Nine students from Oakdale and Riverbank have spent their summer immersed in theater.
The five Riverbank students and four from Oakdale will be on stage for “The Addams Family – School Edition” at the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto this week.
Riverbank participants are eighth graders Mahannah Williams and Naya Martinez; freshman Vayda Valderaz; junior Ella Tichenor Holliday; and senior Zuhey Perez. Oakdale students in the production are sophomore Jamie Ruddy; juniors Haley Perez and Daniel Campbell; and senior Zach Zopfi.
“This is my first show with YES Company. My role in The Addams Family is the Cavewoman ancestor,” said sophomore Jamie Ruddy. “The most challenging part has been learning to grow and becoming more comfortable not only on stage performing in front of so many talented people but also being comfortable with who you are and learning that people don’t see you the way you see yourself, people see the good in you.”
Freshman Vayda Valderaz is part of the ensemble and at one point plays a ‘60s party goer.
“The only other show I’ve done in the past with YES Kids was Winnie The Pooh, in that production I played a fox,” Valderaz said. “A couple things that surprised me a bit about taking part in this year’s production was the fact that I didn’t realize how long the days could get, nor did I realize how busy it could be during the rehearsal process. It’s fun for me to keep busy though, so there’s absolutely no complaints, I just know that in the future if I decide to partake in YES Company again to have a little more balance in my everyday schedule, as well as get better sleep so I’m not tired all day.”
It is a rigorous schedule, as the group prepares for multiple shows.
Daniel Campbell, a junior, has embraced the opportunity to be on stage.
“I am playing Lurch,” he said of taking on the role of the Addams’ family butler. “I have found my experience to be positive and I’ve learned a lot more about the professional process of theater and how a company can create a great work environment.”
This is the 32nd annual, Broadway-style musical production of Youth Entertainment Stage Company, and the young theatrical troupe begins a four-performance run at the Gallo on Thursday, July 20 at 7 p.m.
Tickets range in price from $14 to $45, and may be purchased online at www.galloarts.org; by calling (209) 338-2100; or from the ticket office at 1000 I St., downtown Modesto.
Additional performances are on Friday, July 21, at 7 p.m.; and at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, July 22 and 23. Following the 2 p.m. performances on Saturday and Sunday, YES Company will have a VIP party that includes a gift bag and a meet-and-greet photo opportunity with select cast members.
VIP tickets are $10 for one adult and one child 16 years old or younger, and must be purchased by phone or in person at the ticket office. They are not available online. The parties immediately follow the performances and last approximately 30 minutes.
Riverbank senior Zuhey Perez is a repeat performer who is happy to be back in front of an audience.
“This year with Yes Company, I play the role of Grandma Addams. I’ve been involved with four Yes Company shows, Beauty and the Beast, Singin’ In the Rain, Annie, and now The Addams Family,” Perez explained. “Performing on stage has helped push me outside of the theater in ways that I never would have imagined. I’ve learned how to socialize myself and engage with different groups without the anxiety of how I should speak or hold myself. I think theatre as a whole has helped me define who I am and continues to allow me to explore different aspects of myself within a safe and supportive environment, one that Yes Company undeniably provides.”
Fellow senior Zach Zopfi, from Oakdale, is playing the role of Mal Beineke in the musical.
“This is my very first time being a part of Yes Company and I will forever remember this great experience. Mal is unlike any of the characters I’ve played in my short involvement in performing arts, so I was very excited to be given the opportunity,” Zopfi said. “I would recommend this amazing program to anyone who shares a love for theater; not only does it teach you techniques and skills that can be used on any stage, but the inviting and welcoming environment brings everyone together to give a great performance for the public to see. I’d like to thank the entire company for such a great summer.”
Directed by Maggie Sniffen and based on characters created by cartoonist Charles Addams, the production has a cast and crew of 72 area students. The musical comedy embraces the wackiness in every family, with an original story that is every father’s nightmare. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family, a man her parents have never met. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.
“We’re thrilled to be back on stage this summer with a group of students coming from all corners of our valley. YES Company has a reputation for excellence and this production will not disappoint,” said Gallo Center arts education director Cortney Hurst.
YES Company is an audition-based youth theater company that produces a full-length Broadway musical each summer.
Editor Marg Jackson contributed to this story.
