Maeve Ciuba on ‘Broadway’
At age 11, Maeve Ciuba already has an acting resume that would make many professional actors jealous. She has appeared in five productions at RAAC Community Theatre beginning in 2011 as a gnome in “St. George and the Dragon.” Since then, she has charmed audiences as Tinkerbell in “Peter Pan,” Toto in “The Wizard of Oz” and a feisty orphan in “Annie.”
For the last two summers, Maeve, who lives in Castleton with her parents Deverell Pedersen and Bart Ciuba, has studied musical theatre at the Warrenton-based Allegro Community School for the Arts. The school offers an intensive three-week Broadway bootcamp for students 6 to 18, who must audition to be accepted.
This summer, Maeve was able to
attend the camp thanks to a grant from the Claudia Mitchell Arts Fund that paid half the tuition. The Mitchell Fund rewards and encourages individual artists of all ages and county organizations who are working to foster the arts in Rappahannock.
At the end of each Broadway camp, the kids stage a major production. Last year’s show was “Seussical,” bringing together some of Dr. Seuss' best- loved characters in an energetic musical romp. This year’s students danced and sang through a glittery and imaginative version of “The Jungle Book.”
Maeve could not be reached for comment, as she is attending another camp, but her mother says that Maeve enjoys the Allegro experience. “After Sunday's show [of “The Jungle Book”], she was already speculating about what show they would pick for next year,” says Deverell.