Theatre’s upbeat student show to bring awareness, support for the local arts

A passionate show produced for and by teenagers, “out cry: students celebrating art,” will premiere Saturday at the Auburn Avenue Theater.

The show, presented by the Auburn Regional Theatre, features contemporary songs from hit musicals performed by a cast of entirely high school and college-aged students from King County. The program intends to raise money and awareness for Arts Corps, a nonprofit organization that provides free arts education to kids in grades K-12 in King County.

“The show will feature upbeat rock and pop musical numbers from composers like Jason Robert Brown, Jonathan Larson, Stephen Schwartz, Duncan Sheik and others,” said director Jordan Rosin, a Todd Beamer High School graduate who initially conceived the project.

“It will be a fun story that we have put together,” said Rosin, 17, who grew up in King County and is studying theatre at Syracuse University in New York. “The audience will have a good time and hopefully support arts education. It will be informative as well as entertaining.”

It show also is marketed to youth and aimed at empowering students by providing them with resources and inspiration to become arts advocates.

“Out cry” will feature a live band, an edgy, youthful cast and upbeat contemporary musical numbers with a distinct rock and pop influence.

The show is under the musical direction of Jackie Edwards, the founding artistic director of Auburn Regional Theatre.

Through his art, Rosin seeks to inspire and teach students and parents about the beneficial, transformative power of artistic expression and empower them to do something about the fact that opportunities for children to learn the tools for creative expression are dwindling.

Active since 2000, Arts Corps brings the lifelong practices of persistence and discipline, critical thinking, courage and risk-taking, reflection and imagining possibilities to the classroom and beyond. The Arts Corps mission fit perfectly with Rosin’s visions and goals, so he decided to make a contribution to their organization.

Many students in “out cry” have stories about cuts to arts programs. Through “out cry” they seek to share their stories and call to others to stand up and raise an outcry when arts programs are threatened.

It’s show time

• What: ‘Out cry: students

celebrating art,’ presented by the

Auburn Regional Theatre. Student show aims to empower youth

to support the arts

• When: Saturday, 8 p.m.

• Where: Auburn Avenue Theater,

10 Auburn Ave.

• Tickets: $5 each and may be purchased at the door by calling the box office at 253-929-6680 or visiting online at www.experience-art.org.

For more information, e-mail at info@experience-art.org