[00:00] Bryan Hyde: Welcome to the Phoenix Business Brief podcast. I'm Bryan Hyde. Today I'm joined by Lauren Christie. She's the founder and artistic director for Sonoran Stars Community Theater. And Lauren, welcome to the program. Take a moment, if you would, to tell us a little bit about yourself and about your background. [00:15] Lauren Kristy: Hello. Thank you for that nice introduction. My name is Lauren. I am a homeschool mom. I've been one for 13 years now. But before that, I grew up doing theater. My mom is a director. She always arranged the theater programs at the schools I went to. Actually, when I didn't even go to her schools, I somehow snuck in. And then recently in 2012, she opened a theater in Sun River, Oregon, where we lived, and I was always in the shows. My sons started being in the shows, and a couple years ago I directed for the theater. And so I just kind of— after moving to Phoenix, we kind of didn't— we didn't find a A theater that we really wanted to— that allowed us to all be part of all kinds of facets of theater. You know, most— some kids wanted to act more, some kids want to do technical stuff. And so we just, I mean, along with the parents, we kind of just created this Sonoran Stars. So, and luckily, Mom lives here half the year, so she can help us. [01:17] Bryan Hyde: So before we delve into what you are doing with Sonoran Stars, I want to ask a question that I hope helps set the stage, figure figuratively, um, for, for the topic of, of community theater. And, and the question is this, Lauren: what do most people get completely wrong about community theater? What's a perception that people hold that, um, if they participated in community theater, they'd understand, oh, that's not quite right? But I'm just curious because I've seen people react when you say community theater, and it's like, what are they thinking? [01:49] Lauren Kristy: 100%. You know, I think a lot of people think, oh, well, I never acted when I was a kid, or I didn't go to school for theater, or, you know, I'm not an actor. And community theater is truly about— you don't have to be a Broadway actor. You don't even have to think about ever wanting to act, really. Community theater is awesome because there's always a spot for you, I feel like. Some people really realize, oh my gosh, I do like to act. I mean, I even hear my friends, I don't know, tell a joke or read something, and I'm like, I'm going to get you on the stage because I know you can do— oh no, I could never do that. Yes, you can. And that's what I really love about it. Even if you don't want to be on the stage, Sets, props. It's really a— it's a— it's just a bunch of people helping to make a production come to life. And really, it's kind of once you start, you realize this is really fun and keep going. [02:43] Bryan Hyde: When people go to a show, um, I think sometimes they tend to underestimate how much work it takes to, to actually create and produce a show. So let's, let's talk a little bit about the process of, of especially when you're working with young people, um, from, from start to finish, when it— when you decide which show Walk us through the steps of what it takes to put it all together before you guys are out there on opening night performing for an audience. [03:07] Lauren Kristy: Well, I underestimated how much work that would be. It is a lot of work. So getting a venue that will let you use their space, figuring out how to pay for that venue, which it can be very expensive, choosing the show, of course. I had about 5 shows to choose from. Then you have to get the licensing, you have to pay for all the test scripts, and you're reading all the scripts You have to get permission to do the show in the first place. And then, of course, finding your teammates. I mean, it's really hard to do by yourself. We have marketing right now doing an awesome job, sets, props, lobby. And then all of a sudden it's like, we still have to make t-shirts, we still have to make programs, we still have to have a ticket link, we still have to have a website. And then, of course, we need actors and a director. So it really is when you go, who do I know? Who do I know with a truck? Or who do I know that is good at building things? And it's, it's a lot of work, but it's also really awesome to see people come forward and work together. So— [04:15] Bryan Hyde: And typically, how many weeks are you guys rehearsing and getting things ready to go before the show opens? [04:21] Lauren Kristy: Well, I would say a normal theater, a little longer. We have, I think we only had 9 rehearsals. We, we only rehearse once a week. And I believe we had 9 weeks start to finish, once a week. So, about 9 rehearsals, and we do a couple more in tech week to finish it off. But that's not typical of a community theater. That's