'I KNOW! LET'S PUT ON A SHOW!' ACTING TROUPES POOL RESOURCES.

Byline: Carol Rock Staff Writer

NEWHALL - They battle it out on the athletic fields and other arenas, but the small-town feel of neighbor helping neighbor has taken over Saugus and Hart high schools lately, as Leslie Carson and Brent Christensen work with several young actors to produce ``Harrison, Texas: Three One-Act Plays by Horton Foote.''

Carson and Christensen are not your typical co-directors. Carson, the former drama teacher from Hart who moved to Saugus High this year, found herself without a performance space after her theater was torn apart for refurbishing. Christensen, the former drama teacher at Placerita Junior High, moved over to Hart and found himself the keeper of a kingdom for theater and performing arts students.

He proposed that the two schools work together on a show, selecting works by the award-winning Foote that will play at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday in the school's auditorium. Hart students will present ``A Young Lady of Property'' and ``The Dancers,'' while Saugus students perform in ``Blind Date.''

``It's our kids' only chance to be in the public eye,'' said Carson, who was more than happy to use the Hart facility for the show. Saugus and Canyon high schools are scheduled to get new performing arts venues within the next five years; in the meantime, this collaborative effort will allow current students to work on a real stage.

Hart seniors Ashley Nathanson and Lindsey Hough are stage-managing the production.

``The actors were very grateful that there was an opportunity for the drama programs to work together,'' Ashley said. ``The only problem we've had is a little bit of communication, but we've managed to work things out.''

``Saugus used to do four productions a year and have a full program,'' Carson said. ``We're looking at this as more of a districtwide performing arts team, helping each other out.''

The Hart auditorium, the largest performing arts space available to the schools, will host Canyon High's fall musical, ``West Side Story'' on Nov. 19-20. Valencia High School will present its show, ``Children of a Lesser God,'' in its own campus theater Nov. 17-20.

Four of the district schools participated in an ``Improvathon'' at Valencia High School in September, and another improv invitational is scheduled for Dec. 11. The schools are also planning a districtwide Shakespeare festival in March, in collaboration with College of the Canyons.

``There is a pastoral quality to Foote's work,'' Christensen said about this production, noting that Foote wrote the screenplays for ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' and ``Tender Mercies,'' winning Academy Awards for both. ``They are darling shows, but we might have misjudged a little on the length. At least there are two intermissions.''

The order of the one-acts will change with each night's performance. On Wednesday, the order is ``Blind Date,'' ``A Young Lady of Property'' and ``The Dancers.'' On Thursday, it's: ``The Dancers,'' ``A Young Lady of Property'' and ``Blind Date.'' On Friday: ``A Young Lady of Property,'' ``Blind Date,'' ``The Dancers.'' And, on Saturday, the order is ``Blind Date,'' ``Dancers,'' ``A Young Lady of Property.''

Tickets for the shows are $7 for adults, $5 for students and $2 for children age 10 and under. For information about the show, call Christensen at [phone].

Carol Rock, [phone]

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2) Saugus High students Rose Urbanovich and Brianna Duffy act out a scene, above, from Horton Foote's ``Blind Date,'' while, at left, Hart High students Gabrielle Yedid, Angie Claffey, Jamee Hann and Nicole Faqerza rehearse a scene from Foote's ``Young Lady of Property.''

David Crane/Staff Photographer