THE WAVE
Written by Ron Jones
Directed by Cliff Mayotte
A 1967 classroom experiment in Fascism that shook a school!

Directed by Cliff Mayotte
Music by David Denny, Kathy Peck, Emily Klion
Music Directed by Frederick Harris
Choreography by Tricia Lam and Zoe Fyfe
Sets by Alex Bargas

Costumes by Susana Aragon

MYT Creative Director Emily Klion

The Marsh is proud to announce Marsh Youth Theater’s (MYT’s) Teen Troupe in the world premiere of THE WAVE, a musical by Ron Jones. The play is based on an actual classroom experiment in fascism conducted by Jones in 1967 while he was a history teacher at Cubberley High School in Palo Alto. During a five-day period students gave up their ‘freedom’ for the prospect of being superior to their classmates. Almost immediately, the experiment got out of control. Student curiosity and questioning were replaced with conformity and violence. The perspectives of the actual students who comprised the experiment in 1967 are incorporated into the show’s production. The Wave translates as a story for our time, challenging MYT teen actors and their audience to examine their deepest beliefs about politics and social pressure.

Watch The Wave Trailer!

Read the SF Chronicle article on Ron Jones & The Wave

SF Bay Guardian review of The Wave
SF Bay Times review of The Wave
The Online Student Newspaper at Lick-Wilmerding High School in SF, CA

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MYT Past Performances

NOVIO BOY
by Gary Soto

Performed by MYT Summer MainStage Performance Ensemble

Artistic Director: Emily Klion
Stage Direction: Randy Symank
Music Direction: Shannon Day
Choreography: Karina Vela
Sets: Alex Bargas

MainStage Summer will create a musical production of Gary Soto’s, Novio Boy, a hip, funny play featuring the Spanglish language and culture of a Mexican American group of teens. Ninth-grade Rudy has asked eleventh-grade Patricia out on a date, and to his amazement she has agreed. Now Rudy has to come up with the money, the poise, and the conversation to carry it off. This play follows Rudy from his desperate search for guidance from family and friends through the hilarities of the date itself, all the way to its successful conclusion. Come join us in a performance of teatro, música y danza latinas, including cumbia, mariachi, chacha, y reggaeton!

GARY SOTO's first book for young readers, Baseball in April and Other Stories, won the California Library Association's Beatty Award and was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. He has since published many novels, short story collections, plays, and volumes of poetry. He divides his time between Berkeley, California, and his hometown of Fresno.

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Marsh Youth Theater presents…

2009 Mainstage Performance Ensemble’s
CIRIBIRIBIN

a new musical by
Lisa Quoresimo and Charles Eurydice Gray
May 2009


With Lisa Quoresimo, Shannon Day, Sonia Smith, John Ramirez, Susana Aragón and other artists.

MainStage Performance Ensemble celebrated its eighth season with the world premiere of Ciribiribin [CheeryBeeryBean], the story of an Italian immigrant family living in California in the early 1940’s. As the U.S.A. gets drawn into World War II, the family’s Italian language and customs are outlawed, and they begin to question the meaning of home. Set with Italian opera and infectious swing music and dance, Ciribiribin was created by the writing team of Lisa Quoresimo and Charles Eurydice Gray. It takes its name from a nineteenth-century Italian song that was popularized in America in the 20’s by Mario Lanza, then reborn as a big band hit by Harry James and Frank Sinatra.

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Marsh Youth Theater presents…

STONE SOUP: the musical
a new version of an old French Tale performed by the
First Stage Ensemble

performance:
March 31st, 2009 at 7pm

Written and Directed by Sue Walton
Choreographed and Codirected by K C Chapek

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Marsh Youth Theater presents…
with epiphany productions sonic dance theater

MYT New Teen Troupe’s
FEARS OF YOUR LIFE

January 2009

Check out Mission Locals video on Fears of Your Life

Pink Section article on Fears Of Your Life

Based on the book by Michael Bernard Loggins of Creativity Explored
Conceived, Directed and Choreographed by Kim Epifano with Sonya Smith and Maica Folch
Emily Klion, MYT Creative Director

What is fear? How do we cope with it? How can we express it? Fears of Your Life will use dance, music, spoken word, video, sculpture and painting in a celebration of this universal emotion. This multi-media work explores our relationship with the sometimes serious and often humorous things that scare each one of us.

