South Valley Civic Theatre
Nunsense
So what’s funny about nuns? The very sight of a nun in a traditional habit automatically raises certain expectations – chastity, poverty, obedience – certainly. Maybe a bit of severity and rigidity tempered with Christian kindness. So when a nun does something unexpected, out of character, surprising, like wearing red sneakers, joining in a chorus kick line or uttering a mild expletive, we get… voilà! Comedy! And when it is two full acts of song, dance, jokes and situation (a benefit performance to raise money to bury four dead nuns stored in freezer), we get Nunsense, a very entertaining show even the Pope could enjoy. Well, maybe not this Pope. JP II? I think so.
As Sister Mary Regina, mother superior of the Little Sisters of Hoboken, Carol Harris is comically stern, occasionally befuddled and hilariously stoned when she inadvertently sniffs a controlled substance. Betsy Andrade as Sister Mary Robert Anne, she of the red sneakers, a tough girl from Canarsie (that’s in Brooklyn for you left-coasters) just wants to be a star and she gets her moment to shine in “I Just Want to be a Star.”
Rosalind Farotte is endearing as the semi-detached Sister Mary Amnesia. My seatmate for the evening, the product of a Catholic education, assures me that Ms. Farotte’s character, especially in “The Quiz,” is entirely authentic. Mildly exaggerated for comic effect of course. Sandra Lewandowski as Sister Mary Hubert sang beautifully, as always, especially in the rousing “Holier Than Thou.”
Angelic of face and sweet of voice, Allyson Finn plays Sister Mary Leo, the “dancing nun.” In pink ballet shoes and lamenting the lack of a tutu, she dances her morning prayer and in the second act dances the comic tragedy that struck down the frozen sisters in “Soup’s On (The Dying Nun Ballet).” And Marilyn Guerin accompanied it all at the piano as Sister Mary Upright.
Nunsense continues through June 14 at Morgan Hill Playhouse.

El Teatro Campesino
Actos!
Signs dangling from actors’ necks shouting “Patroncito,” “Guard,” and “Farm Worker,” masks, outsized props, music and dance, all are the unmistakable elements of political theatre, of art in the service of a cause or in this case “la causa.” The dismal plight of farm workers – starvation wages, exploitation, miserable working conditions that included being poisoned by pesticides – led to one of the great struggles of the 1960s and the birth of the United Farm Workers Union. Led by Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta and others, workers went on strike and called down a national boycott of table grapes that eventually brought owners and growers to the bargaining table to negotiate a contract. Along the way workers suffered and there was violence, always the case when the powerless assert themselves.
El Teatro Campesino – the Farm Workers’ Theatre – supported this struggle by taking short plays – “actos” – into the fields and camps to entertain and encourage farm workers to maintain solidarity. Written by Luis Valdez, the plays use the rich humor of satire and parody to reveal the truths of the workers’ plight.
In Actos! ETC presents three classic short plays from earliest days of El Teatro. In Dos Caras del Patroncito (Two Faces of the Little Boss), the Boss (Hector Ruelas), sporting a pig-snout mask and a foot long cigar “patronizes” his farm worker (Alejandro Ortega Nuño), demanding loyalty while giving none. Tres Uvas presents three grapes (Katie Hipol, Alika Spencer and Valentina “Weenie” Espinosa) as they gradually rot on the vine because of the boycott and union action. La Quinta Temporada (The Fifth Season) shows the effect of seasonal change and a cheating “Coyote” (a labor contractor played by Alejandro Nuño) on a typical farm worker. Only a fifth season, the season of Social Justice can break the merciless eternal cycle.
The second act presents two newer actos written by Kinan Valdez. Basta Basura! (Enough Trash!), a play commissioned by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, shows how the accumulating detritus of human civilization degrades our oceans. Told in a style reminiscent of Sesame Street, Basta Basura! is clearly aimed at children. Alejandro Nuño once again takes a lead role as a trash monster trying to entice a young girl (Melinna Bobadilla) into throwing her plastic bottle in the ocean. Lots of music, dance and humor make this a charming piece. It can be seen once again this summer in daily performances at the Aquarium.
The final piece of the evening, Guerilla Radio, takes deadly aim at corporations (Disney, Time/Warner, News Corp, GE) that concentrate the flow of information in fewer and fewer hands, defying the notion that the airways “belong to the people.”
The production, MCed by the tireless Melinna Bobadilla, is superbly satisfying theatre, beautifully performed by the ensemble cast in the broad, expressive acting that is the essence of the “Teatro Style.” The duo of Stephanie Woehrmann and Chas Croslin provide nearly non-stop musical accompaniment and delightful sound effects to go along with the action.
Actos! runs through June 1 at the Playhouse in San Juan

