VALDOSTA — Toni Jarvis and her Valdosta Middle School theatre students have a busy few weeks ahead of them.

The VMS Players’ seventh graders present “The Spell of Sleeping Beauty” tonight.

Next weekend, VMS Players enter their first Southern Regional Middle School One Act competition against other South Georgia schools. They will perform “Dracula: The Death of Nosferatu.”

On Nov. 3 and 5, VMS Players’ eighth-graders present a stage adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia” tale, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.”

This week, Jarvis juggles the opening of “The Spell of Sleeping Beauty” on the stage of the Valdosta High School Performing Arts Center while the one act students rehearse “Dracula” in the lobby.

VMS Players moved “Sleeping Beauty” rehearsals to the Performing Arts Center this week. The “Dracula” cast will rehearse on the PAC stage next week.

VMS Players present a stage version of “Sleeping Beauty” by Vera Morris, a playwright who has written several plays for children and youth theatre.

VMS Players synopsis of “The Spell of Sleeping Beauty”: In the kingdom of Never Nod, there’s celebration. A princess has been born to the king and queen. Her name is Briar-Rose. Unfortunately, that nasty witch, Evilina, who lives in Tumbledown Castle with a giant spider for a companion, is not invited. She shows up anyway and pronounces her revenge. At age 16, the princess will cut her finger on a spinning wheel and fall into a deep sleep from which she’ll never awake. Some good witches counter the curse by saying the princess can be awakened by the kiss of true love. The king bans all spinning wheels. Evilina is not so easily defeated and, on that fateful birthday, the princess does, indeed, cut her finger on a spinning wheel. It’s up to Prince Alexander to come to Briar-Rose’s rescue and the royal court’s too. They’re all asleep! The prince must fight a Wall of Thorns, a False Princess and, most frightening of all — the awesome Dark Knight! This captivating, frolicsome version of the always-popular classic has it all — charm, action, romance, comedy, thrills, plus zany and lovable characters. Suitable for all age groups.”

THE CAST: Keosha Harris, Kalie Hulongbayon, Savannah Bell, Nikole McLeish, Amara Williams, Hanna Hauser, Precious Warren, Keneisha Scott, Amy Nelson, Darby Glenn, TeCarah Taylor, Leannah Hicks, Jeronica Wade, Deanna Peak, Katelynn Kenworthy, Harveysha Booker, Juliana Cruz, Bethany Burns, Kaitlyn Koebble, Estesia Persue, Laine Oaks, Andrew Ngo, Maliyah Jones, Destiny Wilson, Courtney Johnson, Alden Walker, Lisa Goodson, Suzanne Alcidonice, Hannah Baldwin, Erin Carter, Audrey Gilbert, Alaina Lapham, Brkela Miller, Moenajah Wilson, Cierra Brown, Mykal McLeish, J.P. Mullis, Alexis Conner, Amanda Edwards.

DIRECTION, PRODUCTION: Toni Jarvis, director; Gregory Washington, lights crew; Peter Candelario, sound crew; Reed Bailey, Ben Goddard, Zachary Goddard, John Michael Haddin, stage crew.

SHOWTIME

VMS Players present “The Spell of Sleeping Beauty.”

When: 7 p.m. today. One night only.