Productions

This charming ghost story is the classic Victorian tale of the redemption of the human soul. Three spectral visitations on one Christmas Eve grant Ebeneezer Scrooge, a lonely and bitter miser, a second chance at living a life full of love and charity. Filled with special effects wizardry, singing and dancing, this adaptation of the beloved novel by Charles Dickens was a tradition at West Valley College in the 1980’s-1990’s. It now returns after 26 years to our Main Stage theater! Suitable for the whole family. Some scary scenes.

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American Representational by Lee Blessing

Directed by Bruce W. De Les Derniers

Dates: October 21, 22, 27, 28, 29 at 8:00 PM and October 23 & 30 at 2:00 PM

Tickets: Suggested Donation $15

Lee Blessing’s self-described new “metaphysical farce,” FORTINBRAS, a comic interplay of wry literary criticism and contemporary wit which takes up where William Shakespeare’s Hamlet left off. Young Fortinbras enters during the last scene of Hamlet only to order the bodies of the royal family shuffled off while he devises the best possible media blitz to legitimize his ascension to the throne of Denmark. Horatio, sworn to the dead Hamlet to convey the truth of his actions, is immediately cast by Fortinbras into the role of an unwilling public relations person. Where we suffered and wailed at the consequences of Shakespeare’s tragedy, we can laugh along with Blessing at what follows in its wake... Shakespeare himself would have loved it.

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Modern / Contemporary

Story by Mikhail Bulgkov, adapted by Keith Reddin

Directed by Robin Aronson

Dates: November 18, 19, 25, 26 at 7:30 PM and November 20 & 27 at 2:00 PM

Suggested Donation: $10 – $15

Keith Reddin's Black Snow is based on Russian novelist Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel, "A Dead Man’s Memoir", in which Bulgakov fictionalized and satirized his own outlandish experience as playwright for the famous Moscow Art Theatre in the 1930s, working with legendary theatre director Constantin Stanislavsky, during a time of soul crushing censorship. Buffeted between bossy autocrats, corrupt government officials, ruthless critics and eccentric theatre artists, the play’s playwright struggles to defend his artistic integrity against a barrage of adversaries and the urge to self-destruct.

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Classical Greek

Play by Aristophanes, adapted by Brian Reno, and Gabriel Vega Weissman

Directed by Virginia Drake

Dates: March 17, 18, 23, 24, 25 at 8:00 PM and March 19 & 26 at 2:00 PM

Tickets: Suggested Donation $15

Brian Reno and Gabriel Vega Weissman have added tons of current pop culture references and characters, wackily dusting off Artistophanes’ ancient Greek comedy! They’ve turned our protagonists into two movie moguls who are fed up with Hollywood’s shallow society. They want to transform Cloud Cuckooland into a great new city, but all they have to offer are the pieces of Hollywood civilization they’ve left behind. The Birds is a hilarious examination of this question — can humans go against their own desperate need for control, privilege and conspicuous consumption?

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Golden Age Musical

Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by Arthur Laurents

Directed by Amy Zsadanyi-Yale

Dates: April 21, 22, 27, 28, 29 at 8:00 PM and April 23 & 30 at 2:00pm at 2:00 PM

Tickets: Suggested Donation $20

Anyone Can Whistle, an absurdist social satire about insanity and conformity (among a dozen other things). A legendary cult show, this wacky, intelligent, highly unconventional musical. This musical tells the story of a corrupt mayoress who fakes a miracle to revitalize her bankrupt town (through the resulting pilgrim trade) and the ill-fated romance between the rational nurse, out to expose the fraud, and the easygoing doctor who is determined to enjoy the chaos that it brings. In the end, the show delivers a poignant message about the importance of the individual in a conformist society – but not before aiming its still-relevant barbs at government, religion, science and anything else that stands in its way!

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Contemporary Drama by Naomi Iizuka

Directed by Carol Fischer

Dates: October 22, 23, 27, 28, 29 at 8:00 PM and October 24 & 30 at 2:00 PM

Suggested Donation: $10 – $15

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American Representational by Lewis Carroll

Adapted & Directed by Bruce De Les Derniers

Dates: November 19, 20, 26, and 27 at 8:00 PM and November 21 and 28 at 2:00 PM

Suggested Donation: $10 – $15

Spectators must be vaccinated or have had a negative test in the last 72 hours. Spectators will not be asked to show proof of this at door.

