photograph by Skye Dunlap

Raising Her Voice: Chandel Vargha belts one out while fellow actor Chris Cardenas encourages her in the Willow Glen Children's Theatre production of 'Toyshop.'

Not all of the dolls are real dolls in story of 'Toyshop' come to life.

The New Children's Theatre production features naughty and nice characters.

By Jessica Lyons

Thirteen-year-old Jade Shojaee leans forward in the theater seats, and rests her elbows on the row in front of her. Her brown eyes get bigger as she excitedly talks about her role in the Willow Glen Children's Theatre upcoming production of Toyshop.

"She's really spontaneous," Jade says, talking with her hands as she describes her character, Celestine. "She comes up with a lot of ideas. And I've always wanted a role with a romance." (The play will be rated G--parents, rest assured. There will be no kissing. "This is a kids' play, remember," Jade says in mock-disgust to my silly question.)

One of Celestine's scenes begins, so Jade runs up on stage. It's a scene where she sings a solo--"The Yawn," an upbeat kind of spell to make the evil alley cats fall asleep. That's another reason Jade likes the part of Celestine: the singing.

"I really enjoy those kind of roles," she says. "I can't wait for opening night. It's going to be a lot of fun."

Friday is the big night for Jade and her castmates. It's opening night for Toyshop, the story of a group of dolls who come to life when no one else is in the doll shop.

"They're a great bunch of kids," says Gavin Coffing, director of the Willow Glen Children's Theatre. Coffing has directed the theater for its 10 years in existence, but he's been directing kids since 1968.

"I love working with kids," Coffing says. "I've never directed adults, although the kids who were in my first plays are probably in retirement homes now. After I directed my first play with children, that was it. I was hooked."

The Children's Theatre puts on three acting sessions during the school year and one summer session. Between 40 and 90 youngsters, ages seven to 16, participate in each of the sessions. Every session produces a performance, and every child gets a part.

There really are no small parts, just small actors, as 8-year-old Katelyn Woodward--one of the smallest actors in the bunch--can attest. Toyshop will be Katelyn's third play with the Theatre. She plays Maria, but Maria's no doll, "she's a brat," Katelyn says. "She likes to run around, she doesn't listen to her mom. It's fun."

Maybe a little type-casting?

"I'm not nice as pie, I'm a little brat," Katelyn says, talking about herself now, not Maria. "I do everything mean. I don't do any nice things. I put glue in my best friend's shoe, and once I threw a brick at my best friend's head by accident."

For 13-year-old Vered Federman, on the other hand, the role of malicious Volga is somewhat more of a stretch.

"I love playing the part where I'm the one who does something bad," she says, "I think it's really fun to play evil characters. You can just be totally out there."

Chris Cardenas, 13, is a Children's Theatre veteran actor. This is his sixth year with the program and his "twentysomethingth" play with Coffing. But he still gets a little nervous before show time.

"I get goosebumps and butterflies, but once it's over it feels great," he says. Chris plays the role of Pierrot, the dolls' leader and Celestine's love interest.

Toyshop is a Coffing original--most of the plays are. He creates a basic idea for the play, gives it to the actors, then writes the rest of the script rehearsal by rehearsal.

"The best part is the first day when you get the script--it's only 20 pages or so," says 16-year-old Hans Cardenas. This is Hans' last production with the group. He's getting too old to be a actor, but he wants to stay involved with the group as an aide.

"The first day--that's the most exciting part because it's the beginning of the whole process. It's a discovery to see what happens to the characters. It's always fun to guess what will happen, sometimes you guess right, and sometimes, something will surprise you which makes it all the more exciting."

Kind of like life.

url: http://www.svcn.com/archives/wgresident/04.21.99/toyshop-9915.html