{"id":308735,"date":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=308735"},"modified":"2024-10-23T07:54:10","modified_gmt":"2024-10-23T07:54:10","slug":"camp-zama-youth-give-back-to-community-via-mwr-theatre-production-of-annie-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=308735","title":{"rendered":"Camp Zama youth give back to community via MWR Theatre production of \u2018Annie Kids\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Cast members run through a dress rehearsal of \u201cAnnie Kids\u201d Oct. 21 at the Community Recreation Center auditorium on Camp Zama, Japan. The group will present three performances Oct. 25 through 27.
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CAMP ZAMA, Japan \u2013 For the last eight weeks, the crew for the MWR Theatre Group\u2019s first-ever production featuring an all-elementary-aged cast have labored to bring \u201cAnnie Kids\u201d to the community.<\/p>\n

This week, they\u2019re running through final dress rehearsals of the 40-minute production, hoping to fill the seats at the Camp Zama Community Center auditorium for three nights of performances, Oct. 25 through 27.<\/p>\n

Director Cheyenne Valentin-Rivera said she believes the community will be amazed with the performances they see from the 30-member cast of first through fifth graders.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the audience can expect to see with this production is joy,\u201d Valentin-Rivera said.<\/p>\n

She said the joy will be obvious on the faces of the actors as they bring the play to life onstage. And joy for the parents, crew members and community members who get to see the impact of a community theater group.<\/p>\n

And filling those seats and celebrating that hard work is important, she said.<\/p>\n

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\n Cast members run through a dress rehearsal of \u201cAnnie Kids\u201d Oct. 21 at the Community Recreation Center auditorium on Camp Zama, Japan. The group will present three performances Oct. 25 through 27.
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\n Cast members run through a dress rehearsal of \u201cAnnie Kids\u201d Oct. 21 at the Community Recreation Center auditorium on Camp Zama, Japan. The group will present three performances Oct. 25 through 27.
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\n The cast and crew of \u201cAnnie Kids\u201d pose for a group photo during final production preparations Oct. 22 at the Camp Zama Community Recreation Center theater. The group will present three performances Oct. 25 through 27.
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\u201cIt\u2019s giving back to the kids who are putting in all the effort to give [back] to the community,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Valentin-Rivera, who directed the theater group\u2019s production of \u201cWonka Jr.\u201d earlier this year, said this is her first time directing an entire cast of elementary-school-aged actors.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just found it in my heart that this was going to be my purpose,\u201d she said of directing the performance.<\/p>\n

The director said it has been extremely rewarding getting to introduce the world of theater to youth in the community, to show them a new form of expression, and to watch them grow through the process.<\/p>\n

She said every child who auditioned was put into the play.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see so much potential for every one of them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Valentin-Rivera also lauded the rest of the team helping to bring the production to the community, including stage manager Brynn Lewis, musical director Jennifer Montgomery, and all the other volunteers who have spent their time working behind the scenes on set design, lighting, sound, choreography and every other aspect of running a play.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are Soldiers, civilians, parents and community members,\u201d who are uniting to introduce the youth to the joy of theater, she said.<\/p>\n

She said the team brought the attitude of the improv-acting concept of \u201cYes, and\u201d to every other aspect of the production.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was, \u2018Yes, and what else can I do to help?\u201d she said. \u201cI would not have been able to put on this show without everyone\u2019s assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Local volunteer Kevin Coleman said he was happy to help.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to be part of this production crew because I strongly believe in giving back to my family and community,\u201d Coleman said. \u201cThis production offers a unique opportunity to uplift community morale through the joy of entertainment.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy children expressed a desire to participate, and I wholeheartedly support their interests and passions, as I believe these experiences will help them discover their own talents and aspirations,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Coleman said the decision to run a play aimed toward younger children offered a great opportunity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe experience has significantly boosted the confidence of the entire cast, enabling them to perform in front of a larger audience,\u201d Coleman said. \u201cTheir excitement and dedication to making the performance both correct and entertaining are evident in their preparation, [which fosters] a sense of teamwork and accomplishment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coleman said he also highly encourages other community members to get involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery contribution can enrich a child\u2019s learning experience and personal growth,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is our responsibility as the current generation to set the example for the next. Moreover, I find immense joy in coaching and mentoring the kids, helping them realize that they can achieve anything they set their minds to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Valentin-Rivera said one of the most exciting aspects will be watching the actors realize what they were able to accomplish, even though they might have started out shy about dancing, singing or simply being onstage.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese kids are going to be absolutely impressed by the craftsmanship of their own work,\u201d she said. \u201cThey took all of what they learned and put that into their craft. These kids could go to Broadway.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

NOTE: \u201cAnnie Kids\u201d will be presented Oct. 25 at 5 p.m.; Oct. 26 at 2 p.m.; and Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. Email <\/em>campzamatheatre@gmail.com<\/a><\/em> to learn how to volunteer.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cast members run through a dress rehearsal of \u201cAnnie Kids\u201d Oct. 21 at the Community Recreation Center auditorium on Camp Zama, Japan. The group will present three performances Oct. 25 through 27. (Photo Credit: Tim Flack, U.S. Army Garrison Japan Public Affairs) VIEW ORIGINAL CAMP ZAMA, Japan \u2013 For the last eight weeks, the crew […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":308737,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-308735","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308735","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=308735"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308735\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":308742,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308735\/revisions\/308742"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/308737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=308735"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=308735"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=308735"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}