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Classical European Comedy by Oscar Wilde

Directed by Megan Melendez-Frecceri and Amy Zsadanyi-Yale

Dates: March 18, 19, 24, 25, 26 at 8:00 PM and March 20 & 27 at 2:00 PM

Tickets: $15 suggested donation

The Importance of Being Earnest is the most renowned of Oscar Wilde’s comedies. It’s the story of two bachelors, John ‘Jack’ Worthing and Algernon ‘Algy’ Moncrieff, who create alter egos named Ernest to escape their tiresome lives. They attempt to win the hearts of two women who, conveniently, claim to only love men called Ernest. The pair struggle to keep up with their own stories and become tangled in a tale of deception, disguise and misadventure. This wildly entertaining comedy sparkles with dazzling wordplay and hilariously unlikely situations in which silliness ensues.

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Rock Musical

Music by Duncan Sheik and book & lyrics by Steven Sater

Directed by Robin Aronson

Dates: April 22, 23, 28, 29, 30 at 7:30 PM and April 24 & May 1 at 2:00 PM

Tickets: $20 suggested donation

Based on a banned and censored 1891 play by the same name, the rock musical Spring Awakening explodes the repression that shut down the original play and lays bare an electrifying story of adolescent sexual awakening and rebellion against an oppressive society. Set in a provincial 1890s German village, local students struggle to understand the onrush of new feelings and desires as they come of age, but their efforts are thwarted by the narrow-minded, controlling adults who enforce stifling rules and withhold knowledge and support. With an exhilarating alternative rock score by Steven Slater and Duncan Sheik, Spring Awakening deals with controversial issues of teen pregnancy, child abuse, abuse of power, abortion and suicide with stunning artistry. It won 8 Tony Awards in 2007, and many other awards then and since.

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Studio Show

Monologues written by students about their pandemic survival experiences.

First Viewing: October 16, 2020

Directed by Amy Zsadanyi-Yale

Main Stage Show

A collaboratively devised performance based on the ideas and stories of the cast, exploring themes and issues of most interest to the group.

First Viewing: November 15, 2020

Directed by Robin Aronson

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Classical European Farce with a BOLD NEW TWIST!

Directed by Virginia Drake and Nathan Sandoval

Scapino, a freewheeling, monkeyshine farce is inspired by Moliere. The story is set in present-day Naples; beginning with a song from the menu of an Italian restaurant and it only gets wackier! Scapino is a lovable wise guy, surrounded by favorite, larger-than-life characters from Commedia dell arte. Scapino promises to help two young men who have fallen in love with penniless beauties. Both men need money to solve their dilemmas. Scapino’s goal is to deceive the family patriarchs into parting with lots of money! Ruses, chases, dancing, singing and clowning abound in this madcap romp towards a very happy ending.

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Musical Fantasy

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine

Directed by Amy Zsadanyi Yale

James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim take everyone's favorite storybook characters and bring them together for a timeless, yet relevant, piece... and a rare modern classic. The Tony Award-winning book and score are both enchanting and touching. The story follows a Baker and his wife, who wish to have a child; Cinderella, who wishes to attend the King's Festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. When the Baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a Witch's curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. Everyone's wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results. One of Sondheim's most popular works, Into the Woods is a musically sophisticated show with the opportunity to feature actors adept at dark comedy, highlighting the fantastical elements of this magical word.

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Contemporary Drama

Play by Lanford Wilson

Studio Play Directed by Carol Fischer

Dates: October 18, 19, 24, 25, 26 at 8:00 PM, October 20 and 27 at 2:00 PM

Tickets: Students and Seniors $10, General $15

Originally produced in 1998, Book of Days is set in a Missouri town dominated by a cheese plant, a fundamentalist church, and a community theater. After the owner of the cheese plant dies mysteriously in a hunting accident, Ruth, his bookkeeper, begins to suspect murder as she contemplates the details. Being cast as Joan of Arc in a local production of George Bernard Shaw's play, Saint Joan, Ruth is motivated by her character study to aggressively seek the truth. The quest embroils her in the jealousies, religion, greed, and lies of the small community, and the edges of “Ruth” and “Joan” become blurry for both herself and those around her. Wilson is here at his best uncovering the shadowy side of humanity.

