The Rainbow Company Youth Theatre, run by the city of Las Vegas, is set to stage its inaugural "Ensemble Showcase: A Play Festival," featuring an impressive display of young theatrical talent from May 2-11 at the Charleston Heights Arts Center, according to a recent announcement in the City of Last Vegas' bulletin. The play festival will see performances both at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and matinees at 2 p.m. on the first and last day of the event, with tickets available for purchase for just $10 each.
In a showcase of versatility and a testament to student creativity, the young participants will assume multiple roles as actors and designers/directors throughout the festival, kicking things off with "Glass Half Broken," a play centered around the chaos of a china shop written and helmed by Sophia Hoag, a 17-year-old veteran of Rainbow Company. Hoag's work has received previous accolades and now brings together a mixture of love triangles crazy customers and a mischievous Bon Jovi, the City of Last Vegas' bulletin details.
The festival's second act will offer variety with a rotating schedule of one-act plays, each directed by an Ensemble student; these performances will run alternatively over two weekends. Featuring works like Stanley Houghton's satirical "The Dear Departed" and W.W. Jacobs' chilling "The Monkey’s Paw," adapted and given a twist by Jeannette Jaquish to Erica Griffin's "Roles for Girls," a comedic play about ambitious actresses, attendees are encouraged by Rainbow Company Youth Theatre to visit multiple times to catch the full spectrum of the students' productions, as per the City of Las Vegas.
The Rainbow Company Youth Theatre ensemble, formed through annual auditions includes a dedicated group of 40 students aged between 10 and 18 who actively engage in the comprehensive production process from makeup and costume design to operating lights and sound, working under the guidance of professionals to bring their vibrant show to life; the program praised for offering professional training and theatre art classes for over 45 years, this and more information on their legacy of fostering young talent in the arts can be found on their website.
