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.