— HISTORY —
– The History of Riverbank Community Theater, Inc. –
A farmers market is usually someplace where the produce of a farmer’s efforts is displayed and sold, but in the summer of 2003 the Riverbank Farmers Market also became a place where a different kind of seed was planted, and a wonderful process of growth began.

What began to germinate that sweltering August evening on the blacktop of Santa Fe Street, eventually sprouted into what we now know as Riverbank Community Theater. It wasn’t peaches and nectarines, but something sweet for the community did begin its path to fruition that day.

GREAT CREATIVE MINDS DREAM OF THEATER IN THE COMMUNITY

Wainer Guimaraes was his usual gregarious self, meeting and greeting passersby from his table at the Farmers Market in downtown Riverbank, when local home school mom Rhonda Stiles picked up one of his Community Casa brochures. Noticing that one of Guimaraes’ dreams was to bring live theater to Riverbank, she immediately sensed that she had stumbled upon a good thing. 

“I saw something in the brochure about theater and thought ‘yippee,’ ” remembered Stiles, “and then I told Wainer that he needed to meet my friend at the scrapbooking booth down the street.”

That friend turned out to be Robin Bjerke, who had long desired an outlet in town for her own theater ambitions. When Guimaraes took the short stroll down the street, neither he nor Bjerke had any idea that the ensuing handshake would end up being the beginning of what would soon become Riverbank Community Theater. 

Wainer and Robin, pictured in downtown Riverbank
The two theater dreamers were the perfect combination to get things rolling: Bjerke’s theater degree and practical experience meshed nicely with Guimaraes’ infectious enthusiasm and community visibility. Both brought a can-do attitude and great people skills to the mix — they had everything they needed to start a theater.

Almost everything. Except for actors, a place to perform, scripts, props, an audience, a place to practice … Well, our founders had the beginnings
of a theater in the community and over the next few months the rest would begin to fall into place.

Using The Community Casa (an offshoot of Guimaraes’ The Bridge Covenant Church) as its first home, RCT added Riverbank High teacher Donna O’Conner to the team that would plan a production that was ready by the end of that year. 
Robin and Donna
Robin and Donna O’Conner

THE BEST LITTLE THEATER GROUP EVER

The excited theater trio set its sights on producing a Christmas show in 2003 and decided on a production that Bjerke had performed in years before, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Plans were made, scripts were purchased and auditions were held, sending the group full speed ahead into uncharted waters.

Fortunately, a small but talented core of community members arose during this period who not only helped produce a delightful first show, but also provided a deep reserve of talent, know-how and resources for future productions.

Guimaraes’ congregation sponsored the theater’s efforts and provided a sound system and the use of The Casa for rehearsals and meetings. Additionally, Riverbank City Councilman Ric McGinnis lent his technical skills to the operation, California Avenue School provided the performance venue and Riverbank High School provided lighting and a light crew.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever was a fun and successful show for all involved, but perhaps its greatest legacy was the many community members and organizations that came together to launch a new era for the arts in Riverbank.  RCT was on its way.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, presented
at California Avenue School in Riverbank.

GOING TO THE PARK TO PLAY

Riverbank High drama instructor Stacy Blevins not only filled a key acting role in that first show (daughters Jordan and Emily as well as husband Michael had parts too), but her involvement also became the springboard to the production of RCT’s second offering, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
Blevins had often dreamed of bringing a free Shakespeare event to the park, and she found the support to get things rolling in her association with RCT. Blevins brought her directing and producing experience to Jacob Myers Park, and a core group of actors and behind-the-scenes people from her school followed.

With more pieces to the puzzle in place, RCT’s first Shakespeare in the Park was held under a canopy of trees along the Stanislaus River in June of 2004. Friends of Jacob Myers Park became the latest local entity to partner with RCT and some real momentum was created with a second prod-uction under the theater’s belt.
®2004 Riverbank Community Theater — From RCT's fist SIP production A Midsummer Night's Dream, stage at Jacob Myers Park in Riverbank
THE SOUND OF SUCCESS

If a second successful venture wasn’t sweet-sounding news enough for RCT, what came next definitely had the theater humming a catchy tune. The players returned to California Avenue School for its first musical, The Sound of Music, which played to sold out audiences in February of 2005. As was the case for every new production, the organization gathered steam as new members pitched in and helped lead a charge into the future.

It was during Sound of Music that Jonathon Cline, Cheryl Westberg, and Stephanie Hobbs played important roles in support of Director Bjerke. Cline’s production experience and leadership had been sought by Bjerke for more than a year when he finally agreed to become part of the team by filling an acting role in the show.