just our homeschool theater. But, yes, I would say most theaters, 2 months practicing, usually a few times a week. [04:49] Bryan Hyde: So, that's a pretty serious commitment. Let's talk about what do the kids who are participating in this, the students, What do they get? Maybe not just from the commitment itself, but from participating in that process. Tell me about how that helps them. [05:04] Lauren Kristy: Well, I would say first and foremost, confidence. When my first— when my 2 sons started theater here, they were apprehensive. I really believe it's— I mean, how many adults struggle with getting on a stage and speaking in front of people? And these kids are— it's becoming normalized to them. I believe socialization— they love the social aspect. That's a lot of them. You know, maybe they don't want to be actors necessarily growing up, but it's fun to socialize. And also to— now, that's what I love about this theater. If they love putting costumes together, they can do that. I think they're gaining the confidence to decide what they really like to do and making friends, of course. It's a really tight friend group, and we're always welcoming others, and it's just a really nice thing to see. [05:58] Bryan Hyde: Let's, let's talk a little bit about, um, when it comes to, uh, performing. Do you, uh, do you do musicals, or is, is that, is that a given that it's going to be a musical kind of production, or, um, does your group sometimes do non-musical plays? [06:14] Lauren Kristy: Well, we are brand new. This is our first show, um, and this show is a straight play, meaning no musical. We do plan to do a musical in The spring. That, of course, now means that we need to buy the music, learn the music, and have someone to teach the music. So, we decided for the first play just to do a straight script play. But we want to grow and we want to start challenging ourselves. Many of the kids love to sing, and we just have to get the people to come in and help us do it. So— [06:46] Bryan Hyde: So, let's talk a little bit about how you find and cast You know, the right people for the right roles. I'd love to get your take too on, is it the kind of thing where everybody who auditions ends up with a part? Maybe not a speaking part, but oftentimes it seems like there's a lot of roles that have to be filled. [07:05] Lauren Kristy: Yes, we did have a core group that already knew each other from doing theater before that all came in. We did get some new students, and then they just did a cold read. They— well, I had sent out some shorts before, which are slides, which just means they can practice what they want to do. But actually, our director this time had them cold read other parts that maybe he wanted them to do. And everybody that auditions in this theater does get a part. Might not be the part they want, but, you know, certain parts just call for certain actors. And, and so, yes, everyone that auditions for the Sonoran Stars does get a role. That's something I learned from my mom. It's, you know, she'll create roles for people. And we just want people to be there having fun and learning. And we actually also do workbooks and auditions, teaching them how to audition for feature shows. And so they're learning a lot of skills. They're there to learn, like, many skills, not just acting. So— [08:05] Bryan Hyde: Is it difficult for some people who maybe don't have a background in theater to start out realizing, hey, I'm not going to be very good at this. I'm curious what kind of growth you see along the way as someone leans into a role and owns it, you know, by paying the price to rehearse and learn and to work with others. [08:29] Lauren Kristy: Yes, we actually have seen that. We have a couple of new students that were very apprehensive and, of course, started out with like, I don't want to be on stage. I don't want a role. And I'm happy to say that through games, we play a lot of theater games, where they just kind of think, oh, I'm just hanging out with my friends now. Warming up, warming up your voice, warming up your body, moving around the stage. The game is on the stage. And so you sort of get a sense for, hey, this isn't as scary as I thought it would be. And so it is really exciting to see someone that didn't want to roll, didn't want to speak, going up there and saying— and I think a lot of a part of it is, well, my friends can do it. So— and now I'm on the stage playing these games. [09:09] Bryan Hyde: And— [09:11] Lauren Kristy: Now, I mean, I can do it. And I think once you do it, it's like, okay, that wasn't that bad, you know? So I really— that's what makes me excited about this group. [09:19] Bryan Hyde: So Sonoran Stars began with homeschool families. Talk to me about the people who are involved. I understand this goes far beyond just homeschool families