ONLINE EDITION!
PRINT
DIGITAL
EAT, DRINK & PLAY   -   ENTERTAINMENT
Local Theater Providing Children and Adults the Escape they Need
July, 2005 - Issue #9
The roll of Dorothy is capably played by Arlene Henry. Here, she shows off her strong singing voice. Also pictured is Christopher Perry, who plays Toto
The roll of Dorothy is capably played by Arlene Henry. Here, she shows off her strong singing voice. Also pictured is Christopher Perry, who plays Toto
One thing Santa Clarita should be proud of is its passionate pursuit of arts and culture. A newcomer to our artistic society is ESCAPE Theatre, a non-profit children's theater company; and with their last production, "The Wizard of Oz," founder Elizabeth Burson had no problem finding enough munchkins to point Dorothy towards the yellow brick road.

Burson, along with her husband Kyle, founded ESCAPE just over two years ago. Combined they have over 25 years of experience in theater, both on stage and off. "We want to give children the passion to experience theater and explore their imagination," says Elizabeth, who gets just as much enjoyment from the program as her actors do. Truly devoted to her craft, she was commuting to Long Beach every weekend where she was involved with children's theater. Due to her husband's pleas to cut back, and the fact that she was pregnant, she finally decided to stop her chaotic routine and started formulating thoughts about her own company; a few years later ESCAPE was born.

Elizabeth chooses local schools and gives all of its students a chance to participate. "I tried it at my own child's school first. We did 'Annie' and didn't plan on making any money, we were just hoping it would pay for itself," stated Elizabeth, "but then 85 children signed up, and our next play had 100, and the next had 130, then 150, the numbers just kept going up!" So far ESCAPE has only been able to accommodate children attending the particular chosen school, but with summer underway and school out of session, the Bursons are ecstatic to announce that they have booked two dates at Hart Auditorium, which means any child, in any part of Santa Clarita, can register. Sign ups begin this month for "The Sound of Music," with rehearsals scheduled for August and October.

The Bursons want to stress the fact that just because ESCAPE is a children's theater company doesn't mean there's no room for parents. Moms and dads are encouraged to help with each and every production, whether it be creating costumes or helping as stagehands. "Kids love it when their parents are involved," boasts Elizabeth, "and the parents love it, too. It becomes a whole family event." She also stated that at times it is necessary to cast an adult, so parents bitten by the acting bug can get a chance to participate in the theatrics with their children. Those suffering from stage fright need not worry, there is always plenty to do behind the scenes as well.

Tamryn Syron giggles in between acts
Tamryn Syron giggles in between acts
The latest performance by ESCAPE was "The Wizard of OZ," performed at Fair Oaks School earlier this month. Watching the characters come alive on stage before your eyes is amazing enough, but you become completely awestruck when you remember that all the actors are children. With a minimum age of 7 and a maximum of 17, the Bursons are working with a wide age range, but no matter the age, each and every actor knows exactly what they are doing and exactly where they should be on stage. You go to an ESCAPE production to see children, but what you actually see is a cast full of talented actors, no matter how young they are. Along with the basic acting skills the children are also taught the importance of working together, singing techniques, discipline, creativity, voice projection and more, all while developing a higher self-esteem. Also, every child who registers with ESCAPE is guaranteed a role, so nobody will be left out of any production. Elizabeth gushes about how mesmerized she becomes when she sees how much each child grows during the three-month process. "It's great to see the confidence the kids have built up in themselves. Opening night you see them act nervous, but by closing night they are all so confident. That is the greatest gift Kyle and I have," she states.

In a world where the stage is becoming a thing of the past, the Bursons are able to instill their love and respect for theater in a group that has grown up with major motion pictures and the internet. They love what they do, and their dedication is apparent in each and every one of their actors.


--------------------------------------------------------------

For more information on sign ups for the summer program, or anything else, call ESCAPE Theatre at 299-5264 or visit www.escapetheatre.org.
EMAIL SIGNUP
- What is the sum of 8 + 9?
This is a required value
to protect against spam
community events
08
01
16
23
04
13