There is a particular kind of magic that arrives in October. Not the store-bought kind with plastic fangs and fog machines, but something stranger and more delightful: teens throwing themselves headlong into theater with the reckless conviction of people who still believe anything can happen onstage.
That magic is alive at the Pagosa Springs Center for the Arts, where the Thingamajig Teen Program’s “Beetlejuice Jr.” has taken up ghostly residence.
Finlay Moore, in delightfully unhinged form as Beetlejuice, and Olive Fladwood as a sharp, soulful Lydia Deetz lead a cast whose energy doesn’t merely fill the theater — it claims it. These teens don’t imitate theater; they inhabit it, reveling in the macabre spirit of the season with wit, heart and a surprising degree of polish.
If Halloween is about transformation, then there is nothing more Halloween-appropriate than watching young artists discover just how powerful they can be in front of an audience.
Under the guidance of Laura Moore, with mentorship from Trevor Brown, Samantha Luck, Elly O’Hara and Sophia Raymond; original props by Tanya Quinn; a spectacular lighting design by Madelyn Krause; and stylish stage design by Jill Fives, the production becomes far more than a youth showcase. It stands as a declaration: The next generation of performing artists in Pagosa isn’t just emerging; they’ve arrived.
Performances of “Beetlejuice Jr.” continue Oct. 24, 26, 30 and 31; and Nov. 2.
As the teens take their bow, the grown-ups step into the spotlight with Terrence McNally’s “Master Class,” a striking tonal counterpoint.
Directed by Tim Moore and featuring Laura Moore, O’Hara, Brown, Luck, Dale Scrivener and Scott Morehead, with production support from Raymond and MacKenzie Lowe, the piece reminds audiences why theater matters long after adolescence: because art demands we confront who we are and who we dare to be.
“Master Class” continues its run Nov. 8, 9, 15 and 16.
So, bring your kids in costume, bring your Halloween spirit, bring your appetite for something spooky, something funny, something unexpectedly moving. In a season obsessed with the idea of the dead coming back to life, it’s worth noting nothing resurrects a theater like the laughter of an audience and the wild, fearless joy of kids discovering their power onstage.
All performances are at the Pagosa Springs Center for the Arts. For tickets and information, visit pagosacenter.org or call (970) 731-SHOW (7469).
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