Young Actors Aim to Shine in ‘Superstar’

The choreographer is a 17-year-old. The stars include two 19-year-olds. And the cast members are as young as 13.

That’s just the way the producer of the upcoming performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza wants it.

“When you see other community groups, they’re sometimes tired and old,” said producer Scott Buchanan of the Young Artists Ensemble, whose members can’t be older than 19. “It’s all new to this group. Their energy is amazing.”

At a dress rehearsal Tuesday for Thursday’s opening night, the young energy was apparent, as the actors scuttled behind the scenes before performances, some as peasants dressed in flowing rags and robes, others in the ominous black garb of the high priests who urged Jesus’ death.

In the dressing room, among the rows of costumes, the actors and actresses gossiped while others kissed their new flames good luck.

But on stage, the group came together.

If it were not for the young faces, and sometimes young voices, the audience might not realize the play is a teen production, part of a series started by a grant 15 years ago to keep kids off the street and off drugs.

So far it seems to be an even bigger lure to young actors than originally expected. The 48 actors in “Jesus Christ Superstar” even had to pay to be in the production, contributing $75 each toward costumes and other expenses.

Once they made it past auditions, that is. More than 150 tried out for roles.

Sara Lin Quick, 17, of Thousand Oaks designed nearly every dance move in the play. She has been with the Young Artists Ensemble for seven years.

Justin Lees-Smith, 19, the Newbury Park teen-ager who plays Jesus, has been with the group for 16 years. He said this role is his most challenging ever.

“It’s not about religious stereotypes,” he said. “It’s about Jesus the man. You have to say to yourself how is it that Jesus was followed by so many people for so many centuries? And then try to portray that.”

The Newbury Park High School graduate hopes to pursue an acting career. “There’s nothing else I want to do,” he said.

Some past ensemble members already have gone on to bigger performances--for example, Jason Narvy, 21, who performed with the group until he turned 20, now plays the role of Skull on the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

Yet the group’s producer insists the goal of the ensemble is to encourage self-esteem and teamwork, and to occupy teen-agers during the hot summer months, not to encourage acting careers. “We try to encourage them to go to college before they pound the pavement for cottage cheese commercials,” Buchanan said.

The uncertain future of an actor is not dissuading members of the group like Allyson Dreyfuss, 15, of Thousand Oaks, the niece of actor Richard Dreyfuss.

“They don’t want me to act because it’s a hard business,” Allyson said of her family. “There’s a lot of rejection and they don’t want to see me get hurt, but I’m going to give it a chance. “

Several members of the group plan to pursue acting. Robert Beitzel, who plays Caiaphas, has been accepted at Juilliard. Others are planning to study drama at UCLA.

Besides dreams of performing professionally, friendship is what keeps many coming back to the grueling rehearsals.

And future acting ambitions sometimes are a lower priority than such matters as current boyfriends and girlfriends.

Summer Baltzer, 19, who plays Mary Magdalene in the production, sometimes serves as an unofficial counselor offstage.

“They come to me more for advice about their love lives than about acting,” Baltzer said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

FYI

The Young Artists Ensemble will perform Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” at the Forum Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Art Plaza beginning Thursday. The play runs through Sunday, then Aug. 5 to 7. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. A limited number of tickets are still available at $9 for adults and $7 for students and senior citizens.