Junior Theater impasse remains - Whittier Daily News

A plea to parents to give the new direction of Whittier Junior Theater a chance was spurned Thursday.

[carrie]

58 children on the Whittier Stage is a very large number. I am amazed that they didn't fall into the pit. Most musical productins do not have parts for that many performers. I would fear if my child was crowded on stage with that many children.

[sucks]

I think only 1 REAL Whittier Junior theatre child was given a lead. The rest were given meaningless background filler roles for $120 + Costume + Pictures. When you were cast in REAL Whittier Junior Theatre parts before they were meaningful speaking charactor roles for $90. Parents were allowed to take pictures and costumes were free. They built their sets, and kids were allowed to volunteer backstage. It seems now they want to squeeze every penny out of kids dreams as they can. They not only charge way more money for the production but now are chargeing money for learning how to make sets, lighting etc. All this was free with the REAL WHITTIER JUNIOR THEATRE program before. That theatre program is dead. Thanks alot all knowing people in charge who have no theatre experience whatsoever. Great job! That program is so dead and such a joke.

[sucks]

Disclaimer: By dead I mean that no one I know wants to be part of it. In no way shape or form was this written malicious. Just stateing a fact that people are moving on and away from your "great" new program.

[christine davis]

we feel that parks and recreation has not proven that the city budget for jr theatre has not been covering the costs of sustaining the program. we are still looking for answers?

[christine davis]

we are looking to do a history on the jr theatre program. many students of jr theatre have gone on to become theatre professors, work in many areas of theatre and major in theatre arts. How many of you know that Nixon lived in Whittier went to Whittier College and YES! him and his wife were part of Whittier community Theatre.I'm looking for the history. Keep you tuned!! Any info out there let me know [e-mail]

[Eileen Bluth]

I am writing in response to Christine Davis as I am a former Whittier Junior Theatre kid. During the mid 1970s - 1982, Jr. Theatre was my second home. It was like being part of a "summer stock" company year round and my group of friends grew up there - often performing in one cast and working tech in the other. It was there I learned to make props, theatrical makeup, construct and paint sets, run a spot, the lights, and pull the curtain. When I wanted to practice my journalism skills, I was permitted to write a publicity article for Mary Poppins in 1977. It was a land of opportunity and now that my children are old enough to participate, it saddens me to see that it is no longer a true theatre experience. In fact, I was part of a team who ran a youth theatre program at my children's school in Whittier for 5 years, where we recreated the original Jr. Theatre atmosphere and trained the kids in ALL aspects of a production. On a side note, the group I befriended in Jr. Theatre didn't distinguish which school you attended, or what grade you were in, and several of them are still my closest friends, years later. We have all taken part in each other's weddings and our children are friends as well. We have gone on to professional theatre, the law, teaching, publicity/advertising, and running theatre schools. Please share any information about how we can turn this around!