7th Street Kids alumni return to 7th Street Theatre
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, August 5, 2026
This year marks the 35th anniversary of 7th Street Kids providing theater opportunities for Grays Harbor youth. Prior to the Saturday night performance of Beetlejuice Jr, four members of the board of directors shared what has been accomplished in these 35 years.
“We’ve had over 900 kids in this program the past 35 years and 42 shows,” said Heather Robarge, the president of the 7th Street Kids board of directors.
To which Kimberly Wolfe added, “The whole goal of 7th Street is to bring play and fun and entertainment to these kiddos and hopefully instill in them a passion for the arts, for being on stage, for entertaining our communities and beyond as many of us have gone on to do.
For Kameron Covall, three generations have been involved with 7th Street Kids, from grandma Diane Stubbs who was a volunteer, Kameron’s brother and wife were 7th Street Kids, and now his daughters are continuing the family tradition. “My family story is not unique. There are more families whose lives have been enriched by 7th Street Kids,” he said.
In closing, Taylor Jones shared that “I’ve always been a part of this program, and I got to see firsthand just how much of a community get-together that this is, from the kids to the parents to the volunteers to the people just out in the community that come watch.”
And for the performances of Beetlejuice Jr., 55 alumni returned to the theater as audience members.
Before the Saturday performance, The Daily World caught up with some of the alumni to learn what they took away from 7th Street Kids. What follows is our conversation edited for length and clarity.
Rohn Pickar – 2023 to 2025
The Daily World: What prompted you to join 7th Street Kids?
RP: My little brother did it the year before my first year, and I really love theater, so I thought it’d be a great opportunity to do something fun in the summer and do something I enjoy.
TDW: Are you going audition for Driftwood or the Bishop Center?
RP: I really hope to.
TDW: How is it now being an alumni and seeing the next generation?
RP: I’ve seen a lot of people who are in this show, I’ve seen them grow and learn and become better actors. And a lot of them are my friends, so I’m really glad to see them continue to do things that they love. And I’m proud to say that I might have had a small hand in what they’ve been doing.
TDW: Why is theater important, for you personally but the larger community?
RP: I can go on and on about this question, but theater is using storytelling to build a community. When you’re in a cast, that cast becomes like family too. And you create unforgettable moments that will stick with you for the rest of your life. You learn a lot about yourself through theater, and it’s an important part of what makes us human.
Justyce Brook – 10 years and assistant director for Beetlejuice JR
TDW: After being on stage for 10 years, what brought you back to being an assistant director?
JB: I’m leaving the state because I just graduated high school and I wanted to work here before I leave.
TDW: How has the participating in 7th Street Kids prepared you for your upcoming dancing job?
JB: It really helps with the whole acting part. They do a really good job at teaching how to be fearless when you’re acting. It’s also easier to meet new people and talk to them.
TDW: What did you enjoy about transitioning from an actor to being behind the stage?
JB: I really enjoy learning what all goes on behind the scenes, the audition process is so much more different being a director. Because when you’re a kid, you come here for two hours and then you wait for the cast list. [As an assistant director] it’s so many meetings, and I loved it. I loved just getting to build a dream show.
TDW: As an experienced dancer who also helped teach the cast the dance routines, how is working with kids who have no dance experience (compared) to those who bring experience to the role?
JB: I’m a dance teacher in Olympia, so I have experience with every single level. And I really enjoy working with the people that are more new to dance because I love watching them start at a base level and watching how far they get. I take pride in that.
I’m very impressed with the kids in the show because these are not easy dance moves. This is pretty hard and they’re nailing it for some being first-time dancers.
Naomi Watkins – 2016-2017
TDW: What did you get from participating in the program?
NW: A lot of friends but also a lot of knowledge and respect for how theater was. And then it also connected me to more of the theater community and has created the group that I am now friends with.
TDW: Did you then do any acting while in high school or after?
NW: A little bit of acting in high school before then, but I’ve actually continued theater since being involved in the program.
Chaela Watkins – 2016
TDW: What did you gain from being in a program that sticks with you 10 years later?
CW: Most of the people I’m here with I met doing theater as a result of doing it as a teenager. Also more confidence and knowledge of theater and how big productions like this are brought put together.
Libby Carrico – 2004 to 2012
TDW: Did you come back to work with 7th Street Kids?
LC: Yeah, I ended up working for the program one summer as activities director. It’s basically you’re a kid wrangler for the summer; you find the kids who aren’t doing anything during the scene and you run through lines or play games. It’s really fun.
Jordan Wolfe – 2009 to 2012
TDW: Did you do drama in high school as well?
JW: Libby and I were in theater together in high school.
TDW: Had your family been interested in the theater before you started 7th Street Kids?
