City, Avenue Theater on the lookout for local talent

It is a rare community that doesn’t have a hidden pool of people with talents worthy of the stage.

April 25, 2008 1:58 pm

It is a rare community that doesn’t have a hidden pool of people with talents worthy of the stage.

Jim Kleinbeck happens to have such a stage. It’s called the Auburn Avenue Theater. And come May or June, the theater’s operator and coordinator hopes to fill it with local performance artists of all kinds on evenings and weekends.

Kleinbeck said the idea is to find talented people in Auburn and the surrounding area who don’t have the means to rent a place like the theater but who perhaps have a bit of a popular following.

“We want to bring them in when we showcase one or two other acts and give them a stage. They will be able to say they have played the Auburn Avenue Theater,” Kleinbeck said.

He said this program is consistent with Mayor Pete Lewis’ goal of getting people downtown evenings and weekends to liven up Auburn after hours.

The city’s invitation is not limited to specific acts.

“We have already sent information via e-mail to teachers throughout the Auburn School District, so we may have some Auburn School District nights. We have talked to choir directors and the barbershop group Beginners’ Luck. We could start a jazz night. This is what this is about. They can sing, dance, do comedy. But we draw the line at fire batons,” Kleinbeck said.

If the weekly or once or twice a month shows aren’t rolling by May or June, they will probably be put off to the beginning of September, Kleinbeck said.

“We don’t want to call it an open-mike night, but it’s kind of like that. We will probably charge a small admission, around $5, to cover the cost of the sound, the lights and the technicians. It’s a great opportunity for people who have a small- to mid-size following. They get to play under the lights. If they have their CDs to sell, they can do that as well.”

Interested persons or groups should send in a resume, CD or video to the city. A knock on the door won’t do.

Jim Kleinbeck can be reached at 253-833-5678, or jkleinbeck@auburnwa.gov. Promotion material can be sent to Auburn Avenue Theater, 10 Auburn Avenue, Auburn, WA 98002.