Gilroy Arts Alliance
Divas! In Concert
In a benefit concert to support Gilroy Arts Alliance, seven divas divine took the stage on May 10 at the I. F. D. E. S. Portuguese Lodge. Hosted by the beautiful and vivacious duo of Karen LaCorte and Whitney McClelland, entertainers in their own right who regaled the audience with introductory patter and a constantly changing wardrobe, the event drew a sold out house filled with local art lovers and supporters. Backed by the Martan Mann Trio, (Martan Mann, Dan Robbins and Mike Strunk), a very cool jazz combo of keyboard, bass and drums who turned up the heat when required, the divas gave the audience a mélange of pop, blues, jazz, Broadway and traditional Irish and Mexican songs.
Sandra Marlowe got the evening rolling with “Bluesette” and jumped started my heart with a masterful rendition of “Sunday Kind of Love.” Audrey Kavanaugh left no dry eyes with the poignant, always touching “Danny Boy.” Rosalind Farotte gave us giggles and guffaws as Sister Mary Amnesia with “I Could Have Gone to Nashville” from the popular musical Nunsense now playing at the playhouse in Morgan Hill.
Sylvia Gonzales, backed by Daniel Valdez and Tim & Frances Tompkins, closed out the first act and won many new fans with her passionate “Veinte Años” and “Tres Regalos.”
Additional funds were raised at intermission with a silent auction of many fine items donated by businesses and individuals and a spirited live auction conducted by the fast talking, wise cracking auctioneer Addie Bakich.
Beverly Blount had the audience in the palm of her hand with a seductive and highly entertaining “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” And it was great to hear Van Morrison’s “Moon Dance” given a stylish cover by Patti Lemon.
Ruth E. Stein capped the evening as Annie’s boozy Miss Hannigan lamenting her fate with “Little Girls” and then brought the show home by nailing the Barbara Streisand classic “People.”
With Divas in Concert, the dedicated people of the Gilroy Arts Alliance brought off such a stunning evening of joy, laughter music and great company that there was a lot of talk from audience and volunteers alike about “next year.”
The show was videotaped by CMAP and will be broadcast on public access cable Channel 20 thru June 9. DVDs are available for purchase from CMAP (www.mycmap.org) as well.

Shows Opening and continuing in June
Forest Theatre Guild’s production of Evita, the Eva Peron musical that ran for years on London and on Broadway and made stars of Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin, runs June 28 – July 27 in the Outdoor Forest Theater in Carmel. The show stars Sylvia Gonzalez, one of the best singers I know, in the title role. If you were fortunate enough to see El Teatro Campesino’s production of La Virgen del Tepayac in the Mission at Christmas time, you won’t soon forget Sylvia’s performance. Here’s what I wrote then: “Sylvia Gonzales brings power and sex appeal to her portrayal of Luzbel. Dressed in black leather, stark and beautiful with flowing black hair, she is both tempter and temptress. Her singing is passionate, calling to mind the peerless Toña La Negra.” Certainly fits my notion of Eva Peron as interpreted by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Now add Mike Uribes – a solid hit as El Pachuco in last year’s Zoot Suit – as the iconic Che and Evita promises to be a hot ticket. If you haven’t experienced a show in the Forest Theatre, you are in for a treat. Get there early and bring a light picnic. Also be prepared for ocean side coolness with a sweater, jacket or blanket.
The Western Stage opens their 2008 season with The Laramie Project. “Based on over 200 interviews collected after the brutal murder of Mathew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming, The Laramie Project is a groundbreaking theatrical collage that deals with the impact of a hate crime on a small American town.” This is gripping theatre at its finest. I was involved in a staged reading a few years back and can attest to power of the piece. This is a bold choice for what may prove to be a stellar season for the Western Stage. The Laramie Project runs June 6 – 29 in the Studio Theater of Hartnell College’s Performing Arts Center.
And don’t forget Mount Madonna School’s annual production of Ramayana, the splendidly theatrical staging of the ancient Hindu legend complete with magical characters and stupendous spectacle. Really…the good folks at school – students, teachers and parents have found the key the the treasure chest of drama. Three performances only. Get your tickets. The last time I saw the show, the producers shoe-horned a supplicant critic into a fully packed theatre that magically grew an extra seat.
Be sure to check OnStage for details on these shows, auditions and more.
See you at intermission.

	~An actor, director and writer, Paul has performed on and off Broadway, in regional theatres and as a guest artist in colleges and universities from coast to coast. He was seen this past March as Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha for the Diablo Light Opera in Walnut Creek. E-mail him at outabout@garlic.com