Connecting historic threads

Kids at Kaiser Elementary in Costa Mesa are learning that a musical created in 1977 is more meaningful today than perhaps it ever was.

They are in the middle of rehearsals for “Annie,” the optimistic tale of a young orphan who always finds something to be thankful for during the Great Depression.

After hearing about a Hooverville-style tent city in Sacramento that drew worldwide attention earlier this spring, the play’s producers used it to help kids relate to the characters in “Annie.”

“We’ve actually sat down and talked to the kids about this,” said parent and co-producer Jennifer Luckey.

This was the first year scholarships haven’t been offered to students in need of help with the play’s costs; the number of students who would have qualified was just too great for the budget, organizers said.

So a lot of anonymous donors have helped with money, and parents call and ask if there’s anything they can do for the play and its students, Luckey said.

“We didn’t have that before,” she said. “They’ve been here every step of the way; it’s really neat.”

For each play, the producers usually take a standard story and add an anachronistic twist; last year, “Cinderella” was given a psychedelic edge, Luckey said.

To make “Annie” relevant to her students, fifth-grade teacher and play director Liz Slezak added parts of President Obama’s speeches, as well as extra talk about “optimism” and other Obama-esque qualities.

The school is well-known for its annual production.

“It’s become part of the culture,” Slezak said; she is now on her eighth play.

“I know of three families that actually transferred to Kaiser Elementary just so their kids could be in the school play,” Luckey said.

In some families, every one of their children have participated in the theatricals.

Amanda Sheppard, who plays the title role Saturday night, said she wanted to be cast as Annie when she auditioned; her older sister played Peter Pan in her last show, as well as Molly in the school’s production of “Annie” several years ago.

“It was my last year here, and I wanted a part that would be really fun,” Amanda said.

“You work your way up,” Luckey said; a child might have a bit part while in a younger grade, then star in the show in sixth grade.

Both boys cast as Daddy Warbucks agreed to shave their heads; one cast will perform Friday night, and the other appears Saturday night.

Students have gone on to the Orange County High School of the Arts and other prestigious drama programs, and many of the past actors return while in junior high or high school to serve as student directors or work backstage.

The producers are hoping the show will both educate and energize students and families alike during the current recession.

“Who knows? Maybe we’ll give people some help,” Slezak said.