On the night of auditions for Godspell at the Whidbey Playhouse, Allenda Jenkins found herself in a predicament.

Surveying the group of nearly 20 people who showed up for tryouts in late June, Jenkins was easily able to piece together a cast in her mind for the musical, except for one critical role — the lead.

“I don’t think I have Jesus,” Jenkins remembers saying to her husband, Jamar Jenkins, the production’s musical director.

But her husband assured her that she did, indeed.

“There he is,” he told his wife.

Jamar Jenkins was motioning to Wolly Fowkes, known around the Playhouse for his variety of talent, including singing and dancing, as well as his high energy.

But Fowkes was only 14.

“I was thinking older,” Allenda Jenkins said.

Jenkins decided that Fowkes was worth the risk and is glad she kept an open mind.

Fowkes will play his first lead role at the Playhouse at 7:30 p.m. Friday on the opening night of the Whidbey Playhouse’s 50th anniversary season.

The idea of carrying the show on his young shoulders evoked a nervous laugh from the Oak Harbor eighth grader during a recent rehearsal.

“Fear, lots of fear,” Fowkes said. “That’s honesty.”

Over the past two months of rehearsals, Fowkes has shown the maturity that has put the cast and his director at ease, and made his parents proud.

Allenda Jenkins performed with Fowkes during the 2013 musical “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and remembers him playing his role of Benjamin “perfectly,” but also remembered him being easily distracted and needing gentle guidance.

During auditions for “Godspell,” Jenkins said she initially had trouble getting that image of “little brother Benjamin running around with tons of energy” out of her head.

“Wolly looked the part,” Jenkins said. “He could sing and dance the part. But could he focus?”

He proved that he could, following Jenkins’ direction and absorbing all he can from those more experienced around him.

Raised in a family of performers, Fowkes is no stranger to the stage. But a role of this magnitude, leading a cast of all ages in community theater, was new territory.

“I only know of a few (younger) actors who could even attempt to do this,” said Stan Thomas, the show’s producer. “However, those actors don’t have his ability to sing and/or dance.

“You need to be multi-talented. You need to know how to act. You need to know how to dance. You need to know how to sing.”

Physically and emotionally, Fowkes has grown up since performing on the Playhouse stage two years ago. His hair has followed suit, which is ideal for his part as Jesus. However, the timing was more of a coincidence, he explained.

“I grew my hair out because I wanted to grow my hair out,” Fowkes said, “and then I got the role.”

The role is a doozy, requiring everything Fowkes has learned from his parents, who are both actors, and more.

John and Penny Fowkes are longtime performers at the Playhouse who’ve groomed their son to be comfortable in the spotlight. John Fowkes performed for years as a magician with his son at times assisting.

Both parents are part of the “Godspell” cast with John Fowkes playing a key role as Judas.

“I’m just absolutely amazed seeing what he’s doing,” John Fowkes said. “If I would have had the part, I wouldn’t be doing as well. In the first three weeks, he probably had the script memorized.”

Fowkes has bonded well with the cast that ranges in age from 13 to over 50, Allenda Jenkins said. His mom is particularly proud of how respectful he’s been with elder cast members, finding it hard to elaborate.

“You don’t want to make me cry,” Penny Fowkes said.

The cast has watched him develop in front of their eyes.

“I’ve known lots of good young actors,” said Ralph DuBois, who plays John The Baptist. “I’ve never met one as good as Wolly at his age.”

“What I love about him is his athleticism on stage,” said cast member Sheila Terry. “An older actor couldn’t do that, jumping up and down the way he does and dancing around, and singing at the same time. It’s amazing.”

The cast is filled with youth. Fowkes, a home-schooled student enrolled in the Oak Harbor Public Schools’ HomeConnection program, is one of five actors in the 17-person cast between the age of 13 and 16.

The others are Tatyana Moore, 16; Trianna Kobelin, 15; Reed Richards, 13; and Audrey Young, 13.

“I think the secret weapon in the show is the voice of the children,” Allenda Jenkins said.

With one soothing, constant voice, in particular.

“I have seen this play several times and I’ve seen Jesus played by mostly young people, however, by young people I usually mean early 20s or so,” Thomas said. “I’ve also seen it done by a woman. She was Jesus. I think primarily they look for younger people because Jesus was a young man when he died. He was only 33.”

In this case, Jesus will be portrayed by a 14-year-old boy still very much a kid at heart.

This was evident in the dressing room before a recent dress rehearsal when his mother applied eye liner on him, then a little mascara.

“That tickles,” he said.

“I know honey,” his mother said.

“That tickles a lot,” he added.

Wolly Fowkes held still as best as he could and soon it was all over, part of the price of performing on the big stage.

“That makes your eyes pop a little bit better,” his mom said.

Anniversary season begins

The Whidbey Playhouse is opening its 50th anniversary season with the musical “Godspell,” at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 11. The production, previously performed at the playhouse in 1980 and 2004, is directed by Allenda Jenkins and produced by Stan Thomas. Opening night is a specially catered event featuring appetizers and a cash bar provided by Flyers restaurant. The musical was conceived and originally directed by John-Michael Tebelak with music and new lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. “Godspell,” a musical based on the teachings of Jesus in the Book of Matthew, will be performed through Oct. 4 with shows Thursday through Saturday starting at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday productions at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $20. A special fundraiser show benefitting the Sister City of Oak Harbor Association will be held at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 10, with a silent auction starting at 6:45. Tickets for that show are $25, which includes dessert during the intermission. The Playhouse is located at 730 SE Midway Boulevard in Oak Harbor. To reach the playhouse, call 360-679-2237 or go to www.whidbeyplayhouse.com