Conejo Players celebrates troupe's 50th anniversary

Sculpture outside Conejo Players Theatre The Conejo Players, Thousand Oaks' own communitysupported theater company, celebrated its 50th anniversary with an open house last Saturday. A city staple long before the existence of the Civic Arts Plaza, the Conejo Players, in fact, made its debut six years before the founding of the city.

The company got its start when, a half-century ago, 10 Lake Sherwood residents put $5 apiece into a fund to support the presentation of "Nude with Pineapple," a '20s comedy by Fulton Oursler. It opened in May 1958, and since that time 347 plays, musicals, poetry productions and children's shows have been presented, first at the old Glazier barn on Skyline Drive and later at the Players' current facility south of the 101 Freeway off Moorpark Road, which was built in 1964.

Tours during the open house showed guests every element necessary to put on a production. After a visit to the sound and lighting booth, guests were led to the newly built Charles Padilla Orchestra Pit, named for the late leader of the house orchestra, then onto the stage. The tour continued backstage to the wardrobe room, the prop area and the construction facility, where sets are designed and assembled and scenery painted.

Also featured were displays showing how certain special effects are achieved, ranging from specially constructed switchblade knives for "West Side Story" to bombs used by pirates in "Peter Pan." All of the effects and gadgets are handcrafted, as are most of the costumes.

All work, whether it is by stage crew or actors, is done on a volunteer basis. Once one becomes a member, he or she is encouraged to participate in a variety of activities, whether running wires, handling props, pulling curtains, building sets or even performing on stage.

Some who got their start in a Conejo Players production went on to become stars, such as actress Amanda Bynes ("Hairspray"). Others, such as former City Councilmember Jaime Zukowski, found their calling elsewhere. Names from the past can be seen on the walls of the backstage area, graffiti scrawled everywhere, even on the ceilings of the cramped dressing rooms, memorializing brief moments in the spotlight.

During the tour, colorful incidents that contributed to the folklore of the theater's history were shared, including a particularly hectic performance of "Bugsy Malone" in which 56 child actors ran amok backstage toting splurge guns filled with shaving cream.

There's even a house ghost, known as Albert, who is often blamed (or credited) for mysterious goingson during productions.

The theater group is currently in the middle of an ambitious fundraising project called "Reaching for the Stars," seeking $3 million to expand the building by 800 square feet and remodel an additional 700 square feet of existing space. With the money, $500,000 of which has already been raised, executive director Dick Johnson said the current prop loft will be expanded; dressing rooms will be enlarged and refurbished; and a new lobby, box office, rehearsal hall and reception area will be added. The most urgent and expensive of these improvements will be a complete overhaul of the antiquated electrical system.

The Conejo Players considers children a valuable part of their clientele, both on and off the stage. The Conejo Children's Theatre regularly presents shows geared to youngsters, which help introduce them to the theatrical experience. The next show in the series is Disney's "Alice in Wonderland Jr.," which will be staged in October. Interested parties can audition in midJuly for this show by calling (805) 495-3715.

Other upcoming shows include the female version of Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple" (June 20 to July 19), Irving Berlin's "Annie Get Your Gun" (Aug. 22 to Sept. 20) and the Andrew Bergman play "Social Security" (June 28 to July 19). Volunteers are always welcome.

The Conejo Players is one of Thousand Oaks' bestkept secrets and offers a magnificent opportunity to those who want to get involved in any aspect of the theatrical experience.