There are numerous ways for creativity and passion to flourish throughout the city of Yorba Linda. Yorba Linda Spotlight Theater Company has been one of those outlets for around 20 years. It is a theater company where children get the opportunity to grow their passion for the arts: singing, dancing, and acting. However, there has not been an easily accessible outlet for adults of any age to get back into their passion for the theater in or around Yorba Linda…until now.
Yorba Linda Spotlight Theater Company owners, Elise Lamm & Charna Lopez, decided to partner with the city of Yorba Linda to produce meaningful, entertaining experiences for the community where adults of any age (16+) can reconnect with their creative passions and love for theater. Partnering with the city of Yorba Linda through the Yorba Linda Cultural Arts Center, the Yorba Linda Spotlight Theater Company produced Yorba Linda Spotlight (YLS) Players.
As a student at Yorba Linda Spotlight myself, I feel that YLS Players is such a unique opportunity for adults to rekindle their passion for the arts through community theater. Witnessing performers of all ages bonding over theatre is a definite highlight of this program. It is undoubtedly a beautiful sight to see communities grow and develop over a shared passion for the stage. YLS Players put on their first show this past weekend, All Shook Up, and–let me just say–it was one of the best community theater productions I have ever seen.
All Shook Up is an Elvis Presley jukebox musical that tells the exquisite story of people in a small town who come to terms with who they love when an attractive, music-loving, delinquent comes to town. As the show progresses, the audience sees how the characters “can’t help fallin’ in love”, as they challenge societal norms, leading to comedic and heartfelt misunderstandings. The show centers around the importance of self-expression, acceptance, and most importantly, love.
When I went to watch the show, I had no idea what to expect. All I knew was that this show would have adults in it. What was exciting to me was that many of my theatre teachers, who have been my mentors, were in it. This was very exciting to me, as I think it is very integral for a student to be able to watch their mentors perform in their passion. The show ultimately blew me away. The raw emotions behind the actors as they performed amazed me. The non-stop dancing throughout the entire show was amazing, and the dance ensemble was able to pull off the difficult choreography with much ease. But, what really touched me the most was getting to see older actors truly happy on that stage. Their happiness shined through on that stage, and it made me realize how great it is to have a community theater in Yorba Linda where adults can reconnect with their passion for theatre and step back onto the stage after a long time away.
YLHS student, Raven Hale (12), watched All Shook Up this weekend and she thought that the show was electric and felt that, “The energy throughout the cast was very visible, and that the choreography was very good and the talent on stage was amazing.”
All Shook Up at YLS was also recognized by the OC Theatre Guild and was awarded the “Recommended Award,” telling citizens of Orange County to all watch this amazing show.
YLS Players has given adults of any age a true home in the theater. Recent YLHS Alumni, Noah Reitz (A), was in the Ensemble in All Shook Up, and he is so thankful that YLS Players has given him a chance to do community theater even after graduating from high school. He also thinks it is important to have community theaters like this, saying, “It’s so incredible to have this place for adults to get back into theatre because when you love theatre, you never really lose that spark,” also remarking that, “Especially with the older adults, you can see that they are kind of reliving their younger years and refinding the joy that’s buried into their soul.”
Look out for YLS Players’ next production, She Loves Me, performing from June 12-15 & 19-22, 2025 at the Yorba Linda Cultural Arts Center. If you are anyone of 16+ years of age and looking for an accessible and fun way to do theatre, mark your calendars for auditions for She Loves Me on March 31, 2025!
