Youth
theater is huge in the Valley.
Childsplay, Valley Youth Theatre,
Phoenix Theatre’s Cookie Company–the
list could go on to include youth
divisions of almost every local
theater company. The demand for
it is year‑round. Even when
the big theater companies all
but shut their doors in the summer,
youth groups go on producing.
At
Fountain Hills Community Theater
Youth Theater–abbreviated, thankfully,
as FHCT Youth Theater–artistic
and technical director Ross Collins
is preparing “My Emperor’s New
Clothes,” a musical comedy take
on the famous fairy tale. Written
by Larry Shue, who penned “The
Nerd,” it’s predictably funny
while conveying the serious lesson
that not everything is necessarily
as it seems. There’s a parallel,
Collins says, in his theater.
“We
have fun, but by the same token,
there’s work to be done,” says
Collins, who came to the Valley
from Michigan in 1979.
“This
is a teaching theater, yes, but
nothing we produce is in any way
‘baby’ theater. Theater is discipline
and I address it as a discipline.
Kids are expected to meet goals.”
Some
of those kids go beyond the goals.
Two of Collins’ former FHCT Youth
Theater students now study at
major arts colleges: Matt Crause
is at the American Institute for
Dramatic Arts in New York, and
Robin Baker is at the American
Institute for Musical Arts in
Los Angeles. Brennan Hillard,
a recent finalist in “Teen American
Idol,” also appeared with FHCT
Youth Theater.
The
ones who don’t go on to entertainment
professions nonetheless learn
important lessons from acting
in the theater. Says Collins:
“They
tackle the number one fear in
the world: public speaking. They
ride that demon and learn self‑awareness
and self‑confidence. That
affects them in every aspect of
their lives. I have seen kids
go through our theater and raise
themselves from Cs and Ds to As
and Bs. It’s not uncommon.”
So
much for the image of the arts
as frivolous. Even “My Emperor’s
New Clothes,” which Collins characterizes
as “bright and wacky, with stuff
happening all over the place,”
places high demands and responsibilities
on the actors.
Collins
maintains a branch of the Youth
Theater he calls YABOY, standing
for Young Actors Benefitting Other
Youth. Every year, YABOY attacks
some serious issue and takes it
to the stage. Later this season,
YABOY will present a show called
“Dorothy Meets Alice, or The Wizard
in Wonderland,” which deals with
youth literacy.
“My
Emperor’s New Clothes” opens Oct.
6 at FHCT Youth Theater. Tickets
are $12 for adults, $10 for those
12 and under. For more information,
call (480) 837‑9661, or
go to www.fountainhillscommunitytheater.com.
Local
composers share their wares
Arizona
boasts many composers of contemporary
classical music. Four of them,
including Yours Truly, will be
represented on a program called
“New Music Arizona.” The concert
will take place Oct. 8 at Phoenix
Art Museum, located on the corner
of McDowell and Central Ave. in
Phoenix. Admission to the concert,
which begins at 2 p.m., is free.
The
other composers are Judith Zaimont,
James DeMars and Henry Flurry;
and among us, there is a stylistic
range as broad as any I can imagine.
Violinist Katie McLin of Arizona
State University will perform
DeMars’ one‑movement work
for unaccompanied violin called
“Tapestry IX.” Flurry’s offering
is “Skid‑Krinkin’,” an amusingly
titled work for the equally amusing
combination of tuba and marimba.
(Yeah, you read that right.)
Zaimont,
who moved to Arizona recently
from Minnesota, will be represented
by “Parallel Play,” a free‑wheeling
score for saxophone quartet. And
my own piece, “Permanare,” is
a percussion concerto that will
feature Prescott percussion soloist
Maria Flurry (wife of featured
composer Henry Flurry).
Composers
are an odd bunch. All we want
you to do is listen. We don’t
do it for money–trust me on that–nor
do we do it for fame in a world
in which “fame” means American
Idol, Fear Factor, etc. We sincerely
want to share with you what we
feel about the world, as we’ve
translated it into sound. So,
if you’re not doing anything Oct.
8 ...
Visit
Ken’s blog at composerlafave.typepad.com.
