Teens learn the art of theater

By Jenny Davis

Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008 | midnight

Palo Verde High School senior Kendra Arado impersonated a bodybuilder as she showed off her biceps and acted like she was stomping onto a bus.

"Can you tell me where the gym is?" she asked in a low voice, pointing with her curled arms.

The improv Arado performed in was intended to teach acting students how to observe and mimic other characters.

As soon as she got on "the bus," the other students of The Rainbow Company who were involved in the activity started to mirror her tough persona and a couple of the students started to arm wrestle while talking like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The activity may seem silly, but the youth in the company take their involvement seriously.

The Rainbow Company is a program of the Performing Arts Division of the Las Vegas Department of Leisure Services. At the core of the company is the ensemble: 40 youth, ages 10 to 18, who were selected by open auditions on Aug. 16. Many youth from the northwest side of town are dedicated to the company and travel to the Reed Whipple Cultural Center, 821 Las Vegas Blvd. North, every weeknight for classes and to work on the upcoming show, "The Kid Who Ran For President," which will run from Oct. 3 to Oct. 12.

The cost of tickets for the play is $3 for children and $7 for adults.

"We don't go for numbers of people in the audience or for profit, we just want the audience to enjoy it," said Natasha Lejbman, a junior at Palo Verde High School.

The members of the company said they preferred the company over high school theater programs because of its professionalism and because of the broader spectrum of theater production they learn about.

"In high school I felt like not everyone wanted to be there, but here everyone loves the theater," Arado said. "It's like a theater utopia."

There are no stars in the ensemble. The goal of the participants isn't to become great actors, but to become well-rounded theater experts, Lejbman said.

Karen McKenney, the artistic director of the company who has been there for 28 years, agreed that the goal isn't to train the youth to be actors, but to be professionals in theater.

"It's about the art of theater," she said. "For the right kid, this is fabulous."

Molly Rautenstrauch, a junior at the Northwest Career and Technical Academy, was in the ensemble for three years before she acted in a production. At first it was difficult, but she has now fallen in love with stage management and production.

"I'd tell my mom, 'You see that chair on stage?' I built that chair," she said.

The youth are taught that the technical and design aspects of theater are just as important as the acting.

"The sets, the lights, the costumes are important," McKenney said. "I tell the actors that without the rest of the company you'd be naked, alone and in the dark."

Besides learning theater skills, the participating members say they gain responsibility. For example, members usually become crew heads, which means they are in charge of a group of other members, and if members in the crew do not come to rehearsal, the crew head is blamed.

"It's like a job," said Timothy Heidorn, a senior at Faith Lutheran High School. "It's a privilege to come here."

Shadow Ridge High senior Joey Hines said much problem solving is required, which he feels has helped prepare him for the real world.

"I've learned about personal relations by being a stage manager," he said.

Jenny Davis can be reached at 990-8921 or [email protected].