Musical Spotlights At-Risk Youth

The story line is familiar for some: A family from Mexico moves north seeking a better life. With the parents working and their teenagers left unsupervised at home, the youngsters soon find destructive ways to occupy their time, often getting involved with drugs and gangs.

That’s the idea behind “We Dare to Be Great,” a musical written and produced by Valley children, ages 9 to 20. The show will be performed at Valley College this week, and the experiences depicted are real.

“The way this city is, you can’t go to public school and not run into these problems,” said Robb Blakey, 18, of Granada Hills.

The Valley Youth and Community Arts Project is sponsored by the Los Angeles Police Department, the county Probation Department, the county Office of Education and New Directions for Youth, a nonprofit organization.

The idea is to introduce art to youngsters whom others have given up on, said Barry Phillips, the show’s director.

“Five, six weeks ago, these kids might have been out on the streets putting your family at risk,” Phillips said. “That’s the bottom line and that’s the truth. But they can do incredible things if they are trusted and loved.”

The students started practicing in May. Some are working behind the scenes on sets and lighting with the Valley Collegiate Players, the drama club at Valley College.

“We Dare to Be Great” runs nightly at 8 Thursday through Saturday at the college, 5800 Fulton Ave. The final performance will be a matinee show Sunday at 2 p.m. For ticket information, call (818) 375-9438.