Downieville High School Riley Pearmund in front of the Yube Theatre

DOWNIEVILLE - DHS Senior Riley Pearmund amazed the audience viewing his senior project, A Theatre Story- A Short Film By Riley Pearmund. While Pearmund has worked on films in the past during an internship, this project was his first solely produced feature.

Attendees sitting in the Yuba Theatre, built in the 1940s, were immediately wowed by incredible drone footage of the theatre and upbeat music. The project revolves around a series of interviews with B.J. Jordan, Director of the Sierra County Arts Council, The Turnpike Players, and the Downieville High School Drama class, including teacher Amber Baca- Sainsbury, and students Landon Jackson, Mia Martinelli, Natalie Rust, Ariann Jackson, and Logan Kinneer.

Questions raised and answered during the interviews pertained to how long folks lived in Downieville and what brought them to our mountains. For example, B.J. Jordan reflected on how her family goes back six generations. When the interviewees were asked, "What does the Yuba Theatre mean to you?" and "What's your fondest memory of the Yuba Theatre?" participants shared warm memories of acting in plays and the talent shows held at this venue. Viewers learned how community volunteers are "at the heart of the theatre" as this gathering place is a "great community resource."

A special tribute was made to Greg Bostrom (1948-2022), who was instrumental in building lavish sets and engaged his time, as B.J. Jordan said, "in technical wizardry." Amber Baca- Sainsbury reflected on Bostrom's availability for mentoring those around him and his valuable feedback.

The film concluded with a Questions & Answers session with Pearmund. Members of the audience posed questions about the film process and Pearmund's plans. This Downieville Senior spent 30+ hours working on this project, from filming to editing. According to Pearmund, the film's editing was "hard work and tedious"; he found joy in filming the interviews. What's next for Riley Pearmund? While he will be around this summer, he plans to attend U.C. Santa Cruz in the fall. Locals would be excited to see a forthcoming documentary or action film produced by Pearmund.

After the Q&A., Riley Pearmund gave a special thanks to everyone who helped make the project a success, including his father, Nigel Pearmund, and friend Todd Tardiff for helping set up his tech for filming interviews and Todd's loaning of the drone. Riley’s mentor, Tim Jordan, gave extraordinary assistance to Pearmund in editing and providing tutorials for the editing software Premier Pro, which professional film editors use.

Folks wishing to view this fantastic production should keep an eye out for the film, which is to be posted on the Sierra County Arts Council YouTube channel or the link to the film at Sierracountyartscouncil.org. In the meantime, we encourage everyone to attend The Great Gatsby Friday, May 26, and Saturday, May 27, at 6 p.m. at The Yuba Theatre, where Riley will perform along with other Downieville seniors.