'Miracle' gives Glen Ellyn teen first professional role

In his first stage performance, Michael Saguto of Glen Ellyn had the lead role in Ben Franklin Elementary School's production of “Peter Pan.”

Soon enough, though, the fourth grader began to scratch a growing acting bug, and he started pursuing roles in community theater productions throughout the suburbs.

“I absolutely had the time of my life. I was meeting all these people in theater,” said Saguto, now 13. “I said, ‘Hey, why don't I try to do some bigger stuff?'”

So this fall he decided to audition for his first professional role — Provision Theater's stage adaptation of the award-winning children's book “The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey.”

“I auditioned for this play and I got it, and it's been a great experience ever since,” he said.

Saguto plays Thomas McDowell, a brokenhearted boy who loses a wooden nativity set that reminds him of his dead father. Thomas' mother Sarah convinces a gruff woodcarver, Jonathan Toomey, to carve her son a new one. Over the course of the performance, Thomas watches the woodcarver as he works, while making increasing demands on his ability.

As one of the leads, Saguto is in nine out of 10 scenes, and has had to master the script in about two months time. He's also had to balance rehearsals five days a week with school and his Glen Ellyn travel soccer team.

“It's a lot to do. It's a full-out job. You have to be ready to move,” he says. “It's a very busy schedule, but I'm having so much fun with it.”

Last summer, Saguto took an improvisation class at The Second City in Chicago. He says he never misses an episode of “Saturday Night Live,” which he aspires to appear on some day.

He also has signed up with the youth talent agency Shirley Hamilton, which arranged for his audition for “The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey.” Saguto said he jumped at the opportunity.

“You audition in front of the director. They can call you later, and say, ‘Hey we want to see you again.' In this case they called and told me that I got the part.”

Director Timothy Gregory says Saguto stood out during auditions.

“There was something about him,” Gregory said. “There was an awareness he had. He just seemed really grounded and bright. That's critical when you have a child actor who really has to carry the scenes with adult actors.”

Saguto says the actors he works with have been helpful and encouraging.

“It's my first professional play, so I didn't know what to expect,” he said. “I've learned so much from working with everyone. It's a great learning experience.”

“The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey”

<b>Location: </b>Provision Theater Company, 1001 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago, (866) 811-4111 or <a href="http://provisiontheater.org">provisiontheater.org

<b>Showtimes: </b>10 a.m. Wednesday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 23

<b>Tickets: </b>$10-$30</a>