Twins take the stage together

As actors prepare for the opening night of “Oliver!” — checking the lights and sound, making sure they don’t forget their lines and preparing for dress rehearsal — 12-year-old Jake Olson is trying to memorize the set-up of the stage, so he doesn’t run into any props or scenery.

During the play, Jake has the added challenge of remembering how to get around. Not only are the lights bright on stage and the theater dark between scenes, but he is also legally blind.

Jake, who will appear in the play alongside his twin sister, Emma, will be taking the stage Friday for the first time since losing most of his vision. The twins have performed in a handful of plays in their 12 years, but this weekend will be their first performance in a “real theater.” While Jake said it is different, he is confident he will know his way around by Friday.

“It will be kind of challenging. It’s harder to maneuver, and I have a lot of things on my mind,” Jake said.

Jake has been battling cancer for the last 11 years. He is in remission as of last month from retinal blastoma, a childhood cancer on the retina, according to his mother, Cindy Olson. Jake lost the sight in his left eye when he was 1 1/2 years old and recently lost more vision in his right eye, making him legally blind.

“He lost a lot of vision,” Cindy Olson said. “He had radiation last year again, and the side effects of that have really impaired his vision.”

The twins, sixth-graders at Huntington Christian School, will be performing in “Oliver!” this weekend for their first performance with the Musical Theatre Academy of Orange County. When Jake is on stage, it is impossible to tell he is legally blind, Cindy Olson said after watching a rehearsal.

“It’s going to be interesting to watch,” she said.

The twins will be performing together — Emma as Old Sally and Jake as Mr. Sowerberry. While they both like theater, Emma is the one with a real passion for acting. She said she loves acting like someone else — especially “old people.”

Although Jake said acting is just a hobby for him, the twins both have fun spending time with friends and each other.

“They help each other out a lot,” Cindy Olson said. “They are good friends.”

They practice the songs and dances together and help each other memorize lines. The twins have been taking voice lessons for two years and have been dancing off and on since kindergarten.

Watching her brother grow up fighting cancer, Emma said she can use the experience to make her acting more authentic.

“When it’s a scary part or a really emotional scene, you have some experience with it,” Emma said.

The twins have performed in “Mary Poppins,” “Cinderella” and “The Sound of Music,” and attended a summer acting camp called Broadway Goes West.

The twins have gone through a lot, but their experiences have given them a whole different view of what the world is about, Cindy Olson said.

“They’ve both had to dig deep. He chooses to be positive. He could feel down, but he has chosen not to,” she said.

Curtain call is 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Rose Center Theater in Westminster. Tickets are $16 for adults and for $13 for seniors and children. Call (714) 793-1150.