Audience members were swept away Saturday afternoon on a journey of myths, magic and hilarity inside of the long-running Cinnabar Theater in Petaluma.

Inside the sold-out, intimate theater, young actors and actresses who were apart of The Young Repatar Theater captivated the audience in their new-age take of Greek Mythology. “The Greek Mythology Olympiaganza” retold  classic, god-creation stories with modern interpretations, including Zeus, Hades and Poseidon, making a parody of the Greek myths’ absurdity by translating them into 21st century times.  “This is my 13th show with Cinnabar, I love being on stage with all of my friends,” said 13-year-old Mira.  Mira played Rhea the Titan in a modern family therapy setting discussing Rhea’s feelings of Cronus the Titan eating their babies. “I definitely will be back for ‘Bye Bye Birdie,’” she said.

Cinnabar Theater has continuously made it a mission to create an environment that fosters experimentation and exploration since its opening in the ‘70s, which is needed to produce high-quality artistic performances. Marvin Klebe, founder and accomplished opera singer, dreamed of a theater with a performance space where artists could push the boundaries and experiment freely. During the summer of 1970, Klebe, his wife and four sons purchased an old schoolhouse and reconstructed it into the playhouse seen today. 

According to Cinnabar’s website, The Young Repertory Theater made its way to Cinnabar in 1983 and to this day is the longest running and largest youth program focusing on performance arts in Sonoma County. Hundreds of students from near and far are a part of the multiple productions performed every year. Children from the ages of 4 to 18 are able to participate in Young Rep which offers summer camps and classes all year long. Cinnabar ensures every child has a spot in the spotlight regardless of their ability to pay. 

Cinnabar theater holds four to eight shows per month at 3333 Petaluma Blvd North. Ticket prices are $10 for children and $15 for adults. The next production in the works by The Young Repertory Theater is the 1960’s musical “Bye Bye Birdie.” you can check it out from May 11-19. Remaining professional productions by the playhouse for the season include “Amadeus,” running from March 30 to April 15, “The Fantasticks”, running from June 8 to June 24, “Man of La Mancha,” running from Sept. 1 to Sept. 24, “Quartet,” running from Oct. 13 to Oct. 29, and “Good People,” running from Feb. 2, 2019 to Feb. 18. Respective ticket prices can be found on Cinnabar Theater’s website.