Young performers are preparing to put on “Totally Awesome!” by Stephen Murray on Friday, July 26 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 27 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. to wrap up the Hutton’s Hamlet summer theatre series. The cast includes performers from the Oakdale, Riverbank and Escalon areas.
After the successful staging of “Stepsisters” by Flip Kobler and Cindy Marcus, “Just Another High School Musical” by Bryan Starchman, and “The SeussOdyssey” by Don Zolidis earlier this summer, these ambitious actors are putting in the hard work to stage one final show before school goes back into session. Hutton’s Hamlet is in Oakdale at 149 Church Ave.; the Performing Arts Center where the show will be staged is just up around the corner along West G Street.
To purchase tickets, call 209-848-1216. Ticket prices are $8 for kids 12 and under and $10 for adults. The “Totally Awesome!” show runs about two hours, including an intermission.
Theatre director Annette Hutton leads 20 or more children, ages eight to 20, every summer in her theatre workshop program; together, they rehearse and perform various unique, fun plays. With only two weeks to memorize their lines, these actors work hard, always giving a good show.
Hutton has been involved in the performing arts in the Central Valley for as long as she can remember and said she wants to share her experiences with the young actors who take the stage, believing that every child should “be able to express themselves” and that the performing arts are the perfect way to do that.
“No one is just the ensemble; no one is just the star. Those roles are for everyone,” Hutton stated, as she encourages kids to be pushed outside of their comfort zone and tackle tasks and roles that many were originally too afraid to try.
When asked what the best part of teaching performing arts is, Hutton said, “The shock of seeing kids do something they think they can’t. It almost feels like magic.”
This magic has kept Hutton’s Hamlet thriving for more than 25 years.
Young performer Posey Wharff, one of Hutton’s many students, said that her favorite parts of the theatre experience are “the friends you make” and the ability to “express yourself.” Wharff has been performing for two years and has been in 11 plays; in the future, she aspires to be an actress and continue her performing career.
Other cast members in the various shows this summer have come from Oakdale, Escalon, Riverbank, Modesto, and all over the Central Valley to participate in the performing arts. Every new show includes some different performers from the last, often creating groups that have never met each other before and leading to new friendships that last even after the curtain comes down.
The final play of the summer, “Totally Awesome!” is a story that helps show audiences of all ages the need for responsibility, sharing universalized ideas to actors and spectators through the tale of crimefighters and supervillains. This is the unique benefit behind the performing arts; actors can have fun experiences with kids their age while learning the importance of self-expression and many other valuable life lessons. While the summer theatre series is coming to an end, Hutton’s Hamlet continues to shine by offering performing art opportunities through their workshops, and piano, violin, guitar, and singing lessons.
