. .In
order to better serve the youth of the Kern River Valley,
Sierra Performing . .Arts
sponsors a series of Performing Arts workshops. These workshops are . .designed
to teach production skills to young people 18
and under, and to use the . .Stage
as a medium to teach these skills. .
. .Young
people ranging in age of 7 through 17, work with a
very diligent Mary . .Hanawalt
and Helen Smoot to hone their acting skills and learn something . .about
backstage work on a production. .
. .The
Young Peoples Performing Arts Workshops have presented
a number of . .memorable
performances, including
The Wizard of Oz, Alice's Adventures
in . .Wonderland,
Stone
Soup, Pinocchio, Tom Sawyer, and excerpts from the . .musical
West
Side Story. During the Spring of 1998, The YoungPeoples . .Performing
Arts Workshop teamed
with adult members of Sierra Performing . .Arts
to present, to rave reviews, that all time
favorite, Oliver!. Several other . .productions
have followed: Hansel and Gretel and Ducktails and
Bobbysox. .
.
. .Y.P.P.A.W.
performed several productions written by a team of SPA members: . . . .Scrooge
2000 a "modernized" version of Charles Dickens
timeless classic, .
.A Christmas Carol,
with original music written by Helen Smoot, original .
.lyrics written by Mary Hanawalt,
and book adapted by Chuck Smith. . .
. .Spoiled
on Ice the story of the Ice Princess and a Spoiled
rich girl, .
.with original music written
by Helen Smoot, and lyrics and book written by Mary Hanawalt . .
. .The
Gypsy Way a story of a roaming gypsy band and
the troubles that confromt them when .
.when they visit a small
village. Another production with original music written by Helen Smoot, .
.and lyrics and book written
by Mary Hanawalt
..Current
Production