Theater nonprofit teams up with Valencia mall to bring pop-up musicals: 'It's just for the passion'

VALENCIA, Calif. (KABC) -- A new pop-up musical theater show is coming to the Valencia Town Center.

The nonprofit organization Olive Branch Theatricals (OBT) collaborated with the mall to lease out an open space.

General manager Bryan Touchstone said he's seeing malls begin to bounce back from the COVID pandemic, and the partnership could be a great way to bring the community together.

"We brainstormed with them and came up with an idea of having them take the space over, convert it into a theater-use," Touchstone said. "They will be here for several months, putting on productions for the property and we're excited to have them. It's going to be a really great entertainment use for the mall."

The company's opening show will be musical comedy "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee."

The community play relies solely on volunteers, from the actors to the president of the production company. Many of them have other jobs, but they do it because they love it.

"We're really grateful for this opportunity," said Olive Branch Theatricals President and CEO Musette Caing Hart. "As you know, theaters all over the country are struggling."

The OBT group has been working tirelessly to make everything perfect.

"We spent many a weekend building the stage, hammering it together," said the show's director Tamarah Ashton. "Musette and I and my husband and all the other cast members, we came together and built all the flats, painted them. So we're pretty proud of ourselves that we put in that blood sweat and tears."

"There is a number of us that drive far, but it's really just for the passion," said Em Mintz-Kreyns, an actress in the play. "Wherever the joy is, go to it, you know? Seek it out."

OBT's opening show was Saturday, July 6, with weekend performances through July 21. You can buy tickets at olivebranchtheatricals.com.