Young Jedi these kids now are

COSTA MESA — Christina Smith had an unusual challenge this summer: Take a galaxy far, far away and fit it on a small stage across the street.

Every year, the Arts and Learning Conservatory, a summer theater camp for kids at Vanguard University, puts on an elaborate production in the Newport-Mesa Christian Center by campus. This time, the troupe mounted its most ambitious show — the entire first three episodes of “Star Wars,” condensed by writer-director Smith into a 90-minute live show.

Or perhaps a 90-minute character study. The conservatory, making do with a slightly smaller budget than George Lucas, had to eliminate most of the special effects from the movies, although it did manage light sabers and a fog machine. What came through most of all is the personal story of Anakin Skywalker, the promising young Jedi who drifts to the dark side.

The “Star Wars” play had a once-only performance Friday at a packed Newport-Mesa Christian Center. The producers of the play contacted the 501st Legion — the largest world-wide “Star Wars” costume society — which sent people dressed as Darth Vader, storm troopers, biker scouts and other characters who hung around the back of the theater during the show.

“I told the children, ‘Everything you see in the movies, you have to do bigger,’ ” said Smith, who wrote the script on request from conservatory founder Debora Wondercheck. “ ‘You have to show anger this way. You have to show being sly this way.’ They had to be exaggerated so it could come to life on the stage.”

The production featured mostly dialogue from the movies with a few embellishments. Smith created parts for male and female narrators to speed the audience through the story and also wrote lines for the “younglings” — Jedi in training — who stay mostly hush in the films.

Even with the starship battles cut, the producers captured as much of Lucas’ world as possible. Angela Albus, whose daughter played four roles in the play, obtained most of the costumes for the actors, purchasing some and crafting others by hand. The orchestra, consisting of other kids from the summer camp, learned John Williams’ scores from all three movies.

But best of all, the cast members got to engage in three light-saber duels throughout the play. For props, they used plastic models that make the famous light saber noise when slashing through the air.

“That’s one of the reasons I wanted to do the play, those light-saber fights,” said Skyler Garn, 12, who portrayed the adult Anakin. “I do them with my friends all the time.”

An avid “Star Wars” fan, Skyler didn’t have to worry much about line memorization; he already knew most of the dialogue by heart from watching the movies on DVD.

Crystal Webb of Moreno Valley saw Friday’s performance and appreciated the focus on characters.

“It is definitely a different experience,” Webb said. “It really focuses more on character development. It’s almost better to see everything without the big explosions.”

Chris Miller of Santa Ana marveled at the quality of the production, which the youngsters had only three weeks to rehearse.

“It’s awesome what they’ve accomplished in three weeks, and there’s an amazing display of talent shown from the oldest to the youngest.”