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Classic Expressionism

Play by by Sophie Treadwell

Mainstage Play Directed by Robin Aronson

Dates: November 15, 16, 21, 22, 23 at 8:00 PM, November 17 and 24 at 2:00 PM

Tickets: Students and Seniors $10, General $15

First performed on Broadway in 1928 and inspired by the scandalous newspaper story of a woman who murders her husband and is executed for the crime, MACHINAL by Sophie Treadwell is a rare treasure of American Expressionism by a female playwright that tells the electrifying story of a Young Woman who, trapped by society’s stifling expectations in an unfeeling world, performs an act of desperation to free herself, only to pay the ultimate price.

Classical European Farce

Directed by Virginia Drake

Dates: March 20, 21, 26, 27, 28 at 8:00 PM, March 22 and 29 at 2:00 PM

Tickets: Students and Seniors $10, General $15

Scapino, a freewheeling, monkeyshine farce is inspired by Moliere. The story is set in present-day Naples; beginning with a song from the menu of an Italian restaurant and it only gets wackier! Scapino is a lovable wise guy, surrounded by favorite, larger-than-life characters from Commedia dell arte. Scapino promises to help two young men who have fallen in love with penniless beauties. Both men need money to solve their dilemmas. Scapino’s goal is to deceive the family patriarchs into parting with lots of money! Ruses, chases, dancing, singing and clowning abound in this madcap romp towards a very happy ending.

Musical Fantasy

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine

Directed by Amy Zsadanyi Yale

Dates: April 17, 18, 23, 24, 25 at 8:00 PM, April 19 and 26 at 2:00 PM

Tickets: Students and Seniors $15, General $20

James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim take everyone's favorite storybook characters and bring them together for a timeless, yet relevant, piece... and a rare modern classic. The Tony Award-winning book and score are both enchanting and touching. The story follows a Baker and his wife, who wish to have a child; Cinderella, who wishes to attend the King's Festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. When the Baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a Witch's curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. Everyone's wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results. One of Sondheim's most popular works, Into the Woods is a musically sophisticated show with the opportunity to feature actors adept at dark comedy, highlighting the fantastical elements of this magical word.

See full photo gallery.

Classic Comedy

Directed by Amy Zsadanyi Yale

Dates: October 19–28, 2018

Arsenic and Old Lace is a black comedy written in 1939. Debuting on Broadway in 1941, it ran for three years and over fourteen hundred performances. The plot centers on the Brewster family, a once elite American bloodline that has now descended into homicidal insanity. Mortimer Brewster, a drama critic and the most ostensibly normal of his clan, is forced to cover up for his sadistic kin while being torn between family loyalty and his desire to marry the woman he loves. Exploring themes including family loyalty, nature versus nurture, and whether we can ever truly break away from our family’s influence, Arsenic and Old Lace was praised for its dark, screwball comedy tone with The New York Times theater critic declaring it one of the funniest plays he’d ever seen.

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Sci-Fi/Action

Co-Directed by W. Clay and Bruce W. De Les Dernier

Dates: November 16–25, 2018

Richard Mayhew commits an act of kindness on the streets of London and finds himself trapped in a shadow world beneath the city. Lady Door returns home one day to find her family slain and her life upended. Drawn together by fate – and forces more powerful than they can guess – these two must brave countless trials, uncover the truth behind a dark conspiracy, and face the indomitable Great Beast before they can set things right again. Journey to London Below with a rogues’ gallery of liars, outcasts, and assassins, on a treacherous quest to awaken the hero within, in a new production of Lifeline’s hit adaptation of the 1996 novel by Neil Gaiman.

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Classic Drama

Directed by Bruce De Les Dernier

Dates: March 15–24, 2019

Written in 1957, this American dramatic play is about a young married man with a secret morphine addiction. It is a medically and sociologically accurate account of the destructive effects of morphine on an addict and his family.

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Classic Musical

Directed by Carol Fischer

Dates: April 19–28, 2019

With a variety of styles in the musical numbers, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a Webber/Rice tour de force. This story of Joseph and his eleven brothers adapted from the book of Genesis races from family betrayal, lies, escape, lust, imprisonment, and starvation to dream interpretations, community salvation, and relationship restoration. Beginning and ending with “Any Dream Will Do,” the large ensemble cast narrates and entertains through constant song and dance. From the first performance as a 20-minute pop cantata in 1968, through a Fringe performance in Edinburgh in 1972, and then long Broadway/West End runs and tours, Joseph and his coat of many colors continue to please audiences with unbounded energy and stage presence.

