There wasn't a very large crowd - just eight adult student singers, a few of their family members, the Press and the teacher, Steve Kinsella. But that's the way it was supposed to be: the students performing for their own benefit and showing each other what they had learned.

The event was a recital held recently in a classroom at Brentwood's Resurrection Ministries church, where Kinsella directs the choir. The veteran instructor of musical theater performance has led workshops and classes on the subject nationwide.

Students in the recently formed adult class were taught techniques for stage fright, singing, acting, presentation skills and more, emphasizing and enhancing their natural talent. Acting as emcee, Kinsella introduced his students in a low-key, sometimes humorous manner designed to help them overcome any case of the nerves.

The intimate gathering heard Steve White sing "She Touched Me" from "Drat the Cat"; David Lawrence did "Sunrise, Sunset" from "Fiddler on the Roof"; Grant Bond sang "Some Enchanted Evening" from "South Pacific"; Diane Stockman performed "Shy" from "Once Upon a Mattress"; Kermit Sveen did "When I Fall in Love" from the movie "One Minute to Zero"; Monique Belusa offered "When I Look at You" from "The Scarlet Pimpernel"; Marisa Barley sang "Autumn" from "Starting Here, Starting Now"; and David McClellan, a friend and musical theater peer of Kinsella, did "Me" from "Beauty and the Beast."

The creation of the Adult Theater class was prompted by requests from adults associated with children and teens involved in his productions. Based on the success of the recently concluded adult class, Kinsella is planning more classes for grownups he hopes to start up sometime in early April.

"I want to teach two different classes," he said. "One will be similar to the last singing class we did and the other will be more directed toward acting." He would also like to bring back community theater to Brentwood, and hopes to produce "Godspell" and "The Odd Couple" later this year.

Kinsella wrapped up his Adult Theater class by thanking his students for all their hard work. "I would be pleased to have any one of you take part in one of my productions," he told them.

Knightsen resident Diane Stockman said she loved the six-week class. "I've done three things with Steve, and he is just so supportive and such a great guy," she said. "I was sorry the class was over and I really liked all of the students - we got to be like a family."

McClellan performed with Kinsella in Diablo Light Opera productions of "Candide" and "Merry Widow" back in 1993 and 1994. He said of the class, "It was a good experience, covered a lot of things I knew and validated my approach to performing. I picked up a few new things as well."

A 17-year veteran of directing, performing and consulting in Bay Area musical theater, Kinsella is a professional actor represented by the STARS agency in San Francisco. He is artistic director for The Kinsella Theater Group, comprised of Kinsella Conservatory Theater, Brentwood Teen Theater and The Junior Conservatory. Kinsella resides in Brentwood with wife Laurie, son Jason and daughters Charlotte, Bridgette and Natalie.

Spring classes for the Conservatory Theater and Brentwood Teen Theater are now open for registration, and rehearsals are currently in progress for the show "Annie Junior" that Kinsella plans to stage on April 18, 19, 25 and 26. The curtain goes up for all shows at 7:30 p.m. at Resurrection Ministries, 1275 Fairview Ave. Tickets are available at www.brentwoodteentheater.com. Kinsella can be reached at 516-9009.