A Call for Actors, Young and Old

Want to spend the springtime learning how to act? The Scotts Valley Performing Arts' Youth Shakespeare program is about to kick off, starting with informational signup sessions this week and next for kids and adults to learn about the program and decide if they want to take the plunge.

This year's program will work on and perform two plays: Romeo and Juliet, and Mother Goose Meets Dr. Seuss and Other Strange Encounters, the latter of which was written by program director and producer, Trish Melehan.

Now in its fifth consecutive year, the program is the only one in town that works with actors from ages 5 to 18 as well as adults, too. 

"Often, a whole family will be in show. Last year we actually had a grandma, her grandson and her son, so three generations in one show," said Melehan, who worked as an educator for 30 years.

The best part is that nobody is turned away, if you want to act, you will get to act. 

"We don't audition first, we audition after the workshop, once they know the play. We like them to sort of tell us what roles they want, what they're auditioning for. Last year we had over 30 people in our shows," Melehan said of last year's shows, The Tempest Revisited, set in medieval Japan, and Journey Fantastique: Art and Poetry in Motion.

This year's workshops will focus on stage combat, as Romeo and Juliet has a lot of sword fighting in it. Lisa Kirk-Williams will direct Romeo and Juliet, which will showcase the older children and adults, while Mother Goose Meets Dr. Seuss and Other Strange Encounters will feature the younger children, but everyone will be worked in one way or another.

"We think the kids really benefit because it's a theatrical program but it's also educational. We have older kids working with younger kids and we have adults working with kids. I believe that's really good for kids because they have mentors, and also they know that their show is good enough for adults to want to be in it," Melehan said. 

The program will meet a couple of days a week and once school is out the rehearsals will be more numerous. The shows will be performed in mid-July at Olivet University. "It's hard work learning Shakespeare when you're a kid, no matter what age you are. But when they get older they won't be afraid of Shakespeare, they'll be much more used to the language," Melehan said.

To learn more about participating in SVPA’s Youth Shakespeare program, attend one of the two Informational Sessions on March 7 from 5-6 p.m., or on March 13 from 7-8 p.m. at St. Philips Episcopal Church in Scotts Valley.