Youngsters Needed For Community School Of The Arts Plays

Two musicals will give students from second grade through high school a chance to learn about theater by getting onstage this spring.

Independent Day School is holding auditions this weekend for "How to Eat Like a Child" and the student version of "A Chorus Line." The shows are part of the private school's Community School of the Arts, and aspiring actors do not have to attend Independent Day School to participate.

Tryouts for "How to Eat Like a Child" are for children in second through seventh grades and run 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. "A Chorus Line" auditions will last from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday for students in eighth through 12th grades. Both will be at the school, 12015 Orange Grove Drive.

Call community school director Tom McColley at (813) 961-3087 or e-mail him at csa@idsyes.com for registration forms in advance.

Students should be prepared to read from scripts and sing.

The Community School of the Arts started with a music focus four years ago, offering group and private lessons. It has expanded to include fee-based classes on ceramics, dance and drama as well as continuing vocal and instrumental lessons. About 200 children from across Hillsborough County and parts of Pasco County are enrolled in classes.

Jennifer Barnekow, a director with New Tampa Players, will direct "How to Eat Like a Child." Independent Day School drama teacher Seth Travaglino is handling "A Chorus Line."

Both are ensemble plays with several meaty parts. "A Chorus Line" chronicles actors trying out for roles, and the production has been adapted to make it appropriate for students. "How to Eat Like a Child" is a series of vignettes on ways to act like a kid - tormenting your sister, begging for a puppy or faking sick to stay home from school.

Though less well-known than "A Chorus Line," the show is something parents and children relate to, Barnekow said.

"It's very witty; it's cute," she said. "It really hits home."

Weekly rehearsals will give students an understanding of musical basics, moving onstage and character development. Working on a show also can help develop teambuilding and interpersonal skills and boost self-confidence, Barnekow said.