ENTERTAINMENT
DESERT FOOTHILLS THEATER: THE PERFECT STAGE FOR COMMUNITY THEATER By Jennifer Marshall
“A
ll the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players,” said William Shakespeare. Community theater is one of the best venues for testing, challenging and growing your thespian skills. That’s why we’re so blessed to have the acclaimed Desert Foothills Theater right here in our own backyard. Located in North Scottsdale, the playhouse sets on North 60th Street, south of East Carefree Highway. “The theater falls under the umbrella of the Foothills Community Foundation,” said Managing Director Tia Wooley. A nonprofit entity, Desert Foothills Theater houses its offices in the Holland Community Center, which shares a campus with the Desert
Foothills YMCA and Paradise Valley Community College at Black Mountain. While actors and actresses audition and practice at Holland, they perform their plays and musicals at Cactus Shadows Fine Arts Center. A component of the Cave Creek Unified School District, Cactus Shadows contains two theaters: The Main Stage Theater and The Black Box Theater. While The Main Stage Theater is home to many of Desert Foothill’s performances, The Black Box Theater is also regularly utilized. From novices to seasoned thespians—everyone is welcome and encouraged to audition for any role that piques their interest. However, no one is guaranteed any specific part as all roles are based solely on the director’s vision for the character. So, what happens if you don’t get
TIA WOOLEY, MANAGING DIRECTOR THE role? Aspiring thespians—never give up on your theatrical dreams, and don’t let not getting THE role seize control of your confidence and mark the end of your theater endeavors. Desert Foothills is a nurturing and educating community theater that’s always in need of enthusiastic volunteers. Jump in and lend a hand backstage. While there, you’ll reap invaluable knowledge and experience to help enable you to land that next coveted starring role. Or, maybe you’ll discover your theater-lovingheart is really into the artistry of costume making rather than starring center stage. “We’re a great training ground for individuals to gain experience,” said Wooley. “Some people think they want to be actors, but instead, they learn they want to design sets or style hair and makeup.” Many helping hands are needed to bring a play or musical to life on stage, and as Constantin Stanislavski said: “Remember: there are no small parts, only small actors.” Several productions are just for kids and teens, meaning the cast is exclusively comprised of youth actors and actresses. These youth productions, such as the upcoming “Seussical, Jr.,” which will run from May 10-
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19, 2019, are considered a class and part of Desert Foothill’s educational program. A couple of times a year, the theater hosts a tea for children in conjunction with the current running youth production. Adding another dimension of fun to this event, the production’s young actors and actresses give a little performance typically in the form of a song and story reading. These young thespians also play waitstaff for the day as they serve their guests tea, finger sandwiches and dessert, which are all furnished by the English Rose Tea Room in Carefree. Other plays and musicals are geared solely towards the adult crowd 19 and older like “Leading Ladies” debuting February 8, 2019 and running until February 16, 2019. And if you’re looking for an inventive family activity, check out their family-style productions, which cast youth and adults together. Education represents a significant percentage of Desert Foothills’ theatrical programs and helps to maintain their close ties with the community. According to Wooley, in addition to the classes they teach at the theater, they also enjoy a partnership with the local public and private schools. The body of coursework that’s taught northtatumtimes.com
