In the predawn darkness, a small rental truck pulls up outside the side entrance of an elementary school. The driver gets out and shuffles to the back of the truck, cupping his hands to his mouth to ward off the morning chill. It is 7:30am.
Others soon arrive, one by one, gathering around the truck to help unload. Whispers and subdued laughter fill the air. Out come props, clothing, scenery, lights and sound equipment. The small group works quickly and efficiently to transform the cafeteria stage inside into an English garden, the first scene of their show. Sound and lights are checked. Costumes are donned. It is 8:30am—30 minutes to showtime.
Someone has lost their hat. Two of the actors’ microphones are not working. The lighting technician has run out of extension cords. There is no curtain—they will have to change the blocking on a key scene. Has anyone seen the gaffers tape? No time for mic check. Children are filling the room. Excitement is palpable. It is 9am—the show must go on!
One hour later, as the actors take their bows to the cheers and applause of hundreds of smiling children, the director looks on with quiet contentment. Even though his mind races with a multitude of ways to improve the show, he knows that they have done it again. They have brought joy to these youngsters and introduced them to an art form that most of them have never seen before.
“we’ve never missed a season. Even through the Great depression, World war II and the pandemic.”
Ron Lytle, EBCT resident director and playwright
This is East Bay Children’s Theatre (EBCT).
From the start, the mission of EBCT has been to bring musical theatre to underserved elementary schools throughout the East Bay—Title I schools that receive federal funding to help support low-income families, primarily in Oakland, Richmond, San Pablo and San Leandro. They also provide education packets for teachers that include a story synopsis, vocabulary words, cultural guides and lesson ideas. All free of charge.
The troupe has been entertaining audiences nonstop since 1933, making it the oldest continuously performing theatre group in the San Francisco Bay Area. “We’ve never missed a season,” says EBCT’s resident director and playwright Ron Lytle. “Even through the Great Depression, World War II and the pandemic. That’s truly amazing. And now we’re just the blink of an eye away from turning 100!”
Their season starts in the fall and lasts one month, with performances every Tuesday and Thursday, each at a different school. It is a nomadic existence, with each cafeteria presenting unique challenges. Actors and tech crew must adapt the production to fit each stage. Each room is a different size, with different window, door and electrical outlet layouts.
And unlike a typical theatrical run presented in one location, EBCT’s touring production must be unpacked, set up, taken down and packed back up after each performance, all before lunchtime, and often with multiple interruptions as waves of hungry kids enter the cafeteria for breakfast and snacks. “It’s a hard job,“ admits Lytle. “But I’m very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish.”
Linda Morgan is the Principal at Bella Vista Elementary in Oakland. “I was very excited to learn that EBCT would be performing here during my very first week as principal!” she exclaims. “I appreciate them so much, especially in this day and age of high tech gadgets, quick clips, streaming, AI, etc. This is real people performing, emoting, expressing, just being human—I mean, this is reality!”
Terry Pink Alexander has been acting with EBCT since 2016. She plays the White Rabbit in this year’s production: Curious and Curiouser: The Alice in Wonderland Musical. “The children always swarm around us after the show asking for autographs, stars in their eyes. This is very heady stuff for us community theatre actors,” she laughs.
Fellow actor Jordyn Foley plays Alice, and has starred in several other EBCT productions. “I met Ron when I was nine,” she says. “I love the cause, the people, the music…so I just kept coming back.”
“It plants a seed, doesn’t it?” says Lytle, a twinkle in his eye. “The first show I saw was Snow White. I was in kindergarten. And for some reason it was in Spanish.”
Lytle has been with EBCT for 20 years now, and has made dramatic changes during his tenure. Says Mary Bishop, EBCT President, “Ron has really expanded the company artistically. Before he arrived it had been mainly just a women’s social club.”
“It has changed a lot,“ says Anne Doyle, 91, who has been volunteering with EBCT for the past 40 years. “When I joined, it was myself and some other ladies from Piedmont and Oakland, and we would do everything ourselves—paint sets, make costumes and perform.”
Lytle, who first developed his writing chops in college and later in Las Vegas, was initially hired as a freelance playwright, providing EBCT with original material. His first commission: a parody of The Elves and the Shoemaker titled “There’s No Business Like Shoe Business”. He would eventually take on several other roles, including director, choreographer, composer and lyricist.
To date he has created 20 productions— scripts and scores— for the company, including 14 original musicals, five revivals of previous shows, and one movie musical. He has opened the group up to outside actors and technicians, brought in professional music tracks, utilized new theatre mics and lighting, refined sets and improved programming by adding a holiday fundraiser and public performances. Says Lytle, “I decided early on that I wanted to bring as much spectacle to these kids as I could.”
Like most theatre companies, EBCT survives through donations and grants. And while they were fortunate to receive a sizable grant during the pandemic, Bishop admits it has been tough going. They break even on most public performances, and with a dwindling membership base, support and outreach are at an all-time low. Each year their season shrinks just a little bit more.
But for now they soldier on, staying true to their original mission. Lytle’s program note sums it up best: “Who knows how many kids EBCT has inspired to become actors, singers, dancers, musicians, writers, technicians, and audience members…”
East Bay Children’s Theatre
eb********@gm***.com
Holiday Fundraiser:
Once Upon A Time Step: The Magical Musical Movie
Sunday, Dec. 22
2 p.m.
Firehouse Arts Center
4444 Railroad Ave., Pleasanton
Tickets: $14 – $20
www.firehousearts.org
