TAC’s “Bugsy Malone Jr.” closes today, just when its 23 players and additional backstage crew were getting their acts together. Perhaps that makes it all the memorable.

It was only in the last three performances, for instance, that the pushers-on and pushers-off of the props and players got their cues and timing down just right and the younger and less experienced players came into full voice.

So far, the players have largely been diffident about their personal feelings about the imminent demise of the show. But then, diffidence and exaggerated claims of boredom are the signature moods of so many teens and early adolescents, are they not?

Kenni Fayette, who played cabaret singer “Tallulah,” said she wouldn’t miss “Bugsy” much.

“I have competitions in Jackie’s dance (school) to think about,” Fayette said.

Ayla Clark, who had the female lead in “Bugsy”, simply shrugged. She was also vague about her future plans.

Leading man Jason Hopkins was not.

“I’m doing “The Boyfriend” at Marysville Charter Academy (for the Arts). I don’t know what part I’ll play, but I’ve been cast,” Hopkins said.

He also shed some possible light on Clark’s next project. Since they attend the same arts academy, it turns out he and she may soon be playing opposite each other again soon.

“If I’m one of the boyfriends and she’s one of the girlfriends, I guess so,” Hopkins said.

Word on where we might see the individual cast members of next may be available after they take their final bows at the last matinee and the great yawning abyss of a world without laughter applause opens before them.

Some of the parents who have toiled backstage assisting cranky child actors with costume changes, makeup, lost properties and missing hats (not to mention shoes, spats, canes and boas) were more definitive about their emotions.

“I’m glad it’s over,” one succinctly summed up.

Assistant Director Patty Fayette and stage manager Randy Fayette said they plan to take a break – a nice long one, too – from community theater.

They took on the double task of working on “Bugsy” while at the same time supporting their daughter, Kenni, through the hardships of the Yuba-Sutter mini-miss pageant – a title Kenni lost by a whisker, it turned out.

Director Pierrette Jensen, who learned during “Bugsy” that she had been nominated for an prestigious Elly award for her direction of last year’s “Snoopy,” has not said what her next theater project will be.

Perhaps she will announce it at the cast party, which was been postponed until next weekend due to a variety of scheduling problems.

On Sunday the cast of 23 kids in the "Bugsy Malone Jr." cast completed the sixth of nine performances. There were still some raggedy edges, but over the last three performances - shows four, five and six -- the cast seems to be shaping up and settling in.

On stage anyway. Backstage, is another kettle of fish altogether/ Director Pierrette Jensen cautioned them during post-show "notes" Sunday that their backstage goofing an chattering were disruptive.

In a word, they're too noisy and too often visible playing peek-a-boo from backstage through curtains and doors and drapery. All very bush league for such a talented cast among which are a few actors are good enough to harbor professional aspirations beyond community and children's theater.

On the sunnier side of the street, individual actors are beginning to shine.
The two Kyles are showing good progress.

Kyle Jensen's voice is firming up and he's projecting well, considering his tender age of 10.

Kyle Noland, whose, sabbatical to a Boy Scout camp on Santa Catalina Island for the next-to-last week of rehearsals had some worried, has come through like a trouper.

Not only did he know his lines when he came back on the eve of opening night, but his Fat Sam character and his delivery of same has gotten better with each show.

Yuba City’s The Acting Company received nine of the 200-plus Elly award nominations for excellence in the 2001 theater season, the Sacramento Area Regional Theater Alliance announced this week.

TAC nominees included Pierrette Jensen for her direction of Snoopy in the “Young Peoples” category, and Michael Campbell and Candee Jensen as leading adult male and female actors, respectively, in Snoopy.

Julie Bryson was nominated for best supporting actor (female) in Snoopy, as well.

The versatile Foster Campbell was nominated for best female supporting actor in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”

Staci Johnson’s “Lend Me a Tenor” figured large in the nominations. Johnson was nominated for best direction for the play, and the play itself was nominated for best overall production, SARTA announced.

Matt Mhoon was nominated for best supporting actor (male) for his role in Tenor, and Nancy Perillo’s set design for Tenor was nominated for an Elly.

Ellys are named for the philanthropic arts supporter Eleanor McClatchy of the McClatchy newspaper fortune.