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Summary
Summary
After 12-year-old Anya is cut from her middle school soccer team, she decides to pursue her true passion, which is theater. With the help of her sister and new friend Austin, Anya puts together a kids' summer theater troupe (The Random Farms Kids' Theater), recruiting area kids as actors and crew members. Acting as director, Anya has to navigate the ups and downs of a showbiz life, including preparing scripts, finding a venue, and handling ticket sales, not to mention calming the actors' insecurities and settling conflicts. It's a lot of responsibility for a 12-year-old. Will their first show ever get off the ground? This series is closely based on the real-life experience of Anya Wallach, who began a summer theater "camp" in her parents' basement when she was just sixteen years old. Today, Random Farms has launched the careers of many of today's youngest stars on Broadway.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-Twelve-year-old Anya is a self-professed theater geek, but there isn't much opportunity for middle schoolers in suburban Chappaqua to flex their drama muscles. So Anya decides to start her own theater in the neighborhood clubhouse. With the help of her little sister Susan and Austin, a cute and talented aspiring composer/playwright, the Random Farms Kids' Theater (RFKT) is born. Anya learns about theater, as well as friendship, as she leads her all-kids cast and crew through auditions, rehearsals, and, finally, to opening night. This fun romp, based on a concept by Wallach, founder of the actual RFKT in 1995, is a modern day "let's-put-on-a-show" story updated to include social media and texting. Although the plot is formulaic and the characters only broadly developed, the story is full of heart, making it appealing to High School Musical fans. The text is riddled with musical theater references, and aspiring actors will enjoy the theater tips and lingo, even if they sound unbelievably mature when delivered by middle schoolers. First in a series, this book ends with Anya and Austin planning their next show. VERDICT This realistic title is recommended for general purchase by public and school libraries, especially those with a thriving theater geek scene.-Amy Seto Forrester, Denver Public Library © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Based on real events, this series recounts the summer Wallach, then twelve, started Random Farm Kids' Theater, a theater company created and run by kids. These fictional narratives highlight the challenges of sustaining a business venture (e.g., hard decisions, personal sacrifice, stage moms). While the plots are thin and both books end abruptly, the premise is inspiring. [Review covers these Stagestruck titles: Curtain Up! and Showstopper!.] (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Never underestimate the power of a Broadway-obsessed tween. Readers familiar with the drama kid phenomenon encompassing camps, voice lessons, dance classes, predawn drives to auditions, and trips to New York City to see the Great White Way will not be surprised by the energy and determination Anya brings to her plan of creating an all-kids musical production in her suburban subdivision's disused rec center. Disappointed at her middle school's lack of a drama club, Anya teams up with the slightly dreamy Austin, a talented playwright whose knowledge of musical theater almost rivals her own, and her younger sister, who brings a realist's perspective to Anya's starry-eyed plans. Soon enough, everyone is involved in putting on the show. Kids who live for this stuff will appreciate the musical theater in-jokes and ignore the slightly stilted dialogue. Based on the author's own experience, this will be a satisfying choice for fans of Tim Federle's Better Nate than Ever (2013) and Andrew Keenan-Bolger and Kate Wetherhead's Jack & Louisa (2015).--Willey, Paula Copyright 2015 Booklist