Fifth Arts Festival for Youth Draws 4,000 to Agoura Hills

The pigs missed their makeup call, some puppets were no-shows and a rattlesnake made an unscheduled appearance in the parking lot.

In true show-business tradition, however, the fifth annual Theatre Arts Festival for Youth--Taffy for short--went on last weekend at the Peter Strauss Ranch in Agoura Hills. It was the best festival yet.

“I need a few hundred volunteers!” shouted newcomer Craig Taubman of the rock ‘n’ roll-style “Craig ‘n Co.” Before they knew what hit them, moms and dads were bopping along with preschoolers, captivated by the high-voltage, humorous appeal of this dynamic singer and his band.

It was that kind of day. On three stages, one more than last year, the bill changed every 20 to 30 minutes, offering admirable variety and professionalism.

The Gospel Soul Messengers had the audience singing along, and imaginative new singer-songwriter David Jack (“Dance in Your Pants” and “Don’t Wake Up the Baby”) made a splash. The impressive Aman Folk Ensemble offered music and dance, and Arco Iris sent the haunting and beautiful music of South America soaring in the late-afternoon skies.

Festival hosts J.P. Nightingale (John and Pam Wood) served up bouncy songs and a humorous playlet in the Penny Pit Theatre, while Charles the Clown charmed preschoolers on the Marble Stage. A short climb away, comic Opera Antics painlessly introduced opera basics in the hillside Amphitheatre.

Other crowd-pleasers were the hip Jim Gamble Marionettes, music and dance of India with Viji, funnyman-singer Dan Crow, the solid We Tell Stories troupe and “Kids in Motion” with Julie Weissman. Meanwhile, kids with a creative urge could string beads, make banners, decorate T-shirts and draw inside Michael Marks’ Inflatable Art project.

There were disappointments. The Bob Baker Marionettes were one of the biggest draws, but the patio Marble Stage was an unfortunate space--a glimpse was all most people got, unless they were in the first few rows.

The Imagination Company focused on audience participation in innocuous theater games, while the Tender Branches duo’s songs erred on the precious side.

But the superbly made-up Taffytown Players made a big contribution, interacting with the audience in a mayoral election, a wedding, a Maypole dance and miscellaneous nonsense.

Festival attendance was reportedly more than 4,000.