Photograph by Robert Scheer
Sunnyvale Community Theater Junior Players director Tim Harris coaches actors Ryan Atkins, left, and Greg Blakenbehler in a rehearsal for "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."
By JEAN MURPHY TWING
The lobby was filled with hopeful young actors and actresses. A 4-foot-tall girl in dance shoes skipped near the door. A father helped his stepdaughter with a registration form. Mothers brushed hair and cleaned the faces of their little ones.
It was audition night for the Sunnyvale Community Players Junior Theater. Each of the future film stars of America awaited their turn to sing a song and display some talent for the director. All the children who auditioned that night for the current production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat were cast in a role.
In Sunnyvale, it really is very simple to get started in the theater. Show up for an audition at the Community Center theater, do your best, and you could be in a live performance.
"It's not often that all who audition are cast in a part," said Rande Harris, one of the producers for this show. "There will be some who drop out due to schedule changes or other unforeseen circumstances, and by the time of the performance we will be back to a workable number."
Harris and co-producer Debbie Keller supervise all the operations behind the scenes. They handle staffing fees, tickets, show times, rehearsal arrangements, the cast and other operational tasks.
"Making sure that the kids have a good time is our first and foremost goal," Harris said.
The children seem to have a wonderful time. About 75 percent of the cast in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat are repeat performers who have been in two or more previous shows.
"On stage you get to act like a totally different person," said 11-year-old Tracy Coed, who was cast in the play.
The Tipton family, who live in Sunnyvale, have three youngsters in the performance. Amanda, 9, has been in five shows; older brother Will, 12, has already been in eight performances; 15-year-old Megan has returned 12 times to perform with the group.
"When you come to theater, you can be yourself. It's a way to leave the outside world and just let go," Megan said.
The kids may have started because a parent pushed them, but now many are dragging that parent to the next audition.
The actors in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat are learning proper breathing and singing techniques under the direction of Kevin Kelly, an experienced opera tenor and conductor. They also receive free dance lessons from choreographer Gina DeMarco Jenkins, a local dance instructor with more than 20 years of training.
Cast members learn responsibility by keeping their schedules and caring for costumes, staff members say. They also build self-confidence and feel pride in what they can accomplish. The staff even encourages children to do homework if they are not on stage rehearsing.
Sunnyvale Community Players, now in its 27th season, runs four shows each year between October and May. The last performance was a family presentation in which both adults and children had roles. The current show is an all-youth production directed by Tim Harris.
The Community Players operates with limited finances and depends largely on ticket sales to enable them to continue to bring live performances to the community. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat can be seen Thursday through Sunday, Feb. 21 to March 16. For tickets call or visit the box office at the Sunnyvale Community Center Theater, 550 E. Remington Ave., 773-6611.
Children or adults who would like to join the theater group as a performer or as a crew member may audition for Bye Bye Birdie on Sunday Feb. 23 or Monday Feb. 24 between 6 and 9 p.m. at the Sunnyvale Community Center Theater. For more information, call Susan at 245-7067.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, February 19, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.