Shayna Turk's stars bring down the house

SHOOBY DO WOP—Children ages 5 to 12 perform in the summer production of "Grease," produced by 17-year-old Shayna Turk of Agoura Hills. The show benefited Music For Heart, funding surgeries for children with heart disease living in impoverished countries. Shayna Turk of Agoura Hills recently directed 27 children in the musical "Grease," which closed July 19 at the Hidden Hills home theater of Shayna's grandparents, Jerry and Erica Miller. The teenager raised enough money to save a child with congenital heart disease.

Shayna, 17, has been producing musicals since she was 10 years old. For the past three years she has donated the proceeds from ticket sales to Music For Heart, a nonprofit foundation formed by Brenda and Craig Small of Agoura Hills that helps children with congenital heart disease in impoverished countries receive proper medical treatment and lifesaving surgeries.

Shayna's past efforts raised enough money to save three children, and this year's ticket sales generated $2,600, $100 more than is needed to pay for heart surgery in El Salvador.

Shayna Turk "This is the third year in a row that Shayna has donated ticket proceeds to Music for Heart," Brenda Small said. "She actually is going to come with us on a mission in September to El Salvador. After this show four lives will have been saved."

The six-week drama camp gives children ages 5 to 12 the opportunity to perform. They sing, dance and deliver their lines with gusto due to Shayna's connection with the kids.

Zack Barrett, a 12-year-old who will attend Medea Creek Middle School next year and has participated in three of Turk's seven summer musicals, played Kenickie in two of the four performances of "Grease."

"I liked doing all the dances and singing and all the games that we play," Zack said. "We play acting games to help learn our lines. Shayna just makes . . . it fun."

The camp, which Shayna runs from her Agoura Hills home, culminates in four shows.

On opening night, the show abruptly ended when a cable broke, causing a power outage and threatening to set the house on fire. Workers toiled through the night to fix the cable, and the show was back on for the remaining weekend performances.

"With the biggest group we've had, it was the biggest success," Shayna said. "Each night got better as it progressed."

Shayna is already planning next year's productions. She plans on staging two shows instead of one to raise more money for the charity. At the end of this year's production of "Grease," she announced that next year's musicals will be "Mama Mia" and "Bye Bye Birdie."

For more information, visit www.dramastars.com or e-mail turksstars@aol.com.