Deirdre Newman The fertile imagination of a...
Deirdre Newman
The fertile imagination of a 12-year-old Newport Beach resident
will be on display this afternoon when the musical she wrote for
herself and six of her friends debuts at a theater in Garden Grove.
The musical, called “The Treldon” -- which represents the power to
rule the universe -- was written by Julie Lane, who attends the
Orange County High School of the Arts in Santa Ana. The cast is torn
between whether it’s a comedy or a drama, but they all agree it’s a
futuristic parable of the search for one’s destiny.
For the past few months, they have been rehearsing in Julie’s
frontyard while the cacophony of helicopters, small planes and jets
buzzes overhead.
Today, they will stage “The Treldon” at the Grove Theater Center
in Garden Grove.
The fact that it is being performed at all -- let alone on a
professional stage -- is a testament to the perseverance of the
actresses and their parents, who pitched in to help with the costume
and set designs.
“I can’t believe we actually pulled this off,” said Molly
Esposito, who also attends the Orange County High School of the Arts.
Julie, who focuses on creative writing in school, said she first
conceived the idea for “The Treldon” when she was drawing comic
strips in the spring. She thought she could flesh out the idea into a
play and molded the characters -- with futuristic names like Jvon and
Nelf -- from her friends’ distinct personalities.
She invited her six friends, most of whom she met at Kaiser
Elementary School, to join in her dramatic adventure; they started
rehearsing at the beginning of the summer before the entire script
was complete.
In addition to writing the musical, Julie also plays the guitar
and sings in “The Treldon.”
Like the characters in the play, the actresses experienced some
roadblocks along the way.
“A lot of the rehearsal schedules are conflicting, so we can’t
always make it and it’s hard when we miss some of it,” said Emily
Richonne, who missed a big chunk of rehearsal time because of a
family vacation.
Julie’s mom, Audrey Woolfolk, said she was impressed to see her
daughter putting so much effort into the musical while she was
participating in Junior Lifeguards at the same time.
“She had to stay up late to work on this,” Woolfolk said. “She’s
getting closer to her dream.”
In addition to brushing up on their singing, dancing and acting
skills, many of the young actresses said they enjoyed the opportunity
to immerse themselves in the theatrical experience, helping out with
choreography, set design and publicity.
“It’s just good overall because we learned to do the sets and
worked together,” Esposito said. “We learned everyone else’s
talents.”
The experience also created a stronger sense of camaraderie among
the actresses.
“It’s being with all your friends and getting to do something
together,” Kristyn Plata said. “We get in fights, but it’s fun and
you get to know your friends better.”
The actresses said they would like to make the summer performances
an annual tradition.
* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers education. She may be reached at (949)
574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.
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