EVERETT — Ayana Uriu fell in love with theater when she was in middle school.
Now, as a staff member at Village Theatre’s KidStage in Everett, she is watching middle school students cultivate their passion for theater arts.
Uriu, 24, is the stage manager for the current KidStage summer stock production of the musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”
“In middle school, I never thought of theater in terms of a career,” Uriu said. “But after four years in the Everett High School drama club, I applied to Western Washington University knowing I wanted to study theater.”
Uriu graduated in 2012 with a bachelor of arts degree that focused on stage management, acting and theater management.
Before long she had a stage management internship with KidStage in Everett.
“And I’ve been there since,” said Uriu, who is the site coordinator in Everett. “It’s been amazing. I brag about my job. It’s a hobby and a passion that I get paid for.”
The role of the stage manager on a professional stage is as important as the actor, director, choreographer and set designer, Uriu said.
“The director is the creative mind. The stage manager is the organizational mind and the lead communicator,” she said. “Theater is a team sport.”
The “team” aspect leads Uriu to talk about the cast.
This production has 47 cast members, ages 10 through 18.
“It’s a feat that we fit them all on stage,” Uriu said with a laugh. “Along with our professional theater staff — directors, designers and all technical folks, I have to say that these kids are professionals, too. I am proud of all of them. And each one gets a special moment.
“They are entertaining, energetic and hilarious.”
These teens and tweens are performing a classic, she said.
“It’s been fun to revive this Tony award-winning and Pulitzer prize-winning Frank Loesser musical from the 1960s,” Uriu said. “The cast really gets the pace of the comedy. For the price ($16 general, $14 for youth and seniors) of admission, the show couldn’t be better.”
Window washer J. Pierrepont Finch dreams of hitting the big time when he finds a book called “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”
With this guide to success, Finch lands a job at World Wide Wickets and will step on as many hands as he can trying to climb up the corporate ladder. From high-powered executives, to backstabbing co-workers and, of course, big dance numbers, the show is an irreverent lampoon of the world of business and all it holds sacred.
“Even if you have seen the show before, we have revamped some of the numbers in order to show off the casts’ skills,” Uriu said. “So come see our version. It’s very exciting.”
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @galefiege.
If you go
Village Theatre’s KidStage summer stock production of the musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” continues at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 21 and 22 and 2 p.m. Aug 23 at Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Ave.
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