Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009 • Theatre for Youth ends season with park performance

Publisher’s note: This story originally appeared in the Tuesday, Sep. 1, 2009 edition of the Lassen County Times.

An adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet,” one of William Shakespeare’s best-known tragedies was performed in Westwood Park Sunday, Aug. 16, by Theatre for Youth.

The “star-crossed” lovers in Westwood’s version were not from families that were bitter enemies but rival sports groups — bikers and boarders. The script brought to mind the Broadway Musical “West Side Story,” which is also based on this Shakespeare classic.

Staci Hammontree, one of the coordinators of the two-week summer theatre program, told the audience at least 20 children had come to appreciate Shakespeare as they worked on their lines, the set and the script.

Theatre for Youth, sponsored by the Westwood Community Theatre Company, has been teaching children about the performing arts for 10 years. Hammontree and Gail Brown have faithfully organized the program focusing on all types of theatre from regular plays to vaudeville-style skits to song and dance numbers.

Brown said this year they worked on learning lines and projecting their voice through breathing techniques that stretch the lungs.

In “Bikers Love Boarders,” Westwood’s version of “Romeo and Juliet,” Zeke Brown played Romeo, a boarder, and Simone Hammontree as Juliet was a biker. Of course, in keeping with the original play, the tragic death of the lovers as well as rival sports members helped each group to see the value in setting aside differences and realize that hatred and prejudice have tragic results.

The park deck was the perfect set for the play because it provided the balcony so famous in Romeo and Juliet. Also, the picnic tables provided seating for everyone who did not come with a lawn chair.

Although donations were down this year due to the economy the program got help from several community sponsors including Supervisor Bob Pyle, Holiday Market, Adams and Lee Landscaping, Calvary Chapel Westwood, Mountain Meadows Mead, Westwood Volunteer Fire Department, Westwood Community Services District and Randy Buchanan, the WCSD general manager.

Auditions to be held by Westwood Community Theatre Company
Westwood Community Theatre Company will hold open auditions for parts in an upcoming comedy to be performed in early November 2009. Auditions for four male and three female parts will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 802 Delwood St., in Westwood.

The theatre company is producing “The Altos: Just like the Sopranos, Only Lower” written by David Landau and published by Samuel French Inc.