Both Westberg and Hobbs also pitched in considerably when their children accepted roles in Sound of Music. Westberg, who had joined an RCT steering committee following Shakespeare 2004, became house manager and concession manager for the show, while Hobbs worked on costuming and as unofficial cast mom.

The Sound of Music was a turning point for RCT because more people caught the vision of what “might be” as far as theater in the area.  Cline, Westberg, and Hobbs all ended up as members of RCT’s first board of directors. 
The Sound of Music, also staged at California Avenue School in Riverbank.

SHAKESPEARE, PART DUEX

It was looking like the City of Riverbank had a new habit — a good one — when Blevins returned to Jacob Myers Park with another edition of Shakespeare in the Park. This time the group expanded its performances to three days and had audiences howling at the comedic misunder-standings in Much Ado about Nothing.


THINKING “INSIDE” OF THE BOX

It took over two years and four productions, but RCT would finally put on a show where they could practice and perform in the same place. RHS’ Black Box Theatre had been recently completed and Blevins was gracious enough to share her “classroom” so that RCT could perform in a real theater for the first time.

RCT certainly made the most of its opportunity with a production of Cheaper by the Dozen that was a smashing success and delighted audiences for six nearly sold out shows. 

The show was successful due to an outstanding cast that brought a heart-warming and funny story to life, but at least part of the credit for this great experience has to go to the strength of the organization under a newly formed leadership team called the Vision Team. Led by Cline, the team consisted of Westberg, Joey Huestis, Hobbs, McGinnis, and newcomers Shawn Strohman and Marilyn Zinner. For the first time RCT had a formal producer in Cline.  Under his leadership, the rest of the production team was freed up and empowered to focus their energies more effectively.

Cheaper by the Dozen was not only a hit with theatergoers, but was a financial success as well. Greater organization, a better division of labor and an expanding volunteer base were key advances in this era in RCT’s history.
Cheaper by the Dozen was the first RCT production staged at the Black Box Theater at
Riverbank High School
Photo ®2006 Joey Huestis/Old Paint Studios
GOOD THINGS COME IN THREES

As You Like It became the latest Shakespearian comedy to be staged by RCT, but in 2006 it was not alone as far as the entertainment offered to the fans in Jacob Myers Park. There was not one, not two, but three main aspects to the fun in Shakespeare in the Park.

A youth pre-show and the Master of Ceremonies duo of Lizzy and Leo added depth to an event that RCT wanted to mold into more of a festival. Huestis came forward to produce Shakespeare in the summer of 2006 when former Shakespeare catalyst Blevins decided to step back from the production. This opened to door for Bjerke to direct Shakespeare for the first time.  Besides the three shows, there was also a demonstration by De Grendelus Medieval Martial Arts.

The youth show, As You Like It or Leave It, written by Blevins and directed by Jonnel Jetton and mentored by Cline, was a delightful little ditty that helped prime the audience for the main play and featured a treasure of both tiny and teenage thespians.

RCT’s youth was further featured with Lizzy and Leo, whose talents were woven throughout the evening. 16-year-old Mandy Westberg (Lizzy) wrote the script and presided over the events with juggler and all-around funny guy Nick Gerbracht (Leo). Both the youth show and the youthful MC’s demonstrate the wide variety of young talent within the community.
UPWARD AND ONWARD

With the 2006 production of Shakespeare, there was a tinge of sadness as the co-founder and cheerleader extraordinaire Wainer Guimaraes had to say good-bye. He and his family were honored before a performance of As You Like It with a public acknowledgement of his contributions to RCT and the community.
Wainer is honored by Stacy Blevins at SIP in Jacob Myers Park in Riverbank.
Wainer and his family enjoy their last SIP before leaving to return to their native Brazil.
Photos ®2006 Joey Huestis/Old Paint Studios

Guimaraes left Riverbank to return to his native Brazil to continue his work in Christian ministry.

With its June 2006 incorporation and 501c3 tax exempt status, RCT is poised to expand further over the next several years, improving the organization, desiring to attract community sponsors.

In January 2007, RCT graciously allowed a newly formed theater arts group, Rio Arts launched by former RCT volunteers, to continue bringing Shakespeare to Jacob Myers Park.

Led by its leadership team, consisting of the board of directors and a newly formed management team, Riverbank Community Theater stands on the brink of its new three-show season and the partnership with the City of Riverbank in bringing a permanent home to performing arts for the residents of Riverbank.