RaeAnn Rodrigues and Ava Imura have been given an opportunity many young girls their age would jump at. Yet for these Oakdale High School freshmen, it’s a moment which has been years in the making. Years filled with hours of rehearsals, time spent away from friends and endless hours of memorization of lines.

First entering the theater at the ages of nine for RaeAnn and seven for Ava, the two will now take center stage at Turlock Community Theater as Anna and Elsa in the production of Disney Frozen Jr.

The production is the latest for Turlock Youth Performing Arts, TYPA. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.; the theatre is at 1574 E. Canal Drive in Turlock. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Advance tickets may be purchased at turlockyouthperformingarts.org

“I always loved Frozen. I was a Frozen kid,” RaeAnn, now 14, said of being cast in a lead role as Anna. “I grew up on Frozen and I just feel like I connected with Anna in some ways.”

Ava, 15, shared Elsa was always one of her favorite Disney princesses, noting she was thrilled at the opportunity to now play her.

“I’m also really excited, because Anna and Elsa have been me and Rae’s dream role to play together,” Ava shared. “It’s a great opportunity and we have really great stage chemistry, playing off each other. Me and Rae kind of bonded over that. We realized we really like playing those roles together.”

Adding to the fun, as well as a bit more bragging rights for the Oakdale community, RaeAnn will be joined by younger brother Joey. A third grader at Fair Oaks Elementary, Joey was cast as Grand Pabbie. While he had hopes of being Olaf, the eight-year-old shared he now feels this was the better role for him at this time.

“I’m the troll, aka the rock. I’m the main boy troll,” Joey shared of his role. “I think I’m going to be really nervous, but once I get on stage I’m going to be able to do it.”

While this is not his first time performing, it is his first time in a true “big” stage performance. Joey, as well as Ava and RaeAnn, had his first acting experience at the Oakdale-based Hutton’s Hamlet. A foundation which all three shared was instrumental in landing them roles with TYPA.

“I feel like it helped me with stage presence and learning how to get into a character,” RaeAnn said of what she learned with the local theater program. “It helped me learn all the terms for theater. It prepared me for if I wanted to do things like this.”

“I’ve always been an extroverted person, so my mom had me do theater when I was seven,” Ava shared. “Hutton’s Hamlet really taught me how to act and it helped me find that I actually had a pretty good singing voice, so I wanted to pursue that more with Turlock.”

The youngest of the three, Joey also shared he felt Hutton’s made a significant difference for him.

“I think Hutton’s Hamlet prepared me by teaching me how to act in front of people,” he said.

The group began rehearsing twice a week beginning in January. The two weeks leading up to the show they had five day a week rehearsals. A big commitment for three kids who live 30-plus minutes away.

For Ava and RaeAnn, it is their passion. They share a love for more than Frozen; they share a love for the stage.

“I definitely connect with theater. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and then once I started doing it, I felt like this is my passion,” RaeAnn shared. “This is what I love to do. I can be myself. I don’t have to hide from anybody, and I don’t have to act a certain way or be like some sort of standard. I can just be myself on stage.”

“I love being able to go out of my comfort zone and do crazy things or sing and dance. I’ve always found it enjoyable,” Ava stated. “I agree with Rae, you can really be yourself around a lot of the people and there’s not a lot of judgement.”

Now, with the production days away, RaeAnn and Ava both shared they have nervous excitement, both confessing to nerves prior to going on stage, which disappears once they are in front of the audience.

“I’m really excited,” RaeAnn said. “We’re building as a team and working together. I know it’s all going to come together in the end and be really good.”

As for living their dreams roles, both students shared it has been fun and challenging.

“The character development and being able to play her feelings of like hiding her powers,” Ava said of Elsa. “I feel like I’ve really been able to get into her character and it’s been really fun.”

The trio shared they’ve enjoyed their time with TYPA and the other 33 students they’ve met. While their roots have been in Oakdale, they shared the experience has taught them their talents can be acknowledged outside of this community.

“We both want to give a big thank you to our director and people who helped out with Turlock,” RaeAnn said. “They definitely helped us grow and come out of our shell in a place where we didn’t know a lot of people. They helped us adapt.”

As for the youngest of the Oakdale group, he’s not only excited to be on the big stage, but have family in the audience.

“I think it’s going to really fun for them to see us,” Joey shared, “because instead of just Rae it’s gonna be me too.”