Katherine Goldman, a senior at Los Altos High School and past president of PYT's Youth Advisory Board, wrote this essay about performing in PYT's first production of "A Little Princess" to accompany her college applications. She hopes that reprinting it here will encourage other young people to audition for PYT shows.

This summer, PYT will be putting on a production of A Little Princess. It will be a small show, with local children singing, dancing and acting their hearts out through this timeless story. I will be in that audience for a number of reasons: I will know many of those children. I will relate to the adventures that those children will have gone through. And I will know the show, inside and out, because I was in that particular production, six years ago from the day I see it.

I was 11 when PYT did this show for the first time. Through some stroke of luck, I managed to get the starring role. It was the first time I had a lead, one of the first times I had a solo. I had a lot of solos: I was Sara Crewe. I loved the experience. Throughout the rehearsal process, I became my character: a kind, sweet girl who befriended everyone.

The opening show was a blur. I remembered my lines and my songs; I went through the dances like a delicate little princess. The show ended with a rush of emotion: excitement. Joy. Pride. I did it! I was the little princess! I ran out to the lobby to greet my family and my friends, to jump up and down, and giggle with utter delight. Everyone there was equally excited. My mom smothered me in hugs, and my dad had a beaming grin. I stood with them, talking, taking in the moment. As my initial glee began to die down, my mom pointed out a little girl behind me, holding a flower. She couldn't have been any older than 5. She walked up to me and gave me the flower. I had never seen her before, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that she came up to me and gave me that flower, with a little note attached. A week later, I sent her a thank-you card. It was the kind of thing that Sara would do.

In the spring of 2006, I did another show. I wasn't the lead in this one, nor did I have a hundred solos. I was simply a supporting actor, but that same excitement that stirred through my veins in A Little Princess stayed with me in this new show.

Then, one day, as a parent helped me put my microphone on, he said something interesting: "I'm here because of you." Mike Cobb told me that his daughter was doing this show because she had seen a performance here five years ago. Amanda loved the show and the girl who played the lead, who had been kind enough to send her a thank-you note for a flower. That memory was so strong that she eventually decided to try it for herself.

I turned pink when he told me this, but not from embarrassment. It was from pure joy. I had touched someone, even if it was a 5-year-old from five years ago. I had changed someone's life. I got her to think a little about what she wanted to do with herself, and even if it was just a small change, it still made her different. And all thanks to me.

Because to me, the stage is something special. It's not just a place to go and sing a song, to do a dance, to get applause. All that is great, sure, but it's also the place to enter a new world, and eventually learn a lesson about the world they're actually in. As an actor, I've already gone through that kind of process. I've thought about myself and what I can bring to the role, then I pour that emotion into whatever part I'm playing, be it Grizabella from Cats or the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz. The audience gets to enjoy this new place, and the laughter and applause prove that I've actually changed them, just a little. Their energy is my energy; they fuel me into becoming an angrier cat, or a floppier scarecrow, or a sweeter little princess. And I live off that energy. I need it the way a sleep-deprived person needs caffeine. Theater shows people at their finest moments, both onstage and off. Pouring your soul into a song is a powerful feeling, but once someone is there to feel it with you, that feeling elevates to a new level. And that's when it all feels right: You're changing someone, and they're changing you. It's a win-win situation.

Both Katherine and Amanda can be seen in the Manolo Blahnik cast of "Cinderella," where Katherine plays the title princess.

Peninsula Youth Theatre would like to acknowledge Cameron Veterinary Hospital of Sunnyvale for its logo sponsorship of the 2006-07 season. The animal hospital has been a PYT sponsor for the past three seasons.

Mary Kate Cameron, a doctor of veterinary medicine, opened Cameron Veterinary Hospital in April 1999 to provide the best veterinary medical service possible by listening to clients and understanding exactly what they want in terms of lifelong care of their pets, and by communicating genuine caring to patients and owners alike. Kate graduated with honors from the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California-Davis in 1982. Her special interests include internal medicine, endocrinology, geriatrics and unusual pets. Kate's exceptional rapport with patients, and tireless willingness to explain disease entities and health issues to their owners, has won her a large and faithful clientele. She is supported by a caring and well-trained staff that is committed to providing optimum care.

