West Valley Youth Theater's Summer Season

West Valley Youth Theater (WVYT) has just begun its summer 2023 season, which includes four full-scale productions: Disney’s The Aristocats Kids, Mean Girls Jr., The Lightning Thief, and Rent. In contrast to many local theater groups, WVYT not only offers summer-long productions but also productions with a day-camp-style rehearsal process.This Jun., WVYT’s team of dedicated staff members worked to put on two camp shows in Leigh High School’s Theater. Bay Area children aged seven to 11 performed in The Aristocats Kids, which rehearsed from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM for ten days. Each day, staff worked with the children, teaching choreography, vocals, blocking, and general theater skills. In addition to directly rehearsing for their performance, campers engaged in group games and crafts. Each child decorated a hand-made foam instrument, which kids danced with while they performed the song Everybody Wants to Be a Cat. 2023 Los Gatos High School graduate Tommy Wilkens — who directed the show — detailed: “As someone who grew up doing WVYT and really benefited from it, it was amazing to be able to provide an intro to musical theater to these kids, especially the ones who were performing for the very first time.” Wilkens furthered his point, reasoning “I think that the production quality, scale of Leigh High School’s theater, and the resources that we had access to this year were great for the kids because they helped them have a unique, memorable experience.”At the same time, 11 to 14-year-olds were hard at work preparing for their performance of Mean Girls Jr. Although they only had three weeks to patch the show together, the campers showcased immense dedication, challenging themselves to conquer difficult choreography. Choreographer Katarina Kelly explained: “What I really like about coming back to WVYT is that this is somewhere where I learned a lot of things as a young person. It’s really special to be able to come back with lots of new ideas that I’ve learned from going to college and to be able to give it back to kids who I see myself in.” She continued, saying “I just love watching [the kids] grow throughout the process. Seeing them take something that was hard for them at the beginning and really be able to execute it well by the end of the process [is inspiring].”Meanwhile, WVYT holds rehearsals for its summer-long productions, which are both directed by Artistic Director Heather Stokes. Performers age nine to 15 are currently preparing to bring The Lightning Thief to Leigh High School’s stage. Based on Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson novels, the Lightning Thief follows the journey of three friends as they search for Zeus’ missing lightning bolt and attempt to maintain peace among the Greek gods. This musical features classical Greek mythology and lovely ballads while also incorporating angsty rock music and action-packed battles.The final show of this summer’s season is Rent, which features a cast of local high schoolers as well as recent high school graduates. Written and composed by Johnathan Larson, Rent follows a group of friends struggling to make a living in New York City. As they combat the hardships of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, they learn to cherish each other for who they are.Although The Aristocats Kids and Mean Girls Jr. are already in the books, tickets for The Lightning Thief and Rent are still available at wvyt.org/tickets, so be sure to stop by. The Lightning Thief performs July 13-16, and Rent performances are July 20-23.In the coming year, keep an eye out for more WVYT productions as the company continues to extend itself to more Bay Area schools.https://www.wvyt.org/tickets

Article by Ainsley Northrop, 6/28/2023