Young Adults, Pros Collaborate to Make “Magic”

Clara Sturak
Associate editor

   “I wish somebody would have done this for me!” That’s the heartfelt opinion of theatre actor/writer/director John Achorn, speaking of the Virginia Avenue Project. Virginia Avenue Project is the creation of Leigh Curran, a writer and performer who moved out west from New York ten years ago, bringing with her a commitment to expose young people “growing up in difficult circumstances” to theatre.
   Children as young as six participate in the project, which, ideally, works with them over the course of years, so that that by 18, they have learned more about every corner of theatre – performance, writing, directing, producing – than most so-called professionals.
   Curran characterizes the program, which is funded through a combination of private, City and County monies, as “long-term one-on-one mentoring,” or put another way: “We’re in their faces for as long as they’ll let us [be].” Every young person participates in at least one workshop per year, is taken to see professional theatre regularly, and attends theatre classes and seminars.
   The workshops, classes and seminars are run by theatre professionals – who, depending on the particular project – work in collaboration with the kids as playwrights, actors or directors. Achorn, who has been involved with the project for years, has done all of the above. Currently, he’s acting in a short play written by Virginia Avenue Project veteran, Colin Lipscomb.
   Lipscomb, 13, has been creating theatre with his professional pals since the age of 10. His favorite workshop, he says, is the “one-on-one,” where a young person is teamed up with an adult, and the two collaborate on a short play at an Ojai retreat, which is then performed at UCLA.
   Lipscomb became involved with Virginia Avenue Project “because I love acting,” but has since become a skilled playwright as well. His play, “Aging Darkness,” is one of seven that will be performed as “Making Magic” this weekend at Santa Monica’s Miles Playhouse.
   “Making Magic” emerged from the Virginia Avenue Project’s, “Replay,” an advanced playwriting workshop that focuses on revision. Lipscomb explains that the 5 to 10-minute plays were written last year, and then re-written after a several month break, so that the writers could discover “fresh ideas.” The plays are performed and directed by theatre professionals. In keeping with a common theme, all include a magical element, hence the title.
   When he’s not acting for Lipscomb, Achorn can be seen on both the big and small screens, and in the local theatre scene as a member of the Antaeus Company in North Hollywood. He’s done it all, but gets a special satisfaction out of working with the young artists in the Virginia Avenue Project. “These are honest words from the mouths of pre-teens and teens. Their ideas are very fresh,” he says, with an almost parental pride. “It’s always very honest and very moving as an evening of theatre.” And Funny, too, he adds, informing me that last time around he had the honor of playing a bagel.
   Lipscomb sums up his feelings about Virginia Avenue Project this way: “It’s really exciting and really cool. You know why? Because people who don’t want to be there aren’t there. You know how sometimes there are people who don’t want to [be participating in something?] Well, that’s not us. It’s more about having fun than anything else.”
   “Making Magic” runs at Miles Playhouse in Reed Park (Wilshire Boulevard and Seventh Street) Friday, November 16 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, November 17 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, November 18 at 3 p.m. Admission is free. For reservations or more information about the project, call (310) 264-4224.