Chanticleers Musical Theatre Summer Camp Presents Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr.
Castro Valley, CA - Chanticleers Musical Theatre Summer Camp is excited to announce the upcoming performance of Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. on Saturday, July 22 and Sunday, July 23 at 6 p.m. The show is based on the 1970’s Emmy Award-winning Saturday morning educational cartoon series and pop culture phenomenon, and promises to be a fun time for all ages!
This fast-paced musical follows Carlotta (played by Carlotta Dillon), a young teacher, who is nervous about her first day of teaching. She tries to relax by watching TV, when various characters representing different parts of her personality emerge from the set and show her how to win over the students with imagination and music. Memorable songs like “Just A Bill,” “Interplanet Janet,” and “Conjunction Junction” bring her lesson plans vividly to life!
The show is the culmination of lots of hard work and play by the young campers (ages 7-15) in Chanticleers Theatre’s first ever Musical Theatre Camp, a 5-week summer program that began on June 12.
Campers, known as Peeps, learn all about putting on a show, from acting to dancing to costumes, set design, sound, and lighting. Says Camp Director Christine Plowright, ““The strength of our theatre lies in its intimacy. Many of the programs available to young theatre artists put together groups of 30+ kids with the primary goal of putting on a big musical. They get the fantastic experience of putting on a big show, but they don’t get the experience of a small group of people coming together to create an acting company and building a show based on their own individual skills and abilities. Five weeks ago we were a company of strangers. Today we are the inaugural company of the Chanticleers Theatre Peeps! And yes, “ We’re crowin’ because we’re growin”! ”
There is also time for clowning around, literally. Professional clown and performance artist Dalia Vidor visited the camp to give the children a special workshop on the art of clowning. There have also been lessons on theatre history, stage combat and make-up.
Craft making is another activity that keeps the campers busy, challenging their creative thinking skills. In one session, the children make masks based on the Greek Myth of Arachne and Athena. They also brainstorm ideas and help create set pieces for the musical performance. Says Plowright, “ With the exception of some of the props, everything you will see on our stage has been created by our Peeps. Even the younger peeps from our one week Storytelling Camp got involved and painted a few of our set pieces. Our stage manager is a recent graduate of Castro Valley High School, and our light and sound operator is an 11 year-old student at Canyon Middle School.”
As part of the acting process, campers were introduced to the art of auditioning, presenting a monologue and vocal selection to a panel of auditors. It’s a way to give them confidence and helps build camaraderie. After several rehearsals, the company of 12 aspiring actors are ready to present their production to the public!
Join us for two special performances at “the little theatre in the park”, the perfect place for a picnic and a show! Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for kids. Patrons can make purchases at the door, on our website at chanticleers.org, or call 510-SEE-LIVE (510-733-5483).
Chanticleers Theatre is a nonprofit community theater organization with a rich history dating back to 1948. Today, Chanticleers Theatre is a 99-seat playhouse, serving Castro Valley and the greater East Bay. Known as “Castro Valley’s Little Theatre in the Park”, Chanticleers is located in the Castro Valley Community Park right across from the Veterans Memorial and next to the children’s waterpark and playground.