Love of theater starts at young age for St. Charles teen

Delaney Carani of St. Charles was so impressed with the Fox Valley Repertory Youth Ensemble production of “Annie,” she wanted to be part of the troupe’s next play.

She auditioned for “Schoolhouse Rock” and earned a spot in the production. That was five years ago.

“Schoolhouse Rock” was a lot of fun, but things take on a darker mood for the 15-year-old Carani on Friday in her role in the Fox Valley Repertory production of “The Woman in Black” at Pheasant Run.

This thriller, a big hit onstage across the globe since 1987, will feature Carani, a sophomore at St. Francis High School and two other young ladies — Faith Weitzner of Bloomingdale and Stephanie Dittemore of Lombard — in the role of “The Woman.”

“There are a lot of scenes with quick ins and outs, so three of us play the same role,” Carani said of her role in this adult show. Previously, she’s appeared in youth ensemble productions of “Physical Juniors,” “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Noises Off.”

With her school schedule and activities, Carani is hard-pressed to get to all of the Fox Valley rehearsals, but claims, “I look at the script and go through it whenever I can, so when I get to rehearsal I will know it pretty well.”

Carani got her start on the stage at Wredling Middle School where she had a role in “The Beatles Slept Here.”

Even though “Little Shop of Horrors” was an entirely different kind of “scary” from what “The Woman in Black” will offer, Carani says it was still “creepy.”

But those who attend “The Woman in Black” at Pheasant Run are likely to have a few genuine chills sent down their spines.

“That’s the goal,” Carani warns.

Just go now: If you enjoy crowds, then you’ve probably already been at Lincoln Park in St. Charles to check out this year’s Scarecrow Festival. If you don’t like crowds, the best time to go might be Sunday morning. It’s a pretty decent way to spend a little more time at each scarecrow setup and admire all of the creativity that goes into one of the best festivals of the year.A spooky crawl: You won#146;t look at Geneva in quite the same way again. And that#146;s a good thing if you enjoy history #8212; and spending a little time in the city taverns.Plus, who doesn#146;t enjoy a good #147;Ghost Walk#148; on the weekend before Halloween? You can participate in any and all of the above with fundraisers being planned by the Geneva History Center.The deadline has passed for signing up for the #147;Spirits of Geneva#148; pub crawl from 6 to 11 p.m. Oct. 15, but if you forgot to get your name on the list, it might be worth checking in with the history center at (630) 232-4951 to see if you can still get on. It#146;s $35 for nonmembers, $25 for members.Otherwise, try the Ghost Walk being offered at 2, 4, 6 and 8 p.m. Oct. 29 to get that scary weekend off to a good start. Cost is only $10 for nonmembers and $5 for members of the history center.Both events will have a cast of historic characters telling tales at the various spots along the routes. If you#146;ve never been in on one of these events, take this advice: They are a blast.Some different #145;cities#146;: It appears they could have kept the word #147;City#148; on the building that previously housed Circuit City in Batavia and just rent the place out for seasonal themes.Right now, the storefront serves as #147;Halloween City#148; at its strip center location at the corner of Fabyan Parkway and Randall Road. But it may as well be #147;Christmas City#148; or #147;Easter City#148; in the future.Unless, of course, an actual store decides to give the location another try for the long-term in the future.New place to roam: The horses at Field of Dreams must surely be enjoying the open spaces at their new location off Nelson Lake Road in Batavia.The rescue center for injured or abused horses recently moved from its original location along Brundige Road in St. Charles to the Batavia spot.No matter where it is located, the people involved in providing these animals a decent life should be supported and commended.Just seems right: It was certainly good news that longtime hardware businessman Bill Rosenfelder has teamed up with George Havlicek to bring the Ace Hardware back to 617 W. State St. in the Geneva Plaza before the end of the year.The other businesses in the center have to be pleased. It has been rather strange not seeing the Ace Hardware at that location, and it just seems right #8212; and good news for those who like a hardware store near their neighborhood #8212; that it will return.