The curtain comes down on Canfield theater chief’s career

Kandace Cleland didn’t quite sail off into the sunset on a flying carpet.

But the longtime drama director at Canfield Village Middle School did just bring the curtain down on her final student musical — yes, it was “Aladdin.”

Cleland will retire at the end of this school year after 20 years as an expressive arts teacher and drama director at CVMS. In that time, she has played a role in the lives of many students.

Cleland is also the executive director of Stage Left Players, the community theater in Lisbon, and she’ll continue in that capacity. But her days at CVMS are coming to an end.

There isn’t but a handful of middle schools in this area that stage musicals, or even have a theater department. Cleland was at the helm of every show produced at CVMS for two decades.

She was the first — and, so far, only — teacher to run the expressive arts program at the school, which was implemented by the late Dante Zambrini, the former superintendent of Canfield schools. A principal at CVMS at the time, Zambrini wanted to improve students’ speaking skills through theater, and he appointed Cleland to the newly created job.

The program was later expanded so that every student in the school received four and a half weeks of theater instruction from Cleland. Over the years, many parents have told her that the immersion in theater helped their children.

Cleland hopes the program continues after she is gone. “STEM [science, technology and math] is great, but if you want to be top-notch, you must be well-rounded,” said Cleland. “The arts really do affect overall brain development, and if we want invention, cures for diseases and advanced thinking, we have to offer music, drama and visual arts in our public schools. We can never become a great school without the arts.”

Alex Geordan, superintendent of Canfield schools, said the district is proud of its drama department, and how it represents the entire community.

He said a decision has not yet been made as to whether the CVMS theater program will continue during the school day, or whether it will instead be offered as a co-curricular activity after school.

“Just like many of our programs, at the end of each school year, we evaluate to see how we can best serve our students for their future endeavors,” he said.

Interest from filmmakers

A couple of films could be given the green light soon to shoot in the Youngstown area.

According to the Youngstown Film Commission, it’s looking good for filmmakers Marc Clebanoff and Peter Dobson, who want to shoot “Exit 102: Asbury Park” here. It’s a period piece set in 1970s New Jersey, and the filmmakers reportedly have already acquired their own financing.

And today, Youngstown city council will consider a proposal from Alan Siegel Entertainment of Los Angeles, which is seeking a $2 million float loan from the city to shoot its thriller “Them That Follow” here.

BAKE SALE AT STUDIO

Brynna Jones, a kindergarten student at West Boulevard Elementary School in Boardman, is holding a bake sale to raise funds for Angels for Animals’ new wing. With help from staff and students of the Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Warren and Boardman, she hopes to raise at least $200 — enough for one square foot of the wing.

Brynna’s bake sale will take place Friday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Fred Astaire’s Boardman studio, 5090 Market St. She has supported the animal shelter ever since she adopted her cat, Rockzie, from it two years ago.

Guy D’Astolfo cover entertainment for The Vindicator. Follow him on Twitter at @VindyVibe.