SANTA MARGARITA, CALIF.

Roadshows are not new to Latter-day Saint culture. Some say road shows started with Brigham Young's traveling shows where he encouraged the pioneers to sing, dance and perform for each other to lift their spirits in difficult times.

Photo by Karen Lake

Youth from the Aliso Creek Ward perform roadshow, during which Connor Robertson, 18, offers flowers to Kaley Griffith, 18, and youth playing local villagers look on. More than 500 youth participated in the roadshows.

In Orange County, the tradition continued on March 3-5 when more than 500 youth performed for standing-room-only crowds in the Santa Margarita California Stake Center. Performances on Thursday and Friday were open to the public and on Saturday the youth were able to watch each other perform.

Each of the seven wards in the stake was assigned to create and perform a 12-minute, one-act play based on this year's Mutual theme; the 13th Article of Faith.

As Liz Forrest, Santa Margarita California Stake Young Women president, explained: "Each ward performs with a theme such as 'We Seek to Endure All Things,' 'We Seek After Being Honest' or 'We Seek After Being Good to All Men.' On performance nights, each ward has one minute to get on stage, 12 minutes to perform their show and two minutes to get off the stage."

Photo by Karen Lake

Tin 'bling' man, rapper, Max McCusker.

Many wards used popular music, movies, musicals or fairy tales to tell their story with a biblical moral.

The stories and shows were just one part of the task. Each ward had a small budget for costumes and sets, which made creativity a must. Laureen Leaver, who directed the Foothill Ranch Ward's performance, said, "Employing ten-year-old patterns and repurposing old drapes for cowgirl vests cost no money. A jaunt to the Garment District in Los Angeles brought a treasure trove of material, trims and elastic for a mere pittance. Blue jumpers, vests and skirts were sewn by at least a dozen volunteer seamstresses and even the cardboard tubes from the material emerged as binoculars."

Pat Brokaw, stake Young Men president, said the road shows took 95 percent of the youth out of their comfort zone. "There are kids in all walks of life and each is going through different types of experiences," he said. "We see kids stretch and interact with kids they wouldn't interact with in any other circumstance."

Photo by Karen Lake

Rachel Carter from Trabuco Hills High School singing "I Can't Say No."

The work and time was all worth it, said Sister Forrest. "It is about bringing the youth to Christ," she said. "If we have done that, the roadshow experience has been a huge success."

Photo by Karen Lake

Orphans make their final pose. From left, Penelope Lake (Orange County High School for the Arts), Courtney Mauss (RSM Middle School), Madi Sale (RSM), Morgyn Carroll & Kathleen Riggert (Portola Hills Elementary).

Photo by Karen Lake

Kelsey Carroll, one of Jessie's gals, from Toy Story.

Photo by Karen Lake

The dance with prepaid credit cards, from left, Lauryn Carroll, Sam McCormick and Makayla Wells from Trabuco Hills High School.

Photo by Karen Lake

Toy Story Characters are in charge of the car, from left, Tyler Schoessow, Jacob Warner, Jordan Sale, Grant Hiltbrand and Joel Carter from Trabuco Hills High School.

Photo by Karen Lake

Dorothy (Paige Brennan) encourages the Lion (Christian Frost) to have more courage.

Photo by Carrie Maxfield

ASir Beau, Patrick Carlile, 18, Lake Forest, CA, El Toro High School, and 2 members of "Mayhem", Stephen Maxfield, 13, Mission Viejo, La Paz Intermediate School, and Isaac Paxman, 12, Lake Forest, Cordillera Elementary School.

Photo by Carrie Maxfield

Pixies of the Forest, from left, Dublin Carroll, 12, Lake Forest, homeschool, Kate Moncur, 13, Rancho Santa Margarita, RSM Intermediate School, Mackenzie Andrews, 13, Lake Forest, Serrano Intermediate School, Rebecca Haggard, 13, Mission Viejo, RSM Intermediate School.

Photy by Debbie Mauss

Andy's toys from Toy Story are planning the fund raiser for the orphanage while Andy is gone at college.

Photo by Debbie Mauss

Foothill Ranch Ward girls buy toys for orphans rather than clothes for themselves.

Photo by Debbie Mauss

From left, Stephanie Smith, Lisa Feist, Madelyn Paul, Ashley Smith, Sarah Paul, Rachel Carter, Cassidy King and Kelsey Carroll play Jessie's Girls planning the fund raiser for the orphans.

Photo by Karen Lake

Orphans Penelope Lake, Kathleen Riggert and Morgyn Carroll do opening dance "Thriller" for "We Seek After Doing Good to All Men."

Photo by Cathy Farrell

Dallin Sheldon, Emma Penrod, Tyler Dirkson, Trabuco Hills High School. Pinocchio is going to cut his strings to his parents and prove he is able to make his own good decisions, like being honest.

Photo by Cathy Farrell

Jake Goehring, Trabuco Hills High School, is the "Old Spice Guy" who was the show's fill-in during transitions of scenery.

Photo by Cathy Farrell

From left, Daniel Hannah, Jason Smith, Cameron Conley, Ben Cadden, Sam Huish, Devon Ripley, Brandon Baker, and Alexis Conley. They are tempting Pinocchio and Cinderella with food and drink that they should not have.

Photo by Cathy Farrell

Desiree Thatcher, Dallin Sheldon, Tyler Dirkson, Kendall Lee, Brittany Call, and Aaren Cadieux, attend a party at Sleeping Beauty's Castle knowing they will still be steadfast to their morals and promises made to themselves, their parents, and to their fellowman.

The cowardly lions put on a good act as they come out fighting, but all it took was a sneeze to send them screaming.