Is Your Kid a Drama Queen or King?

The Pinole Community Players and Pinole Young Actors groups provide an incredible outlet for lots of creative kids. For many summers kids have had a great place to go for a month, drama camp, where they create an amazing production in just that short time. This is a truly amazing task. This summer's production of Camp Rock had 69 participants. Choreographer and dance instructor Anjee Norgaard recalls a couple of summers when the program had 120 kids for the productions of Annie Get Your Gun and Grease.

The Pinole Young Actors group is funded by the city and is part of the Recreation Department. Pinole Community Players took over when the city was having financial difficulties and helped with the summer workshops. The fall and spring programs for Pinole Young Actors need to pay for themselves (be "budget neutral") in with good enrollment numbers and and ticket sales. The upcoming Fall Children's Afterschool Workshop will feature Disney's Aladdin Jr. and will start Sept. 13, right after kids are settled in school, with December performances.

The core group of the Pinole staff consists of program director Stacy Norgaard; stage/musical director Leah Wilson; and choreographers Anjee Norgaard and Justin Cole. This group has been together since their Pinole Valley High School experiences. At the end of the latest show, Camp Rock, Stacy Norgaard said that for one month each summer she is fortunate enough to work with her sister, her best friends, great kids and her family. It doesn't get much better than that, and it points up the close connections among the staff. The talented Justin Madfes and Fernando Ochoa are also a part of this group.

In 1981, Dave Clark started the successful acting program. Wilson and Anjee Norgaard became assistants to the program back in high school, in the mid-1980s. One of Clark's high school student assistants, Gerard Calvo, took over the program but later moved to New York. It was in 1987 that Anjee Norgaard was hired to be the program director; then Wilson and Justin Cole were hired. In 1992, Stacy Norgaard joined the core group and took over as the program's current director.

In July of 2009, Anjee Norgaard bought the dance studio business in Pinole that was formerly Adrienne's Dance Studio. We now have Anjee's Dance Etc. to benefit from with Zumba, tumbling and tap and jazz. Some kids involved in the drama programs are also students there. In the summer program the staff will escort the students down the street from playhouse rehearsals to start the next part of their day with dance class.

My kids have been fortunate enough to be a part of this program for several years now.This staff's passion for what they do with our kids in the program is incredible. It is always a "from the heart" experience for my kids. The level of energy that is put forth to run this unique program always amazes me, and it shows in so many ways. I see a  high level of adoration and respect from the kids for the staff and can see how much they excel for them.

"We plan our vacations around the summer program," said Lisa Johnson, mother of young actors Abigail and Eliza Johnson. Her oldest daughter has been in the program since kindergarten; she's gone straight through to the eighth grade. The staff lets the older actors know that they have the possibililty of being assistants, just as several staff members were when they got too old to participate at the drama camp level. That was how the core group got started, the kids are reminded.  

The performances are full of amazements, like how far the kids have come in their talents and special surprises. My kids are always secretive about what is going on and about rehearsing. They are told to "keep the magic."

For Camp Rock the kids kept the secrets of a high-energy flash mob-type dance at the end to recognize National Dance Day and the special slide show during the performance. A screen that dropped down over the stage while the kids were performing revealed their memorable drama camp afternoons with their friends and had some parents bringing out the tissues.

Life Skills that Can Come from an Acting Program

• Shy kids turn into more confident ones.
• Enhances public speaking.
• Gives the chance to make lifelong friends.
• Creates self-discipline and focus.
• Keeps kids active with dancing, learning rhythms and other movement.
• Helps with memorization and reading.
• Enhances singing abilities.
• Gives teamwork opportunities.

Pinole has had some famous talent that got its start from in these programs. Krisy Cates made it to Broadway, where she played Elphaba in Wicked. Jessie Sailor who is a working Hollywood actor and in a Lady Gaga video. Who will be next?