at this point. [09:30] Lauren Kristy: Yes. Well, because our class is on Monday afternoons, at this point it is homeschool families and it's And I mean, all the parents help out. They drop in during the day, they teach certain classes. But in the future, and my director agrees as well, we would love to do classes in the evenings. We would— I would love to do a show with adults and children, or even just adults like I do up in Oregon. I'm always trying to reel the parents in when they say something a certain way. Oh, you're going to be on stage. No, I never could do that. Yes, you can. So I really— yes, I would love the Sonoran Stars to be producing different kinds of shows and different entertainment and also teaching classes in acting, the teen confidence, social skills, just being comfortable looking people in the eye. And those skills anyone can use. [10:26] Bryan Hyde: What age group are we talking for the Sonoran Stars? What— how old are the kids that you want participating? [10:34] Lauren Kristy: Currently, we do 10 years to 18. So, 10 to school-aged, just because when you get too many little kids in the mix, it's kind of, you know, it's a different ballgame. [10:44] Bryan Hyde: No, that makes sense. As far as talent, do you have a good talent pool to pull from? I mean, are there some, some, like, anchors that you count on to be there and be a part of each production? [11:00] Lauren Kristy: I mean, we have amazing talent. We have kids that have always been into theater, and this is why they're there, and they drag their siblings along sometimes for other— for social reasons. But we really do. But I, I'm excited about this theater because I don't want to always just give the people that are into theater, that have always been into theater, the ones that always get the leads. I'm excited to kind of, you know, change it up. And next show, who knows who's going to be— I've I like to see the kids that I've seen not get the roles, but I, I can just tell they're gonna be good when given the right part. And I always kind of have them in mind. And of course, we'll utilize our, our bred-and-born stars as well. But yes, it's always on the— I don't need to just be the best. I want to be— I want everyone to feel important and belong. So. [11:49] Bryan Hyde: What happens to a cast as they work together over the course of weeks and, and go through all of the, the background stuff that it takes to, to put a show together. I've, um, for those who haven't been a part of that, what do you see happen among the cast members, you know, especially as they're coming to the close perhaps of, of a particular production? Um, what changes do you see in them? [12:12] Lauren Kristy: Well, it is interesting, especially with children. Um, I mean, of course they're getting closer and bonding and having fun, but it is interesting. Every week we have, um, we hold our rehearsals in a large auditorium with tables And every week, the kids, the groups are different. They're all at lunch, let's say, all sitting at different tables, just bonding. You know, it's always bittersweet at the end of the show. You really do bond over your parts. You have little inside jokes with the lines. I mean, if someone makes a mistake at one of the shows, hopefully, you know, that the audience doesn't notice, that always becomes a joke. And then you culminate with the cast party, and it's kind of like, oh, I'll never say this line again. We'll never be in the same— the scene the same way again. But I can't wait for the next show kind of thing. [13:00] Bryan Hyde: So what, what show are you currently preparing for? [13:04] Lauren Kristy: We are doing the Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood. It's a farce, kind of Monty Python, family-friendly slapstick, a very funny rendition of the Robin Hood story. It was a good first, first take. [13:21] Bryan Hyde: I know applause is something that's very magical to hear for those who are on stage. What about laughter? Do the kids enjoy, you know, doing the kind of shows that bring laughs from the audience? [13:33] Lauren Kristy: Oh, of course. I mean, there's nothing better than getting one of those audiences that are just lively and laughing. And in this show, they gotta do boo, hiss, boo, hiss, you know, some interaction. There is nothing better than the energy you get when you have an audience that is alive and responding to you. It just makes you want to do better and better and better. [13:55] Bryan Hyde: Let's talk for a moment about parents and the commitment that parents have when— if they want their children to be involved in a production. What do parents need to understand upfront? [14:04] Lauren Kristy: Well, actually, this— I didn't make it mandatory that parents help this time. I mean, of course, I'm sending out emails like, we can use