DANVILLE — A former child actor will lead a new group of kids with stars in their eyes when Red Mask Children’s Theater presents “Puss in Boots.”

Lisa Richter, who co-directs the group’s annual spring production with Debbie Prentice, first appeared on the Red Mask stage in sixth grade as a townsperson in “Tom Sawyer.” Jean Lewis, the children’s theater’s founder, directed her in that show.

“Mrs. Lewis would always tell us we were ‘grand’ when we rehearsed,” Richter said. “I use that word a lot with this group.”

The show opens Monday for a series of five daily matinees reserved for school groups. That tradition dates back to Lewis’s days, too. All the actors must have their principal’s permission to miss those five afternoons of school so they can perform for busloads of their peers.

“The children’s shows are such an institution,” Richter said. “Our cast doesn’t have any trouble being excused from school for this.”

Richter was inspired by her early community theater experiences to major in theater education. She directed children’s theater in Normal while she earned her degree and went on to teach drama in Champaign middle schools.

Richter continues to appear in both Red Mask and Danville Light Opera productions and recently directed DLO’s “Nunsense.”

“Kids are easier to direct than adults,” she said. “They listen, and they give it their all.”

Most of the cast has acted before, whether in school, church or previous Red Mask children’s plays.

They returned Richter’s compliments.

Caitlin Downey, a home-schooled 12-year-old, has been in four Red Mask shows.

“Lisa is a great director,” she said. “She knows how to make this fun.

“She’s taught us how to breathe the right way when we’re saying our lines, and how to ad lib if someone forgets a line.”

Downey plays a coachman in the classic story and has an onstage sword fight with Puss, played by Caleb Finley.

“I don’t like a cat ordering me around,” she said about her character. “That’s why we fight. I have a sword, since I’m part of royalty. He uses a stick.

“It took us awhile to get how to do it,” she added. “Your feet always have to be in a V-shape.”

Katie Bateman, a sixth-grader at St. Paul’s School, plays the queen.

“Lisa makes this so much fun,” she said. “I’ve learned so much from her, like how to project my voice. We’ve done acting exercises and improvisation. I love to be on stage.”

Clayton Harding makes his stage debut in “Puss in Boots.”

The South View Middle School seventh-grader turned to acting when health prob-lems curtailed his sports activities.

“Acting is funner than football,” Harding said. “I’ve made new friends doing this, too. I just started talking to them at rehearsals, and now we’re all friends.”

As the actors gathered on stage to begin rehearsal last week, Richter announced, “The dog will not be here tonight. He has a mandatory band rehearsal.”

That statement drew laughs from the adults there.

Parents whose children participate in Red Mask’s Children’s shows must help in some way. Those at the rehearsal during tech week included a stage manager, cast sitter and a lighting technician.

The young actors just nodded their heads, like true professionals, when Richter made her announcement. No one broke character.

Richter called staying in the part they’re playing, no matter what else is going on, “the Golden Rule of acting.”

She prepared them for their performances with more professional advice.

“Keep your energy level up,” she said. “You have to be excited for your audience to feel that way.”

IF YOU GO

Red Mask Children’s Theater will present “Puss in Boots” at 7 p.m. Friday and 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday at the Kathryn Randolph Theater, 601 N. Vermilion St. Tickets are $3. For information or reservations, call 442-5858.