Arts and Entertainment

For some young performers, that first opportunity to entertain an audience is all it takes to turn stage fright into stage presence. 

“I’ll be honest: I really, absolutely hated performing for people. I despised it,” says 11-year-old Brooklyn Webb. 

But Brooklyn’s high anxiety turned to polished poise when she took the stage for the first time last year in Lakewood High School’s performance of “Les Misérables.”

South Jeffco residents looking for an entertainment alternative have a new option. And it’s a dramatic one.

The Foothills Theater Company — the Foothills Parks and Recreation District’s very own community theater — debuted over the weekend at The Ridge Recreation Center. 

The troupe’s inaugural production, “Trifles and Other Plays,” a collection of three one-act plays dealing with relationships in various forms, is in the middle of a two-week run.  

It’s been more than 17 years since LeAnn Rimes first made a name for herself as a 13-year-old singer with a voice that sounded like it was channeling country great Patsy Cline. 

Working without a net poses a certain amount of risk — but also can provide a visceral thrill. A class in improv acting at Chatfield High School is teaching 25 students to trust their instincts and the ability to think on their feet.  

“It’s definitely challenging,” said Wren Schuyler, a Chatfield senior. “You have to have a bunch of ideas flowing through your mind at a million miles a minute at every moment.”