Good news for young thespians: In honor of its 25th anniversary, School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community has received grants from Dominion and SPARC alumnus (and hot singing talent) Jason Mraz of Mechanicsville.

Students chosen from this weekend's auditions for SPARC's summer production of "Cats" will participate tuition-free. Tuition typically is charged because the summer musical is a training program in which students work directly with technical professionals.

SPARC executive director Jennie Brown said that enabling students to experience the program tuition-free is a wonderful way to honor the organization's founder, the late Jeri Cutler-Voltz.

Following five weeks of rehearsal, the "Cats" cast will perform July 27-30 at Maggie L. Walker Governor's School. Auditions continue today. (See Theater/Dance Calendar on H3.)

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And more good news for teenage actors: Richmond Shakespeare Festival has formed the Festival Young Company as part of its education division.

Students ages 14 to 18 will be invited to train with RSF twice weekly between April and June to become Shakespearean players. After learning scenes and monologues from plays by William Shakespeare, they will spend the summer entertaining playgoers before each show. They'll wear Elizabethan garb and speak Elizabethan English.

Cynde Liffick, RSF director of education, said, "It's some of the best training young actors can get . . . and quite magical to be performing Shakespeare on the grounds of a building [Agecroft Hall] where Shakespeare himself could have visited or performed."

Training begins April 22, the day before Shakespeare's 442nd birthday. Tuition is required, but some assistance is available. (See Theater/Dance Calendar on H3.)

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Quick -- how many Grammys has Billy Joel won? When did he release his first solo album? When was he inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? And when did he get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?

If you know the answers to these questions -- and quickly you a.) probably saw Joel in concert last Thursday in D.C., and b.) might already have seen his Tony-winning Broadway show.

If the answer to a.) is no, then oops! Your next chance to see the man perform is tomorrow in Philadelphia. If your answer to b.) is no, please note that "Movin' Out" makes its Richmond debut Tuesday and runs through Sunday at Richmond's Landmark Theater.

Joel's music makes the show, whose national tour is brought to you by Broadway Under the Stars. You won't see Joel onstage, but you will hear 27 of his greatest hits danced to Twyla Tharp's choreography.

By the way . . . Joel won six Grammys, and his first solo album was in 1972. The Hall of Fame happened in 1999, and he got his "star" in 2004.

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Busiest woman in showbiz? Locally, that would be Joy Williams, who has played Ethel Banks, the mother-in-law in Barksdale Theatre at Hanover Tavern's production of "Barefoot in the Park," since the end of January.

She's also been playing multiple roles -- Hazel and a priest among them -- in Theatre IV's production of "The Magic Flute" at Barksdale Theatre at Willow Lawn since mid-February.

Check out this schedule (which, with occasional exceptions in showtimes, she's kept for several weeks): Williams does "Flute" at 9:45 and 11:30 a.m. Thursdays and then "Barefoot" at 8 that night. She's back with "Flute" at 9:45 and 11:30 a.m. Fridays and then "Barefoot" again at 8 that night. Whew.

But wait, there's more. Then this intrepid actor, whose head must be spinning by now, works "Flute" at 10 a.m. and 2 and 5 p.m. Saturdays (yes, three performances) and then "Barefoot" at 8 Saturday nights.

Does this make Williams a quadruple threat? She sings, she dances, she acts, she schleps!

Oh, and have we mentioned "Barefoot" matinees at 2 p.m. Sundays, then back to "Flute" at 6 p.m.? That's 12 performances in four days weekly, not to mention a whole lotta driving between theaters (17.87 miles each way, according to mapquest.com).

It's a good thing Williams is so sidesplittingly funny onstage. You'd have to have a sense of humor offstage, too, to carry that schedule and also raise a family.

Luckily for Williams, her family is likely to understand: Husband Eric Williams is director of tour operations for Theatre IV, and one of their two young sons, Cory, already has performed in a professional production.

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The Richmond area's Acts of Faith Festival offers a discussion on Barksdale Theatre's "The Lark" at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at St. Paul's Catholic Church, 909 Rennie Ave. For details, call Michele Morris at (804) 649-9148 or visit actsoffaith.org.