Dr. Cameron's family has participated in PYT productions since 1998, when son Zack danced the "funny bunny rag" in The Velveteen Rabbit. Zack, now 16, has performed in numerous CenterStage shows and plays percussion in the orchestra. Daughter Mackenzie, 12, has performed in a dozen productions, including playing Toto in The Wizard of Oz. Kate's husband, Peter Froeberg, has played trumpet and fluegelhorn in the orchestra for countless PYT shows. Kate herself played accordion in this season's Fiddler on the Roof.

Cameron Veterinary Hospital is in the Westmoor Shopping Center at 1285 Mary Ave., Sunnyvale. The phone number is (408) 733-7501, and the Web site is www.cameronvet.com. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

PYT would not be able to continue with its mission to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to our community without the support of sponsors like Cameron Veterinary Hospital. If you or your business is interested in sponsorship opportunities, please contact Emily Wu, development director, at (650) 988-8798, extension 305, or ewupyt@gmail.com.

The Alumni Association Council, chaired by Stephanie Ringstaff, is busy preparing for two events this summer: its second Cabaret Night and its first college roundtable.

Steppin' Up, Moving Out, the 2007 Cabaret Night featuring song and dance numbers from favorite musicals, will begin at 7:30 p.m. June 30 at King's Academy, 562 N. Britton Ave., Sunnyvale, with a reception immediately following. Performers expected to participate include Kendall Bartlett, Sarah Cook, Christopher Custer, Blythe Faxon, Tony Feenan, Neev Garbi, Sarah Goer, Alisa Healy, Dan Hurst, Alison Koch, Andrew Krach, Sean Kranz, Justine Lauren, Fiona Lawson, Kyle Nielsen, Megan Putnam, Jessica Uher and Peter Woolhouse.

Advance tickets cost $12 for adults, $10 for seniors 62 and over and children 12 and under. Orders can be dropped off at PYT or sent to Stephanie Ringstaff, 1705 Oak Ave., Redwood City, CA 94761, no later than June 25. Checks should be made payable to the PYT Alumni Association. Tickets also will be sold at the door for $14 for adults and $12 for seniors and children. Proceeds will fund future alumni events and PYT benefits.

The council also invites high school students and their parents to a college roundtable/supper social at 5 p.m. June 9 at PYT. Alumni will field questions ranging from the application process, to academics and performance opportunities, to college life. Schools expected to be represented include Loyola Marymount University, New York University, Santa Clara University, Stanford University, UC-Berkeley, UC- Davis, University of Southern California and Yale University. If you are interested in this event, please RSVP by June 1 with your name, phone number and the number attending to PYT Development Director Emily Wu at ewu@pytnet.org or (650) 988- 8798, extension 305. For an updated list of colleges that will be represented, or if there's a specific school you'd like to have represented, contact Stephanie at (650) 743-2154 or pyt_alumni@yahoo.com, and she'll see what she can do.

Besides Stephanie, the Alumni Association Council consists of Emily Borromeo, Dan, Sean, Diana Partridge, Nic Rouleau and Jessica.

Thanks to the efforts of PYT Board secretary Carol Doup Muller and the generosity of Hicklebee's bookstore in San Jose, PYT has the opportunity to raise $7 for each Harry Potter And the Deathly Hallows that we pre-sell. You may return the form to the PYT offices or fax it to (650) 988-0823.

If you haven't already pre-ordered your book, now is the time to do so. Please ask your friends and relatives if they would like to pre-purchase a copy and support PYT!

You will be able to pick up your copy on or after July 21 at the PYT office.

Interested in working behind the scenes? PYT needs energetic and enthusiastic volunteers to join the publicity and development committees. For more information, contact Karen Simpson at ksimpson@pytnet.org.

Do you "wanna be a producer"? PYT is seeking friendly and detail-oriented volunteers to join the production team. For more information, contact Joan Adelman at pytmom@aol.com.