any help. And if you have a palm tree at home, please bring it. And, you know, our budget's pretty low. But I was actually— we're really blessed to have parents that We— I didn't just create this by myself. This was a group of parents that wanted our kids to have this experience, to be able to not only act but have a hand in every single thing that went on. And so we— I have amazing moms at this point, and they actually have kids that have signed up for their committees under their wing. And they come in and, okay, now it's time for the props committee. It's time for— we do a social media. Some, you know, kids these days, of course, like social media. So they're getting to be creative and edit videos and lobby sets. Every— all the kids are involved, and I couldn't do it without the parents. Trust me, I sometimes am scrambling around and just like, you know, who can come in this week? And so it really takes those parents being committed. I mean, our sets committee has been working around the clock with these amazing ideas. So, yeah, I couldn't do it without the parents. [15:17] Bryan Hyde: Lauren, I want to ask you kind of a philosophical question, but, you know, community theater, it's been around a while. This isn't just a new invention. What is it that is so important about being able to tell stories? I mean, this is found in almost every culture. Why do we tell stories like we tell through theatre? [15:36] Lauren Kristy: Ooh, that's a tough one. Well, I'd imagine it's to keep the— I mean, my first idea is— I don't— well, I imagine it's just to keep the history alive, first of all. I mean, the kids are also learning a lot about you know, England and the area. And so I believe if we stop telling stories, then no one would really know how it used to be in certain parts. And I think we're always learning that way. And I think it, you know, keeps the groups alive. Even listening to a story kind of brings everyone together. And so that's, that's what I believe. It's important to, yeah, keep telling the same stories. Once the story dies, then— Then no one will ever know about the history behind it. [16:21] Bryan Hyde: It seems like it's a much different experience than what— and I'm stereotyping here— but what most kids tend to get their information through a screen, you know, a few inches in front of their face. There's something very different though about when you're seeing it acted out live, you know, in front of your own eyes. [16:39] Lauren Kristy: 100%, because then they can use their discretion of which parts they are they feel a kinship with. I mean, of course, the scripts are paper. So we're also still reading and writing, like the olden days. And yes, they're emulating it. And I think that sticks with you rather than just watching a video where you're just kind of watching someone else do something. When you're up on stage living it, it definitely makes it more personal and memorable. [17:06] Bryan Hyde: So for people who want to either support Sonoran Stars, you know, either, you know, through, through being audience members, or perhaps sponsoring, or those who want to get more involved, you know, with, with your productions? How do they connect up with you? And how do they become a part of what you're doing? [17:20] Lauren Kristy: I would love for people to connect with us and become a part of what we're doing. Our website is sonoranstars.com. That's S-O-N-O-R-A-N-stars.com. My email is sonoranstarstheatere@gmail.com. And then we have a Facebook, thanks to our marketing team. We have an Instagram, and those are both just Sonoran Stars Theater. And, um, yes, we would love people to come and join us, uh, see what we're up to, and hopefully join us in a production in the future. [17:55] Bryan Hyde: One final question for you, and that is, for those who do have that fear of being on stage, um, there are still a lot of ways people can help behind the scenes, aren't there? [18:03] Lauren Kristy: 100%. We actually have 2 students that do not want to be on stage, and they've been a great asset in making sets, props, Anything. There's always a spot for you. We can always find something for someone to do, um, behind the scenes, stage crew, lights, anything. We welcome anyone, uh, to come and join us in the future, and we're excited to have help. So, and, and for people to realize how fun it is and maybe be on the stage one day. [18:32] Bryan Hyde: I know that's a tall order, but I say this as someone who had to once be persuaded to try it. Once you've done it, it is actually a great deal of fun. So, um, I, I wish you the, the best of success. We are again We're talking with Lauren Kristy. She's the founder and artistic director of Sonoran Stars Community Theater. And Lauren, thank you so much for joining us today on the Phoenix Business Brief podcast.