Sutter County Deputy District Attorney Brian Aaronson's summer school for very young aspiring thespians opened this weekend. Initial reviews from students are, in a word: Great!

Stage moms, dads and uncles were tossed out of the first class at The Acting Theater's venue on B Street, and, presumably, will be for the rest of the summer training course. Wise move.

Each of the students, as far as those of us ejected can tell, will get a character and soliliquy to present when all is done.

The parts are taken from plays and stories as disparate as "Your a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and "Little Women."

Two fawns with no reason to be faux were very excited about Aaronson's class.

Aaroson is on the TAC board of directors. His class is one of Yuba City Recreation and Community Services's summer programs for youth.

When Poderosa Theater Company produced "Gypsy," tongues were sometimes heard clucking as to the subject matter (vaudeville and burlesque theater), characters (strippers Miss Mazeppa, Tessie the Texas Twirler and Miss Electra), costumes (see previous) and language ("damn," "hell" and "tough titty" -- not one I'd have put in myself, either, if only it's passe).

Some of us chuckled at the bluenoses, but what the heck. Theirs is a reasonable position to take.

However, it appears some people do get upset about things such as this.

Take the $12 million lawsuit a lady filed against "Cats" for showing too much bumpin' 'n' grindin'.

And speaking of burlesque, vaudeville and "variety" theater, here is a great little site that can help young people understand, if not appreciate, the importance of vaudeville in American pop culture.

SDC has added a link to the online version of the showbusiness trade daily, Variety. It opens on the what Variety calls its "Legit" (legitimate theater) section.