Honing their craft

Christine Carrillo

Kevin Russell embraces an audience. He thrives on being in the

spotlight and can’t seem to get enough of the applause.

For 10 weeks, he and 12 other fourth- and fifth-grade students at

California Elementary School in Costa Mesa have had the chance to

hone their skills on the stage by participating in a Neighborhood

Conservatory acting class that South Coast Repertory funds and

teaches.

While some of the students in the class naturally gravitated

toward center stage and others found more comfort hidden in the

background, the after-school acting class has challenged each of the

students to be more at ease on stage.

“I want, considering how the arts are getting cut in school, to

turn these kids on to something they may not have otherwise been

turned on to,” said Steve DeNaut, the class’ teacher. “I love this

age mainly because they’re wide open. They will take direction and

they don’t have any preconceived notions. These kids are the

dedicated ones.”

On Wednesday afternoon, the students participated in their final

class of the year. The students showcased their new acting skills for

their parents with a performance that included all of the exercises

they had learned.

“We’re just blessed to have this program available,” said Abby

McGuire, a parent of one of the students in the class. “I think it’s

just a wonderful opportunity for the kids to participate in. It’s a

little bit more work, but it’s fun.”

“Monkey See, Monkey Do” -- an exercise in which the students

mimicked each other’s gestures to a comical rendition of “I’ve Got

You Under My Skin” as a lip-syncing exercise led by 10-year-old Kevin

-- helped the students enhance their memorization skills, confidence

and overall acting abilities.

“I was kind of excited about [the class] because when you do

plays, you’re not learning,” said 10-year-old Tess Berglund, a

fourth-grader in the class. “It’s really helped me to be a better

actor and not to be afraid, just to be yourself and not be

intimidated.”

The exercises the young actors performed often evoked laughter

among the small audience, but, exploring a range of acting

capabilities, they also explored the seriousness of Shakespeare.

Reciting soliloquies from Romeo and Juliet, the students tried to

tackle tragedy by engaging one-on-one with their fellow student

actors.

As challenging as that may be, at ages 10 and 11, the students in

the class got the chance to test their talents, explore the

intricacies of acting and develop an appreciation for the arts.

“Today, we’re so focused on academics that we don’t have time for

all this enrichment,” McGuire said. “We need to have this. ... We

need the arts.”

* CHRISTINE CARRILLO covers education and may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at christine.carrillo@latimes.com