The show must go on: No Square Theatre picks up Laguna Playhouse’s youth production program
By MARRIE STONE
After a personnel shake-up at the Laguna Playhouse last month, the organization put a pause on their youth productions. Specifically, their planned staging of She Kills Monsters, scheduled for November 20-22. The Youth Conservatory, and all scheduled classes, will continue as normal this season.
But the sudden announcement – which included the departure of Artistic Director David Ellenstein and Director of Education & Outreach Joe Alanes – left several of the student actors and their parents stunned and saddened. The opportunity to perform on the Playhouse stage is a big draw. Many of these young thespians grew up on that stage and consider it their second home, describing their friends and teachers as family.
For Sydney Schaarsmith, who began at the Playhouse Conservatory in 2019, the tradition dates back a generation. Her father acted on the Playhouse stage when he was a teen. “We have old newspapers showing my dad in a production of Pinocchio with his brother,” Schaarsmith said. “The Playhouse is pretty special to my family and to our community.”
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Courtesy of the Laguna Playhouse
(L-R) Sydney Schaarsmith, Sophia Klein, Mia Wright, Lu Conceicao, Sam O’Neill, Max Allen, Bladen Logue and Katie Baker
Now a senior at Laguna Beach High School, Schaarsmith said she wouldn’t be the person she is today without the Playhouse. Fellow senior Sam O’Neill, who also started at the Playhouse in 2019, agreed. “Youth theater got me through the awkward years of middle school and allowed me to keep my confidence. It’s the most incredible place. They created a beautiful environment and I’ve made my best friends there. I have endless love for that program.”
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Courtesy of the Laguna Playhouse
(L-R) Mai Wright and Sam O’Neill perform in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Few others in our community recognize the importance of youth theater and its impact on students than No Square Theatre’s Bree Burgess Rosen and Joe Lauderdale. Both have long histories at the Playhouse. Lagunatics began on the Playhouse stage in 1992. And Lauderdale was the Youth Theater Director at the Playhouse for 17 years.
When students contacted them, distressed about the news, they didn’t hesitate. After obtaining the blessing of the Playhouse board, they set to work on clearing the calendar to stage She Kills Monsters.
“I’m really happy we can pick this up,” said Burgess Rosen. “We want happy kids who love doing theater. We also want to build our youth theater program. We don’t vacillate on that. It’s a top priority for us.”
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Courtesy of No Square Theatre
While the No Square Theatre stage is smaller than the Laguna Playhouse, it offers an opportunity for students to experience the intimacy of theater-in-the-round and a close-up audience experience
Auditions will take place this weekend and performances are scheduled for November 22 and 23, with a possible additional performance on Monday, Nov. 24. The cast of 10 will feature actors between the ages of 13 and 19. While this show aims at a teen audience, No Square will feature a holiday comedy show aimed at younger kids and families two weeks later. Next spring, they plan to stage the off-Broadway musical Between the Lines, also aimed at a teen audience.
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“We were already on track to jump up our youth theater program,” Burgess Rosen said. “This is the jump we didn’t anticipate, but I’m really happy we could do it with the blessing of the Playhouse board. I’m proud of this little organization.”
It’s taken a little time for students to digest the news. But, for the most part, they’re excited about the chance to try a new venue.
“I definitely feel the loss of the Playhouse, especially since my first youth theater production was on that big stage and it was a great opportunity,” Schaarsmith said. “The news of losing the youth theater productions still feels new, but I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
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Courtesy of the Laguna Playhouse
Students perform in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Playhouse. (L-R) Ailey Katayama, Sydney Schaarsmith, Lila Etherton, Kai Wright and Marina Strombom.
“I’m feeling a little intimidation and nerves, but also excitement for the new possibilities,” said sophomore Parker Bryan, who began at the Playhouse four years ago. “It’s like when I first went into the Playhouse, not knowing too many people and it being a new community. But I’m excited to get to know new people and experience a whole different community.”
She Kills Monsters seems a fitting production for these teens to explore their grief and this period of transition. The 2011 drama-comedy follows Agnes Evans, who loses her parents and younger sister, Tilly, in a car accident. The siblings weren’t close when Tilly – an avid Dungeons & Dragons fan – was alive, so Agnes embarks on an adventure to discover her sister by playing a D&D module that Tilly had written. Agnes’ discoveries about Tilly shock her. The play explores themes of grief, sexuality and sexual discovery and is appropriate for a teenage audience.
“There’s value in the efforts people are making to maintain this community, even when it’s a little uprooted and things are uncertain,” Schaarsmith said. “It’s unfortunate to lose this when these productions have been such a huge part of my life, my growing up and who I am today. But it’s a good sign that there are people who care and understand what theater means to people.”
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Courtesy of the Laguna Playhouse
Students in grades 1 through 5 attending Summer Camp at the Playhouse several years ago with Teacher Mary Sherg Kaye
“Laguna Playhouse is continuing our Youth Conservatory and all classes as scheduled this season,” said Adele Adkins, managing director of the Laguna Playhouse. “We have paused youth stage productions for this year while we assess a more sustainable production model, but our commitment to theater education remains unwavering. In the interim, our friends at No Square Theatre are producing She Kills Monsters, which offers students a strong performance outlet this fall. We’re also planning additional workshops, masterclasses, and a summer intensive to keep students learning and creating. We’ll share further updates on future production plans later this season. The pause applies only to this season’s youth productions; training and conservatory offerings continue uninterrupted, with added performance-adjacent opportunities (showcases, readings, scene nights) being scheduled throughout winter/spring.”
“The Laguna Playhouse is a very different experience for the kids,” Burgess Rosen said, recognizing the size discrepancy between the stages. “But they will learn a lot. Joe Lauderdale is a terrific director and educator. This is certainly a win for us, and certainly a win for Laguna’s young people. We may not have the cachet of the Playhouse, but we absolutely have the heart.”
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Courtesy of No Square Theatre
The No Square stage offers a soft landing spot for students as youth theater productions are put on hold at the Playhouse
For more information on No Square Theatre and their production of She Kills Monsters, visit their website here.
To learn about the Laguna Playhouse Conservatory Program and its impact on students, watch this video from a few years ago.
