The race is on at the Imperial Centre.

The classic showdown between "The Tortoise and the Hare" will get a radical new look when 26 children participating in the PlayShop theater program bring it to life this weekend, said Michael Baggesi, set and lighting designer.

Telegram photo / Joel Hodges (ENLARGE)

Checkered-flag chase: Young actors in the PlayShop theater program cheer from the grandstand in a rehearsal of 'The Great Race,' a NASCAR-themed adaptation of 'The Tortoise and the Hare.'

"It is written in the modern context of an automobile race, like a NASCAR race. There are viewers in the grandstands, there are pit crews and reporters and all the different things that you would see at a NASCAR race," Baggesi said.

A group of 8- to 12-year-olds will perform "The Great Race," a souped up rendition of the fable, at 7 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday in the Rocky Mount Community Theatre at the Imperial Centre, said director Lars Tatom. The performance concludes the three-week acting workshop.

Tatom wrote a new script about the famous race for the workshop. He already was working on a different version of the play this spring when he heard Baggesi, his neighbor, watching NASCAR races. The idea to combine the two stuck.

"It just made perfect sense in this part of the country. It is a modern update. If nothing else, we figured the fathers who got dragged along by the wives to see the show will have something of interest," Tatom said.

Patrick Hall, 11, of Nashville was familiar with the fable from school but thinks this new version is a good fit for the area. This is Hall's fourth year in PlayShop.

"It is pretty much really good for the Southern region. NASCAR is a pretty big part of the South," Patrick said.

The show blends NASCAR with the all-animal world the story is set in, Tatom said. For instance, instead of Talladega Speedway, the animals will be racing at Toadadega Speedway, which is owned by the toad.

Because the original fable revolves mainly around the two racers, Tatom had to create a number of other animal roles and find a place for them in this world.

Zakia Moton, 8, of Rocky Mount is one of three birds that act as the hare's pit crew during the race. This is Zakia's first time in the camp.

"At one point he will fall off, and we have to go fan him and make sure he is OK," Zakia said.

People will be able to see many of the familiar plot points of the original story, said Allison Binkley, 11, of Rocky Mount. The hare is cocky because he has never been beaten in a race. Along comes the tortoise, who claims he can beat the faster animal.

As usual, during the race, the hare makes some bad decisions that make the tortoise's claims seem more and more likely as they approach the finish line, Allison said.

"I like the way (Tatom) changed it and made it so it is not just the basic story. It has got that in it, but it's got a lot of other details, and I like that," Allison said.

The original messages behind the story are also still there for the children and anyone who comes to see the show, Baggesi said.

"It teaches them that not always the fastest person finishes first. You have to be focused and concentrate on the final goal and not get distracted," Baggesi said.

Tatom said the children were focused leading up to the performances. PlayShop, which began July 7, involves teaching the basics of acting, giving a look at other aspects of the theater such as lighting and costumes and helping apply that knowledge to a production.

"We try always to make sure that there is some component of each class, no matter how small, that they can directly relate to what they are doing. It is not just education for education's sake," Tatom said.

This was the first PlayShop for Mackenzie Harrison, 10, of Rocky Mount. She helped backstage last year and thought acting looked fun, so she signed up this year.

"I think I made a good choice. I am having fun. ... I like acting. It is stimulating. It lets you kind of see into another character's world. It helps you interact with people," said Mackenzie, who plays the tortoise.

Tickets are $5. For more information, call 972-1266.