GILROY — This year the Gavilan College Student Theater Arts
Repertory invites everyone to see the wizard, when its production
of
”
The Wizard of Oz
”
opens this weekend.
GILROY — This year the Gavilan College Student Theater Arts Repertory invites everyone to see the wizard, when its production of “The Wizard of Oz” opens this weekend.
The show stars local children from ages 8 to 15. The STAR program encompasses a three- to four-week session that covers the entire play’s production, from casting to the final show. During the four weeks, kids also attend workshops and play games that teach them the basics of acting, singing and dancing.
“All of our games teach them something about theater,” said STAR leader Caitlin Baiko.
Cody Mendiola, who began attending the program when he was 8 and is now his seventh year, said he likes how everyone’s very close.
“Its just a close environment where you can be yourself,” said Mendiola, who plays Uncle Henry. ”And I like to act.”
Even more, living in the Gilroy area isn’t a requirement to attend the program. Violet Fratzke lives in Oahu, Hawaii, and traditionally vacations in Gilroy during the summer. She started STAR two years ago, after her older brother had gotten involved in the program.
“I’ve been here for two years, and already I’m better than my brother,” said Fratzke.
Fratzke’s hometown gives her an edge over other students during the full-cast opening number. It’s a Polynesian-inspired dance to an acoustic rendition of “Over the Rainbow.” Director Jose ”Pepe” Espinoza, who prefers to be called Mr. Pepe, said that he had been having a rough week when a friend played this version of the song to him.
“It lifted my heart and my spirits,” he said, and immediately decided to use it.
