As part of its Stories on Stage program, Peninsula Youth Theater will stage its adaptation of “When Santa was a Baby” Friday and Saturday at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, SecondStage.
Taking inspiration from Linda Bailey’s picture book, “When Santa was a Baby,” PYT board member Carol Muller said the story revolves around a young boy whose parents suspect him to be Santa Claus when he grows up. Muller said she wanted to adjust parts of the play to be more relatable to the audience, so the play will focus more on the boy’s teenage years.
“I would say the picture book concentrated a whole lot more on when Santa was a baby, (but) part of the adaptation was to give a little more business to the years in which Santa was a schoolboy or teenager,” said Muller, who helped write the script.
The cast comprises eight actors, ages 11-14, according to Caitlyn DeRouin, PYT’s education program manager and director.
As the cast and crew have been preparing for the play, DeRouin said that the students have been finding their own voices through their characters, hoping to put on a successful performance.
“It’s been a really great process,” DeRouin said. “I am so lucky to have such a wonderful group of kids in this show. And at our first rehearsal, they totally stepped up to the challenge. They came in on that first day and every day since (they have been) super prepared and ready to work. It’s been a really wonderful experience to work with them.”
Sydney Chao, a seventh grader at Miller Middle School, said she has been performing with PYT since 2019 and plays Nicola in the play. Rehearsing on Tuesdays and Sundays for the past four weeks, Chao said the process has been an enjoyable experience.
“I think it was fun to just express myself on stage without other people judging me,” said the Cupertino resident. “We’ve had a lot of good memories from this play like meeting new people my age who share the same interests as what I do.”
Performances last for one hour. Friday’s shows are for schools only. Saturday’s performances, open to the public, are set for 11:30 a.m and 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $7-$20. The Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts is located at 500 Castro St.
For tickets and more information, call (650) 903-6000 or visit pytnet.org.
