Kids Are The Stars In This Theater
Children’s theater has come to the Valley.
Theater Arts for Children has a home in University City Shopping Center, a director in Vicki Hynes and a new show opening today. Classes for children are set for the end of the month.
Performances of “I’m a Celebrity” are at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. today and next Saturday. The theater is next-door to KayBee Toys at U-City.
“The story is about Harold Dorfmiller, who has a wild imagination and loves books and his friends make fun of him,” said Hines. By the end of the show, though, the characters conclude that imagination and reading are good things.
In February, Hines has scheduled auditions for “Rumpelstiltskin.” The cast of 15 will include actors age 8 through adult. Acting experience is not required.
“We’re always encouraging people with no experience to audition, and we always need adults,” Hines said.
Hines got the acting bug about 10 years ago.
“I met a friend who was involved in Spokane Children’s Theater. I tried out for ‘Aladdin McFaddin,’ I was a slave, and my eight-year-old daughter was a stalagmite. I got hooked,” she said.
The children’s classes will be an introduction to theater.
“They’re geared to kids who have done very little to nothing at all in theater,” Hines said.
Registration for the six-week class will be 10 a.m.-noon on Jan. 27 at the theater. Classes will run 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday evenings, starting Jan. 30. The maximum will be 30 students, but a second class will be started if enough children are interested.
Classes will introduce scripts, making simple costumes, makeup, basic dance steps and stage movement, improv, pantomime, ad-libbing and audition techniques.
“Our whole philosophy is to help children who’ve never had any theater experience or have but haven’t been cast in shows. We give them the confidence to go on and be auditioned for Spokane Children’s Theater and Civic productions.
“They find out there’s other kids involved,” Hines said. “It’s OK to be silly. No one’s going to laugh at you. They laugh with you.”
, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: PLAYING AROUND Auditions for the Theater Arts for Children production of “Rumpelstiltskin” will be at 2 p.m. on Feb. 18, and at 7 p.m. on Feb. 19 in the theater at University City.