In 1992, James & Suzanne Boles held the first two of many summer theatre workshops for youth. Each summer after that a youth theatre workshop was held, using either original work that the students developed or, in one case, scenes from “The Wind In the Willows.”
In 1995, the Boles established The Grove Community Playmakers. Part of its mission was the development of talented youth by participation in productions, workshops, and eventually an after-school drama program.
Many students were involved in the first productions:
1995 “The Music Man”
20 children and youth in the cast.
The 3rd Street Players As a result of student participation in Playmaker
productions and workshops, the Youth
Theatre was officially organized and given the name, The 3rd Street
Players. During the School Year, 1997/98, Jim Boles conducted a
4-part youth theatre workshop titled the
“American Musical Theatre Workshop for Youth.” It was held on Saturday mornings throughout the school year. Each semester concluded with a production
for the general public. A Sudden
Opportunity Grant from Oklahoma Arts Council $2000, plus $250 from OCTA, was
awarded for this workshop. Judy Huggins ran a summer program as part of her private
school, The Academy at Performance Arts.
This school was initiated in 1996. Many youth theatre students
participated in these summer programs. The school was in the same building as
The Playmakers and Performance Arts Dance & Gymnastics, so many of the
young people tended to be involved in all three organizations and businesses,
taking dance, gymnastics, and acting.
Additionally, a few of them were voice students, studying with Jim
Boles, until his death in 1998. The students researched and wrote their own
productions as part of the summer programs. These included: They also produced:
As part of the Playmakers regular season, they were involved
in: .Judy Huggins officially became the director of The Playmakers’ after-school youth theatre
program in 1997. It was during this
period that the building which housed all of these activities was designated
“The Off Broadway Arts Building,” as it was just a few feet from Broadway
Street in Grove and it housed classes in dance, acting, and voice...all the
components for producing “triple threats!”
So the youth theatre group became the “Off Broadway Troupers.” Many young people have been involved in these productions,
and have become part of “The Troupers.” They received theatre training “on-the-job” so to speak. Others attended the after-school program
year round and were involved it its organizational component which has elected
officers from among the students. A few older students also attended acting workshops with the
adult participants of The Playmakers. Five students attended OCTA youth workshops. Productions of “The Off Broadway Troupers”
1997 “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown”
Review of Original Productions by Playmakers &
Troupers:
“Lost in Fantaspace Galaxy”
1996 “Fiddler On the Roof” 19
young performers
1996 “Love Letters”
(a reading) one high school student
1997 “Kiss Me Kate” 10 young people
“Lost in Fantaspace Galaxy”
“Christmas at the Circus- The Boy Who Wouldn’t Smile”
“Train of Change”
“Dream of Flight & Forever Soar”
“Unseen Treasure”
“The Haunted Rehearsal”
“20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”
“Christmas in the Land of Oz”
“STN -Shakespeare Television Network (Scenes from Shakespeare’s plays as radio programs, i.e., soaps,
news, talk-shows, courtroom drama, etc.)
“Searching for Christmas”
“The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe”
“The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever.”
1997 “Everybody, Everybody” in conjunction with “The Boy Who Stole the Stars” (two youth
theatre roles)
1997 “Doors”( two youth theatre roles)
1999 “Sound of Music”
(8 young people from 4 yrs through high
school.)
1999 “A Thousand Clowns: (one student)
2000 “The Boy Friend”- (15 high school students)
2000 “Nunsense I” (one high school student)
2001 “Nuncrackers” (5 student roles)
2002 “Quilters” (one high school student)
2003 “Love Letters” ( performance version: 2 adults; 2 high school students, 2 elementary students)
2002 “Nunsense II” (one high school student)
2004 “The Children’s Hour” (six
upper elementary & mid-school students)
2004 “Our Town” (eight students, various ages)
2005 “Le Grand Follies’
2006 Various short plays (Readers
Theatre- Bistro; HS students)
2007 “Eleemosynary (one high school student)
2007 “Onyx Sky” (two high school students)
2008 “The Christmas Survival (one 5th grade student)
2008 "Guide”
2009 “The Miser” (four students)
1997 “John Lennon & Me” ( 2 adult roles)
1998 “Babies Having Babies” (a production on teen pregnancy which toured area mid & high schools.
1999 “The Snow Queen” ( full-length, 2-act original ballet with
many students from the Youth Theatre Group,)
2000 “A Christmas Carol” (performed by the Troupers with 4
adults in the cast)
2001 “The Angler or Dirty Deeds by a Dam Site.” (Original Melodrama, 1 adult, written by James S. Boles)
2002 “The Miracle Worker” (1 adult only)
2002 “Santa & the Snollygoster” (an original holiday musical with youth from 8 years high school.
6 adults; written, directed & choreographed by Suzanne Boles;
original music by Tom Teel)
2003 “Louis In Siam” (an original play by Judy Huggins and Shonna
Tressler adapted from the book by Anna Leonowens and
other authors.)
2004 “Winnie-the-Pooh’s Christmas Tail”
2005 “The Little Prince”
2006 “Don’t Count Your Chickens Until They Cry Wolf”
2008 “The Dinosaur Musical”
2008 “Wiley & the Hairy Man (in-school, 5th grade; performed in Spring &
again in Fall))
2008 “The Love For Three Oranges” (in-school, 6th grade, Spring)
2008 “The Secret Life of Girls (in-school, 7th grade, Fall)
2009 “Bamboozled” (in-school, 6th grade,
Spring)
2009 “Seussical, the Musical”
“Christmas at the Circus- The Boy Who Wouldn’t Smile”
“Train of Change”
“Dream of Flight & Forever Soar”
“Unseen Treasure”
“The Haunted Rehearsal”
“20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”
“Christmas in the Land of Oz”
“STN -Shakespeare Television Network
“The Snow Queen” (above)
“The Angler or Dirty Deeds by a Dam Site.” (above)
“Santa & the Snollygoster” (above)
“Louis In Siam” (above)