JW: Yeah, my sister did 7th Street, I think in 2005 and she’s on the board currently. My dad did theater back in high school at Driftwood, and my cousin’s in there. It’s a whole family affair.
Paige Brueher – 2022 – 2023
TDW: Did you perform in theater before you joined 7th Street?
PB: Yeah, through high school I’ve done theater.
TDW: How did 7th Street Kids help you be a better performer in high school?
PB: I was very new to theater, so I kind of stuck away from it for a long time, and then I came back to it, and I really found a passion for it, and it gave me my confidence back.
TDW: Do you now audition for plays?
PB: Yes, I do. I try to do it all the time. It’s just really fun.
TDW: What’s it like having been a 7th Street Kid and coming back as an alumni?
PB: I love coming back. I love watching the kids just have fun and really come out of their shells.
Alex Eddy – 1994-1997
TDW: What’s it like directing kids who have come through this program in other productions?
AE: A lot of the people I’m directing now are kids that I directed here, so I’ve watched a lot of them grow up.
TDW: Is 7th Street Kids unique among the theater programs?
AE: Yeah, I don’t personally know of anything quite like this. I think it’s really special. We have our own little theater pipeline. We get them to know all the ABCs of theater and then put them out there, and they already know what they’re doing.
TDW: How is participating in sports or theater comparable?
AE: They’re definitely comparable, having done a lot of both. I played a lot of baseball growing up, and just like in theater, everyone has their role on the baseball team. I was a first baseman, so I always knew this is exactly what I’m supposed to do in this situation. And drilling all of the different plays and everything that had to happen.
Now it reminds me a lot of rehearsals for plays because it’s essentially it’s exactly the same idea. Just making sure that everyone knows exactly what to do in any situation.
In sports, everything that I’m thinking about, you get that in theater too. Competitiveness, that’s in theater. Athleticism, that’s in theater.
But in theater, you learn so much about empathy and dealing with people because you have to become other people. You do potentially get a little bit more on the emotional side out of theater.
Casting Announcements
The cast has been selected for the Grays Harbor College fall drama Colorado, written by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb. This is the fourth production that Grays Harbor College and Plank Island Theatre Company have partnered on. Julayne Fleury will direct this production, and the cast is Marisa Frank (Tracey), Aiden Brown (Travis), Tamara Helland (Grace) and Matthew Kline (Ron).
“I want to use this crown to change the world! If I can just change one life, one little insignificant life, I think it will justify the beauty that God has given me.” So ends the victory speech of 17-year-old Tracey Ackhart upon her coronation as Miss Late Teen Colorado. Alas, a day before the national pageant in Virginia Beach, Tracey disappears, hurling the rest of her family, whose lives until then had revolved around her, into disarray. Grace and Ron, Tracey’s mismatched parents, differ in the way they cope. Travis, Tracey’s awkward, sexually awakening younger brother, is unsure how to feel about a sister who ruthlessly tormented him. The ties of family begin to fray, flashbacks uncover mystery, and startling discoveries and revelations hurtle the entire family towards an emotional abyss. Darker memories emerge, nervous breakdowns erupt, the cause of Tracey’s disappearance is uncovered. Colorado is a sharp, dark comedy tinged with tragedy and sadness. It’s a play about disappointment American-style, the dreams of a family, and the traps set to keep those dreams far, far away.
Performance dates
Friday, Saturday Oct. 30-31, Nov. 6-7 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday Nov. 1 and 8 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are available at https://www.ghc.edu/bishop/fall-drama-colorado.
For Driftwood Player’s season opener I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, the following people have been cast: Kyle Sholinder,Noah Johnson, Ross McCobb, Amanda White, Mae Thomas and Zoë Templeton.
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is described as a celebration of the mating game takes on the truths and myths behind that contemporary conundrum know as “the Relationship.” Through sketches and songs, Act One explores the journey from dating and waiting to love and marriage, while Act Two reveals the agonies and triumphs of in-laws and newborns, trips in the family car and pick-up techniques of the geriatric set. This hilarious revue pays tribute to those who have loved and lost, to those who have fallen on their face at the portal of romance, to those who have dared to ask, “Say, what are you doing Saturday night?”
Performance dates
Champagne Opening September 26
Friday, Saturday Oct. 2. 3, 9, 10, 16, 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday Oct. 11, 18 at 2 p.m.
Grays Harbor College announces 2026-2027 season
Last week, Grays Harbor College announced the schedule for the Bishop Center for Performing Arts. The plays included in this schedule are the fall drama Colorado, Grays Harbor Opera Workshop: The Tales from Hoffmann, the winter musical Come From Away, Grays Harbor Opera Workshop: Trial by Jury, and a Grays Harbor College spring drama.
For the full schedule of events, visit https://www.ghc.edu/bishop.
