By the kids, for the kids

Suzie Harrison

It’s getting to be the end of the school year, a period when some

students choose to slack, or at least coast, but not the students in

the drama department at Laguna Beach High. Now is the time for those

students to kick it into high gear for their second annual Park

Avenue Players Drama Festival.

There’s plenty of work for all the students. They are the ones who

run the show, writing, directing, producing and acting in the plays.

“There are four original plays written by students,” Asha Bhatia,

16, said. “And ‘Baby with the Bathwater’ was directed by students.”

Scott Brown, 18, dove into the event, writing the script and

lyrics and also directing his musical “The Last American Dream.”

Last year’s drama festival instigated his larger role this year,

writing a smaller 20 minute scene.

“I got inspired, wanted a larger role and got it into my head to

write a musical,” Brown said. “The plot probably came from the dark

reaches of my brain that I usually fear to tread.”

He had the idea about six months ago and it took him five months

to write.

“When it comes out it’s my job to make sure everyone feels good

about it,” Brown said. “I promised them in the beginning that we’d do

something great and I don’t want to disappoint.”

He said the hardest part was its length, which is about an hour,

three times longer than his first project.

Marisa Reisman, 16, is in “Baby with the Bathwater,” she plays a

crazy mom who brings up her son as a girl.

“It’s an interesting show to be working with peers,” Marisa said.

“I’m a control freak by nature and it’s hard to sit back and take

direction. I’m not used to people my age telling me what to do.”

Asha is playing Cinderella in a piece called “Unhappily ever

After” by Will Morrison. It’s the flip side of Disney where charming

lives are not as chipper as they appear to be.

“It’s about Disney characters after they’re married, they’re in

marriage counseling,” Asha said. “I’m married to prince charming, and

three of us [couples] are trying to figure out our problems.”

Snow white and her mate were spotted on the same couch trip.

Laura Fryer, 17, said that she is in a production called “Isaac

Kumera Monologues” written by Jesse Fair.

“Ruth plays the mother of a very dysfunctional family with extreme

bipolar tendencies, she’s a little crazy,” Laura said. “This is the

first time I’m doing the Drama Festival and am really enjoying

working with all the students and having that creative freedom.”

Auditions were held over a two-day period.

“They had sections of each script and did a cold reading,” Laura

said. “The writers and directors then cast from what they saw.”

Alex Murrel, 16, is in “Baby with the Bathwater” and the musical

“The Last American Dream” written by Scott Brown.

“Bath is one crazy, crazy play,” Alex said. “I play this

over-protective mother and meet this woman at the park who is totally

crazy and treating her kids horrible.”

She described it as funny, dark humor.

“The premise is about this couple who have this kid ad are too

polite to look at its sex,” Alex said. “They think it’s a girl, they

treat it like a girl and it ends up being a boy -- the kid grows up

pretty crazy.”

Scott said he likes the opportunity the Drama Festival gives for

people to write, process a script, stage and production.

“When you write a book, it’s tangible, it’s there, but when you

write a script, no one sees it until it’s produced for an audience,”

Scott said.

The Drama Festival calumniates today at 7 p.m. at the Artists’

Theatre, 625 Park Ave. Tickets are $5. For information, call

497-7769.