For youth theater in Renton, look no further than Kettleworks Performing Arts, a local performing arts company, where founder and creative director Jenn Kessler brings her love of musicals and her love of teaching to new generations.

“We started kind of slow the first year where I just had a small handful of students that took voice lessons, and then in summer of 2018, we did a couple of summer camps, one of which produced a small musical,” said Kessler. “Then we were off and running from there, and since then we’ve tried to produce at least two musicals a year.”

Based out of the Kessler home rehearsal studio, young actors and performers ages 9 to 16 get to experience singing, dancing and acting on a stage — in a way that’s fun and a great learning experience, especially in the years since the beginning of the pandemic.

“We kind of changed it up from summer to summer, largely because of the pandemic, so we kind of do something different from year to year,” she said. “We do some straight plays and some Shakespeare and so this summer, we’re going to try to go back to doing a summer musical as well.”

Kettleworks is able to put on the musicals thanks to the Broadway Junior Project, which provides schools and youth performing arts companies with free training and showkits with all of the materials necessary to put on a production of a Broadway Junior musical. A Junior show is an hour-long adaptation of an established show specifically for pre-teen performers and Kettleworks performs in the fall and in the spring.

For the spring musical this year, Kettleworks is having the kids perform “The Drowsy Chaperone,” a 1998 show-within-a-show where a sad and isolated Broadway fan listens to a nearly 100-year-old record of his favorite musical comedy, “The Drowsy Chaperone.” Known as Man in Chair, he laments about his life and his love for the musical, while his apartment turns into a stage, allowing the audience to share his vision of the musical.

To be able to perform in a Kettleworks production, kids need to register for each show, pay tuition and then auditions are held.

“We always teach them to strive for excellence but we also say ‘Progress, not Perfection.’ We’re not trying to be perfect, but we do want to grow,” she said. “I see how much they grow, but we also are very big on building a theater family.”

Past musicals that Kettleworks has produced include “The Lion King Jr.” and “Alice In Wonderland Jr.,” which was the latest one in fall 2024.

Along with auditions, Kettleworks also takes applications for the company’s technical apprentice program, which allows students to be a part of the show while working behind the curtain. Once roles have been cast, pre-production begins, where everything comes together within 9 to 12 weeks, from costumes to choreography, set-building to hitting the right notes. Rehearsal days are every Wednesday and Thursday in the evening and then all afternoon on Saturdays. Most shows are then performed at the Carco Theatre in Renton.

“With ‘Alice’ we were able to get back to our pre-pandemic numbers,” Kessler said of student turnout. “We were really growing in 2019 and 2020.”

As for musicals that the kids have begged her to produce, Kessler says that they have brought up “Shrek the Musical Jr.,” based on the beloved 2001 animated film and the 2008 musical, which actually premiered in Seattle in 2008. While Kessler also would love to put on “Shrek”, it requires more actors on stage for the fairy tale characters.

“Tell all your friends to come and join and then,” she said. “Once we consistently have that many kids, we will do shows like ‘Shrek’ or ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ where you need 25 to 30 kids minimum just to fill the roles.”

While rehearsals are currently underway for “The Drowsy Chaperone,” with performances on Friday, May 9, and Saturday, May 10, registering for summer shows and even just for the performance classes provided by Kettleworks are available any time.

“Theater teaches so many different things, you know. You can take so much away from performing arts that isn’t just being a performer on the stage. It teaches you so, so much,” said Kessler.

For more information, visit kettleworksperformingarts.com.

Various residents of Wonderland tricking Alice during the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party from “Alice in Wonderland Jr.” Fall 2024. Courtesy of Kettleworks Performing Arts

Partial company photo for the current production of “The Drowsy Chaperone Jr.” for the spring 2025 musical. Courtesy of Kettleworks Performing Arts.