Find out more about epiphany productions and Creativity Explored:
www.epiphanydance.org
www.creativityexplored.org

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Marsh Youth Theater presents…
1968, Visions of Change

August 2008

Written and Directed by Russell Wright

Performed by MYT Performance Ensemble
Music Direction by Shannon Day
Sets by Alex Bargas
Emily Klion, Marsh Youth Theater Program Director.

A musical celebration of Berkeley High School in the late 1960's— a time of social upheaval, new visions and patchouli. Join 40 youth in MYT's MainStage Summer Ensemble performing songs and dances from the exuberant and turbulent 1960's. Come hear the music and dance that reflect the political, cultural and changing views of the hippie generation. 1968, a seminal year where visions changed and social movements began.

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Marsh Youth Theater presents…
SIDDHARTHA, The Bright Path
… the story of the boy who became Buddha

December 2007 -January 2008

Written by Danny Duncan, Emily Klion and Lisa Quoresimo

Performed by MYT Performance Ensemble
Directed by Lisa Quoresimo
Emily Klion, Lisa Quoresimo, George Brooks, Shannon Day, Music
Kathak Choreograpy by Joanna Meinl and Antonia Minnecola,
Bollywood Choreography by Russell Wright
Susan Aragón, Costumes • John Ramirez, Sets
Javad Butah, Ben Kunin, Dave Malloy, Music
Emily Klion, Marsh Youth Theater Director

Prince Siddhartha’s journey to become the Buddha is told in parallel with that of Chandra, a modern-day San Francisco girl who, surrounded by a mass of birthday party gifts, finds herself posing similar questions about the value of material things and the reasons for human suffering. The two meet under the Bodhi tree, on the banks of the Ganges River, where Buddha helps her find her own brand of enlightenment.

The show is flavored with Indian music, art, kathak dance and even a hip hop Bollywood scene. The cast of 24 ranges in age from 10 to 16 and from up-and-coming young actors to Vishnu Balunsat, a San Francisco Ballet “Nutcracker” veteran, who plays Siddhartha. There are no adult actors.

"Magical...Gorgeous...Uplifts your spirits. Not to be missed"
-BayTimes

Reviews:
SF Bay Times
KALW - Listen!
India Currents Article

Siddhartha Photo Gallery by Doug McKechnie

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Marsh Youth Theater presents…
NARNIA
based on The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis.

May 3-10, 2008

Performed by 2008 
MainStage Performance Ensemble
Written by Jules Tasca
Lyrics by Ted Drachman
Music by Thomas Tierney
Directed by Lisa Quoresimo
Music Direction by Tania Johnson
Choreography by Maica Folch & Sonia Smith
Costumes by Susan Aragón
Sets by John Ramirez
Poi Choreography by Aileen Lawlor
Magic by David Hirata
Lighting by Tyler Null
Emily Klion, Marsh Youth Theater Director

Poster Art by MYT Students Emily Claire Mason and Angelina Orrelana

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Marsh Youth Theater presents…
QUINCY'S QUEST
August, 2007

Quincy Washington (Rapper Q) journeys back through time to learn about his musical roots, guided by the spirit of his aunt, Mama Queen, On the way he learns about the influence of African American artists on pop culture throughout the world. \ MYT’s MainStage Summer Ensemble sing, shout, twist, cakewalk, hip hop and swing dance through the twentieth century

Performed by 2007
Summer MainStage Performance Ensemble
Written and Directed by Russell Wright
Music Direction by Shannon Day
Choreography by Russell Wright
Sets by Alex Bargas
Lighting by Tyler Null
Emily Klion, Marsh Youth Theater Director

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Marsh Youth Theater presents…
DONA QUIXOTE
Based on Don Quixote by Miquel de Cervantes

The classic story of the chivalrous visionary, with a twist.

May 2006

Performed by 2006
MainStage Performance Ensemble
Original Libretto by Danny Duncan
Original Music and Lyrics by Emily Klion and Maggie McKaig
Directed by Lisa Quoresimo
Music Direction by Emily Klion
Spanish Guitar by Ricardo Diaz
Choreography by Mónica Bermudez
Costumes by Susan Aragón
Sets by John Ramirez
Lighting by Patti Meyer
Emily Klion, Marsh Youth Theater Director

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