Blue Forest Theatre Academy, a non-profit children’s theatre started by the Buena Vista Arts Council, will perform at five different times across the third weekend in November, marking the completion of four months of preparations.
According to the theatre’s website, casting calls for the fall performances took place back in August, with classes for the performances beginning the week of Aug. 27.
The performance of “Into the Woods Jr.” includes students in grades 8-12, while “James and the Giant Peach Jr.” will see children grades 3-7 perform. There is also a short performance by students in grades K-2 of “A Little Revue: Tiny and Talented.”
“James and the Giant Peach Jr.” will be performed on Nov. 20 and 21 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the show “A Little Revue: Tiny and Talented” will also take place during this time. There will be four different showtimes on Nov. 22 of “Into the Woods Jr.,” including 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Kimberly Hirt, the director of Blue Forest Theatre Academy, said that one of the biggest challenges, but also creative opportunity, comes from putting on a large scale production with limited resources.
“We have an incredible professional staff as well as many volunteers who come together to make magic happen,” Hirt said. “We’ve developed a wonderful sense of community and these students learn that they can do really hard things while having fun and supporting one another.”
Full tuition for the two programs costs $350, but parents can receive discounts depending on how many hours they volunteer at the theatre. Five volunteer hours equals $100 off the cost of attendance, while 10 volunteer hours will get parents $200 off.
Hirt said she selected “Into the Woods Jr.” and “James and the Giant Peach Jr.” because the two shows required enough cast members to ensure that everyone who wanted to be in the production would have a chance to do so.
“As the director, I want to feel a connection to the story and the message and have some initial inspiration on the direction I want to take it,” Hirt said. “We also try to vary the style and time period of the musical so we are giving our cast a more extensive education.”
Photos on the Blue Forest Theatre Academies website show that past performances have included “Hadestown,” “Matilda,” “The Addams Family,” “Frozen,” “The Fiddler on the Roof,” “Crazy for You” and “Junie B. Jones: The Musical.”
Woody Johnson, a parent volunteer and board member, said that there are many different opportunities for the community to support the theatre.
“The community can engage with Blue Forest Theatre in a few different ways. First, is to come see the shows,” Johnson said. “Bring your family and friends or just help spread the word. There are also opportunities to volunteer with set production, costumes, fundraising, marketing, etc.”
Johnson also highlighted the non-profit nature of the theatre, and how donations or sponsorships go towards the sustainability and quality of the performances the theatre puts on.
Tickets for the upcoming performances are still on sale, with early bird pricing available up until Nov. 19.
