students, $10 for adults, and children 5-years-old and under are free. For the Saturday matinee, if there's tickets left, admission at the door will be made by donation.

Tickets can be purchased at the school's main office.

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