The Culture House: Academy, Theater

Culture House draws from cast's experience in 'Annie'
Kansas City Star
November 13, 2007

It's Friday night at The Culture House, and the atmosphere in the building is chaotic.

Actors, parents and Culture House staff are all working together to get through one of the final rehearsals of 'Annie.'

In the lobby, toddlers have taken over, bouncing on couches as their parents mingle.

The studios are crammed with about 140 actors, all kids. They sit chatting, singing, anxious to start run-throughs. One of the show's stars, a shaggy golden retriever named Astro, is basking in the attention from younger cast members.

Every production at The Culture House -- 'Annie' in particular -- is a group effort.

The musical was double-cast to allow more roles for Culture House students. All in all, there are 140 kids involved, ages 4 through 19.

'We just had so many young, talented people,' Bridget Taylor, one of the directors, says.

The experience of performing, of singing, dancing and acting in front of an audience, really helps her students blossom, Taylor says.

The Culture House chose 'Annie' because it's a classic, Taylor says, but also because of its family theme. 'Annie' is about a Depression-era orphan determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago at the door of a rough-and-tumble New York City orphanage.

Annie finally finds a loving home when she's adopted by a lonely millionaire named Daddy Warbucks.

The cast is made up of students that attend schools in the Olathe, Shawnee Mission, Blue Valley, Gardner/Edgerton and De Soto school districts.

But the actors aren't the only ones working on 'Annie' -- parents are toiling away behind the scenes.

On Friday, several were building sets, sewing costumes and helping corral the kids. There are 12 parent committees for 'Annie,' ranging from props to concessions.

Leann Moylan is head of costumes. She's worked nearly every day since September to find sun-bleached orphan dresses in thrift shops and to organize the creation of about 150 original costumes.

Her daughter, Erin, plays con-woman Lilly St. Regis in 'Annie.'

'She loves it so much, and I love being involved, too. It's just something I have a passion for,' Moylan says.
Moylan says parents who don't even sew have helped hem skirts or insert elastic into costumes.

'It's a really good social outlet for the parents,' Moylan says, adding that the kids make a lot of new friends, too.
'This is their place where they hang out and share their love of the arts,' Moylan says.

Taylor says the Culture House community is diverse. Many families, she adds, are interracial, adoptive families.
'It's sort of the norm,' Taylor says. 'They're an aggregate group of people who are just stellar.'

She adds that many parents she knows are involved with charity work.

For example, one parent is involved in Horizon International, a non-profit group that allows people to sponsor an orphan in Africa for about $33 a month. The parent's working to raise awareness of the organization with this production of 'Annie.'

The fact that there are many adoptive families involved makes the musical more personal for the community.

A couple of the cast members, including 8-year-old Katy Werner, come from adoptive families.

When she landed her role as a Hooverville orphan, she had a few questions for her mom.

Katy, who is adopted, couldn't help but compare herself to 'Annie.'

'Do we have to clean the floors?' Katy asked.

She also asked her mom for new clothes -- complete with rips, tears, and dirt -- so she could play her role more accurately.

Katy says she loves to dance and sing and that her dream role is Cinderella.

Taylor says the young actors in 'Annie' -- all 140 of them -- will impress audiences most.

'They'll be amazed at just how young and talented they are,' Taylor says.

More about 'Annie'
** Who: 'Annie' is produced by The Culture House ( www.culturehouse.com), an Olathe school of performing arts that draws students from around the metropolitan area.
** Where: The production begins tomorrow at YouthFront Auditorium, 4715 Rainbow Blvd, in Shawnee Mission.
** When: Thursday, 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.; Friday, at 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.; Saturday, at 2 and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, at 2 p.m.
** How: For tickets, call The Culture House at 913-393-3141.
Copyright © 2007 Kansas City Star, All Rights Reserved.


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	Culture House draws from cast's experience in 'Annie' Kansas City Star November 13, 2007 It's Friday night at The Culture House, and the atmosphere in the building is chaotic. Actors, parents and Culture House staff are all working together to get through one of the final rehearsals of 'Annie.' In the lobby, toddlers have taken over, bouncing on couches as their parents mingle. The studios are crammed with about 140 actors, all kids. They sit chatting, singing, anxious to start run-throughs. One of the show's stars, a shaggy golden retriever named Astro, is basking in the attention from younger cast members. Every production at The Culture House -- 'Annie' in particular -- is a group effort. The musical was double-cast to allow more roles for Culture House students. All in all, there are 140 kids involved, ages 4 through 19. 'We just had so many young, talented people,' Bridget Taylor, one of the directors, says. The experience of performing, of singing, dancing and acting in front of an audience, really helps her students blossom, Taylor says. The Culture House chose 'Annie' because it's a classic, Taylor says, but also because of its family theme. 'Annie' is about a Depression-era orphan determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago at the door of a rough-and-tumble New York City orphanage. Annie finally finds a loving home when she's adopted by a lonely millionaire named Daddy Warbucks. The cast is made up of students that attend schools in the Olathe, Shawnee Mission, Blue Valley, Gardner/Edgerton and De Soto school districts. But the actors aren't the only ones working on 'Annie' -- parents are toiling away behind the scenes. On Friday, several were building sets, sewing costumes and helping corral the kids. There are 12 parent committees for 'Annie,' ranging from props to concessions. Leann Moylan is head of costumes. She's worked nearly every day since September to find sun-bleached orphan dresses in thrift shops and to organize the creation of about 150 original costumes. Her daughter, Erin, plays con-woman Lilly St. Regis in 'Annie.' 'She loves it so much, and I love being involved, too. It's just something I have a passion for,' Moylan says. Moylan says parents who don't even sew have helped hem skirts or insert elastic into costumes. 'It's a really good social outlet for the parents,' Moylan says, adding that the kids make a lot of new friends, too. 'This is their place where they hang out and share their love of the arts,' Moylan says. Taylor says the Culture House community is diverse. Many families, she adds, are interracial, adoptive families. 'It's sort of the norm,' Taylor says. 'They're an aggregate group of people who are just stellar.' She adds that many parents she knows are involved with charity work. For example, one parent is involved in Horizon International, a non-profit group that allows people to sponsor an orphan in Africa for about $33 a month. The parent's working to raise awareness of the organization with this production of 'Annie.' The fact that there are many adoptive families involved makes the musical more personal for the community. A couple of the cast members, including 8-year-old Katy Werner, come from adoptive families. When she landed her role as a Hooverville orphan, she had a few questions for her mom. Katy, who is adopted, couldn't help but compare herself to 'Annie.' 'Do we have to clean the floors?' Katy asked. She also asked her mom for new clothes -- complete with rips, tears, and dirt -- so she could play her role more accurately. Katy says she loves to dance and sing and that her dream role is Cinderella. Taylor says the young actors in 'Annie' -- all 140 of them -- will impress audiences most. 'They'll be amazed at just how young and talented they are,' Taylor says. More about 'Annie' Who: 'Annie' is produced by The Culture House ( www.culturehouse.com), an Olathe school of performing arts that draws students from around the metropolitan area. Where: The production begins tomorrow at YouthFront Auditorium, 4715 Rainbow Blvd, in Shawnee Mission. When: Thursday, 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.; Friday, at 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.; Saturday, at 2 and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, at 2 p.m. How: For tickets, call The Culture House at 913-393-3141. Copyright © 2007 Kansas City Star, All Rights Reserved.