[0]Lake Tahoe Review: Young students of Incline Village will showcase their talent this weekend at two performances, Friday, Jan. 30 and Saturday, Jan. 31. The Talent Show will benefit the Incline After-School Organization (inclineafterschool.org) a nonprofit group that provides free supervised after-school instruction in recreation and educational activities for the youth of the community.
Chris Laramore, one of the founders of the program, recognized the need for a free afterschool program in 2004 when it came to his attention that many of the youth could not afford extracurricular activities and were spending five or more hours each day in front of the television. The program began with indoor soccer and has grown to include over 100 activities for kindergarten through high school students. Classes and activities are offered after school during the school year and Laramore estimates that over 600 students have participated.
Benefits to the participants in the Incline After-School Organization (IAO) according to Laramore include “students’ increased self-esteem and improvement in school work.” One of the IAO’s programs that benefits the entire Incline Community is the annual Xstream Clean which was started four years ago to teach children not to litter and to be aware of their community environment. This successful neighborhood cleanup program is now an annual event and will be held this year on Sunday, June 7.
Four years ago Laramore said, “I went to the local PTA and pleaded for help with a fundraiser,” in an effort to generate money to keep the afterschool program free to the students. The Talent Show began and has been successful in assisting the IAO in generating much needed revenue to continue the work in the community.
Show director Kathie Goldberg has been involved since the first talent show. Serving as the assistant director for the first two years, she stepped into the director’s role last year and will continue this year as director.“There is amazing talent in our town, we have a lot of talented kids in this small community. This show gives the children an opportunity to share their unique talent,” Goldberg said.
This year’s show will feature many talented acts including a magician, vocalists, rock guitar players, dancers, and stand-up comedians to name a few. Busy at a rehearsal, Goldberg said the children are “dedicated to practice and get comfortable on the stage before the Talent Show.” She likes for the performers to feel confident, so when the audience is seated the entertainer is comfortable and can perform to the best of his or her ability.
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Appearing in his first year at the talent show, 10-year-old Jeremy Goldberg will be part of a standup comedy routine with Peter Larson, also 10. Jeremy is “excited to show people that even though we are not as old as high schoolers, we can be just as funny and make people laugh.”
Not a participant in IAO due to his “involvement in many activities,” Goldberg has many friends that attend the afterschool program who “have a lot of fun and are sad when the season is over.”
The Talent Show will be held in the theatre at Incline High School on Friday and Saturday night, Jan. 30 and 31. Doors open each evening at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $16 for adults and $6 for children and can be purchased at Incline schools, The Potlatch or at the door before the performance.
Jill Mulcahy