However, more and more Los Gatos residents are discovering each year that there is at least one place they can go where they are assured a spot in a show, regardless of their age. And it's right in their own backyard.

The Shoestring Theatre Company was created at the Presbyterian Church of Los Gatos in the spring of 1997. According to the group's official website, Dr. Kent Lawrence, the church's interim pastor at the time, set the groundwork to put on a musical at the church. The choice was Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music. Working with limited resources, representatives of STC say Lawrence managed to pull together an impressive show, one that turned out much better than anyone could have imagined.

Due to the success of The Sound of Music, the church made renovations to its social hall, including improvements to the stage and wiring, and the addition of bars for lights. The church then put on a production of the musical Oliver! later that year, playing to sold-out audiences.

Following Oliver!, it appeared a permanent pastor would soon replace Lawrence, and many feared that would mean the end of the theater productions.

At that thought, a group of people who had been involved in the first two shows decided an official group should be formed, to continue producing shows at the church.

Thus, the Shoestring Theatre Company was born.

These days, STC is still based out of the Presbyterian Church of Los Gatos--although participants need not be members of the church--and the once-fledgling group has grown considerably in size. Carolyn Dufour, STC's director of audience development and services, who also helps with publicity, says the first few productions had around 30 members in the cast--these days, it's more like 100, and that's not even counting the behind-the-scenes crew. Dufour says STC begins work on each production at the start of summer, and typically opens performances toward the end. She says the camaraderie amongst everyone, young and old, is one of the program's most enjoyable aspects.

"I just think it's a neat thing, because there's a lot of people bringing their talents together," she says. "If they're not on stage, they're painters, and it's great because everyone's volunteering. People just have a great time getting to know each other and putting on the production throughout the summer."

Dufour says that STC aims to provide a valuable and enriching service to the community by not charging for tickets. In fact, its shows have no tickets at all--rather, members just pass around a bucket during performances, and members of the audience donate whatever they can. A testament to the quality of their performances, the free-will donations are successful, Dufour says.

"It's such a show of faith that whatever goes into the bucket covers our costs of putting on the production," she says.

However, Dufour says every once in a while the group likes to save for a splurge, such as when it put on Peter Pan a few years ago and saved up to bring in a special effects team from Las Vegas to help the characters really fly.

"People couldn't believe we actually got people flying," Dufour says, remembering the shock on the faces in the audience. "We're not that professional, but we end up looking professional."

Kris and Rusty Andrews have been involved in all nine seasons, since they helped found the group. Kris Andrews is the vocal director and is also co-directing this season's stage production with Brian Houg, a fifth-grade teacher at Blossom Hill Elementary. She says that another way STC helps enrich the local community is by not discriminating for any reason--be it lack of knowledge or experience in theater, or age.

"I like [STC] because it's completely unique," she says. "There are dozens of programs where kids can do theater, but there are no inter-generational programs. My cast this year runs from [ages] 4 to 64. We cast everyone who shows up."

Andrews says the end result is a truly diverse group of participants, and a situation where people of all ages can relate to each other and get to know one another.

"I have sets of grandparents and grandchildren on stage together. It's a great family experience," she says. "And it makes me feel so good to see all those people meet and become friends over the course of the summer; it's cool."

Dufour agrees.

"It's interesting because on opening night, for some adults that haven't been in a show before, you'll see a child telling an adult, 'Don't worry, you're going to be great,' because they have more experience than the adult," she says. "But at the same time, the children learn so much from the adults."

Among the families who participate together, Lorraine Smith and her daughter Julia, 12, who live in Los Gatos, have been involved with STC for four years and counting. Both can be seen on stage and Smith also helps make costumes while Julia helps paint the sets.

"I think it's a really great program. I like the fact that anyone who auditions is in the production, and that my daughter and I can do it together," Smith says. "Plus, it's really fun to have an activity where there's a multigenerational cast. We get together with people of all ages and work on a project, and you get that camaraderie and that sense of accomplishment."

STC is now gearing up for Seussical, which opens on Aug. 26 and runs through Sept. 4. Andrews says it is a fun musical that weaves together the stories of several of the popular children's books by Dr. Seuss.

"Seussical" is presented in the Social Hall of the Presbyterian Church of Los Gatos, 16575 Shannon Road, on Aug. 26, Aug. 27, Sept. 2 and Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m., and on Aug. 27, Aug. 28, Sept. 3 and Sept. 4 at 2 p.m. For more information, visit www.pclg.org/STC or call the church at 408.356.6156.