In the Ironton High School library, director Katherine Price is giving her cast a good-natured dressing down.

"Apparently some of you have been sticking your heads out through the curtain before the show to see the people in the audience," Price affects a long pause, letting her feelings about this pre-show ritual be known through her silence.

"What is that, everybody?"

Price asks.

The cast, with embarrassed smiles, respond "It's Ms. Price's fourth-grade pageant," all together in a dutiful sing-song.

They've heard this before, but the effect isn't lost on them, because in many ways, that "fourth-grade pageant" is exactly what the director and her cast are desperately trying to avoid.

When Price spreads out her hands, one to represent "the fourth grade pageant" and one to represent "Broadway," it's quite clear from the expressions of the cast of "Damn Yankees" exactly which end of the spectrum that they're aiming for with the musical.

Whatever Lola wants

Though the Ironton High thespians always aim high, they had a little farther to shoot for this go-round. Their traditional 11-week rehearsal period was shorted by almost a month resulting in rehearsals every day, save for Sunday, for two to three hours a night.

Perhaps the student that had the farthest to go in order to rise to that nigh-Broadway level was young McKenzie Yates, who daily made the transformation from mild-mannered high school student to super-seductress Lola.

Though the role was a challenge, it soon became a simple matter of Yates separating herself from Lola Š with a little demonic aid.

"At first, when we were learning the dance moves, there was a lot of giggling while I was getting used to it, but you just have to put yourself in that character, that state of mind," Yates said. "And I'm working opposite Eric Brown, who's the Devil, he was really funny, it was hard to keep a straight face."

A Devil of a time

Some clarification may be in order. Brown is not, as you may have guessed, the actual Dark Prince of the Underworld, but he does portray a stunning facsimile: The devious Mr. Applegate.

When questioned about his methods for preparing for a character that is almost universally maligned, Brown becomes coy. His shyness is a surprise, especially after seeing him seethe across the Ironton stage as the outgoing Applegate.

Finally, it comes to him.

"I guess you just have to be annoyed all the time," Brown said. "I didn't want to be really mean, but definitely loud and flashy. Sort of like he was drunk, but you can't tell, you know?"

The enigmatic character actor considers elaborating on that last unorthodox point, but seems to decide against it, and returns to shedding his demonic uniform (a snazzy scarlet and black suit) in favor of street attire.

Good to go

A few feet away in the men's dressing room, Elliot Cunningham looks exhausted, yet pleased. They have just completed their performance for the elementary and middle school students and aside from a few technical snafus, things went smoothly.

As he and the rest of the cast discuss where they will have the post-show luncheon, Cunningham gingerly tends to the grayed wig of Joe Boyd, and the baseball jersey of "Shoeless Joe" Hardy.

It's a fitting representation of the dichotomy that Elliot has had to embody throughout the show, his performance as young, athletic Shoeless Joe sandwiched in-between his convincing portrayal of the elderly Boyd, who trades his soul to become the younger man.

"Especially playing the older man was a little difficult, being able to change my attitude and limp a little bit, and do everything a little bit, you know, easier," Cunningham said. "But once I got the costume on, I was able to fit the character pretty well; I'd say that was the most difficult part Šthat and all the lines."

Interestingly, Cunningham, whose characters take the brunt of Lola's seduction, was not nearly as uncomfortable as McKenzie Yates.

"No, I mean, I'm friends with her, so if it was someone who I completely didn't know it would probably be a little weird," Cunningham said. He added with a grin, "As long as her boyfriend doesn't come after me, I'm good to go."

Fourth-grade hearts

As Price prepares her cast for the young children's show, she's not as conflicted with the pseudo-sexual content of the show as she is with the smattering of "PG" language throughout.

"We're going to have a great audience today, all the little ones, so everything is "darn" Yankees," Price said. "No cussing, unless you're the director."

A hand shoots up. One young actress wants to know if she can still insist that Joe Hardy would go to "hell" for his team.

Price considers this new kink for a moment, and then asks hopefully:

"Could we maybe go with 'Hades'?"

This elicits giggles from the cast, and for a moment one is reminded that even though they may consistently strive for a Broadway-level performance, the students of Ironton High still have the hearts of those fourth-graders preparing for the pageant.