Classic fairy tales, a self-reflective musical and the tale of a pacifist bull are coming to stages around Salem in the next week.
Some 240 Salem kids have spent the past month learning the ins and outs of acting, singing, theater tech and more to bring the community this year’s Children’s Educational Theatre season.
The annual summer program is wrapping up its biggest year yet, executive director Robert Salberg said. It’s the 49th season for the theater, which aims to give students from third grade through high school real-world experience putting on a play.
“We don’t have adults running the show behind the scenes,” Salberg said.
Students will stage six plays at locations around Salem and Keizer over the next week, with the final shows July 28.
They include “The Story of Ferdinand,” based on the classic children’s book of the same name, which features a misfit bull who would rather smell flowers than fight.
Productions of that show will run at noon Saturday and Sunday at the Salem Art Fair and Festival in Bush’s Pasture Park.
Other shows take place next week at venues including the Chemeketa Community College auditorium, Capital Manor, Keizer Community Library and several Salem schools.
They include “Help, I’m Trapped Inside a Musical,” a midsummer festival, and “Pinocchio and the Fire Eater.”
Shows are either free or cost $10, with tickets sold in-person at the show. All shows are family-friendly, and a complete schedule is available on the theater website.
“Post-pandemic, people have imposed some pretty hefty rental fees,” Salberg said. “We’re trying to find that balance of offering free productions to the community without having to pay much for venues.”
To get to performance week, students have spent hours learning various aspects of theater, with classes and rehearsals. Some are in a tech track, focusing on lighting and sound design.
Salberg said the program’s staff are well-versed in the culture the program aims to create. It’s one where kids aren’t afraid to learn new things and take risks.
The theater was able to retain staff during the pandemic even after canceling the 2020 season. Salberg attributes that continuity to some of the heightened interest they’ve seen since theater resumed in the summer of 2021.
“It’s super intense and it goes by really fast and it’s a bit of a whirlwind,” he said of the summer schedule.
The makeup team is one of the behind-the-scenes keys to making it all work. It’s a group of parent volunteers trained by theater employees, who typically work from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during production week.
That means three to four calls daily, each one doing stage makeup for 30 to 40 kids.
“They’ve had a lax four weeks and then the last 10 days is just insane for them,” Salberg said.
All told, the theater spends about $2,500 on makeup alone over the course of the summer.
Shows are selected by adult directors. Salberg is directing this summer’s production of “The Little Mermaid,” a choice he made before he was aware of the Disney live-action remake. It’s his favorite Disney story, he said, but also works well as an educational show because of the variety of roles.
Ariel and Ursula work well as starring roles, but kids can also have smaller parts at Triton, Sebastian and Flounder, or be part of an ensemble. Most of the roles are gender neutral, which allows more flexibility in casting.
“There’s lots of great opportunities to feature more kids,” Salberg said.Tickets for Children’s Educational Theatre productions can be purchased at the door, or in-person at the North Salem High School lawn during select hours. See the theater website for a schedule and more information.
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.