Drama

Dates: October 20–29, 2017 at the Studio

The Children's Hour was written in 1934. It is a drama set in an all-girls boarding school run by two women, Karen Wright and Martha Dobie. An angry student, Mary Tilford, runs away from the school and to avoid being sent back she tells her grandmother that the two headmistresses are having a lesbian affair. The accusation proceeds to destroy the women's careers, relationships and lives.

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Prequel to Peter Pan

Directed by Carol Fischer

Dates: November 17–26, 2017

Adapted from the similarly named novel, Peter and the Starcatcher is an adventure worthy of pirates' gold! In this story we learn how Peter comes to fly, how Hook (formerly known as "Black Stache") loses his hand, Tinker Bell's birth, and a few things about the mysterious "star stuff," mermaids, pirates, and Wendy's mother. We experience ship wrecks, sea chest switcheroos, kidnappings, and a language spoken by dodo birds! This is not a play for the faint of heart, with its narrow escapes, near drownings, and one wonder after another.

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A Dark re-telling of Beauty and the Beast (Not Appropriate for young children)

Written and Directed by Bruce W. De Les Dernier

Dates: March 16–25, 2018

Britain: 500 A.D. A merciless Saxon warlord is cursed for his brutality. He must remain a beast until he can become deserving of true love. He is tempted by the Spirits of the Forest to give up the quest to regain his humanity and become a true Beast of the Wild...where hunting and killing are the accepted way of life. This dark and magical retelling of a time-honored fable explores the difference between who we really are and who we wish to be.

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Directed by Amy Zsadanyi Yale

Dates: April 20–29, 2018

In Berlin 1931, American cabaret singer Sally Bowles meets academic Cliff Bradshaw Despite Cliff’s confusion over his sexuality, the pair become lovers, until the arrival of the wealthy, decadent playboy Maximilian von Heune complicates matters. The love triangle plays out against the rise of the Nazi party. A second plot involves the romance between German boarding house owner Fräulein Schneider and her suitor Herr Schultz, a Jewish fruit vendor. Overseeing the action is the Master of Ceremonies at the Kit Kat Klub, a place that serves as a delicious metaphor for ominous political developments in late Weimar Germany.

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Contemporary Experimental

Conceived and Directed by Susan Pfeffer

Dates: October 21-30, 2016

Almost There, Nearly is an experimental, multimedia dance-theatre performance that investigates how the struggle for limited resources (food, water, shelter, work) is intertwined with what grows from the ground. Previously presented at Figment-Oakland, the second inception invites student performers to contribute to the script-less creative process by conducting research and devising movement and text in structured improvisations. A contemporary collage of abstract moments, Almost There, Nearly examines the support inherent in community and the natural world (trees!).

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A Family Classic

Directed by Amy Zsadanyi Yale

Dates: November 18-27, 2016

Based on the beloved novel, this magical production portrays the adventures of four siblings through the wardrobe and into the land of Narnia. Here they are caught up in a struggle between the mysterious, magical lion Aslan and the White Witch, who wants this astonishing country, its talking animals, and amazing creatures frozen in perpetual winter. C.S. Lewis’s classic of love, faith, courage, and giving, with its triumph of good over evil, is one of the most-enjoyed stories of our time.

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A Romantic Comedy

Directed by Laura Lowry

Dates: March 17-26, 2017

This 2003 Tony Award Nominee for Best Play is set in the 1920s. Two frustrated London housewives decide to rent a villa in Italy for a holiday away from their bleak marriages, they recruit two very different English women to share the cost and the experience. There, among the wisteria blossoms and Mediterranean sunshine, all four bloom again—rediscovering themselves in ways that they—and we—could never have expected.

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A Classic Musical Comedy

Directed by Carol Fischer

Dates: April 14-23, 2017

All the hot gamblers are in town, and they're all depending on Nathan Detroit to set up this week's incarnation of "The Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game in New York"; the only problem is, he needs $1000 to get the place. Throw in Sarah Brown, who's short on sinners at the mission she runs; Sky Masterson, who accepts Nathan's $1000 bet that he can't get Sarah Brown to go with him to Havana; Miss Adelaide, who wants Nathan to marry her; Police Lieutenant Brannigan, who always seems to appear at the wrong time; and the music/lyrics of Frank Loesser, and you've got quite a musical. Includes the songs: “Fugue for Tinhorns”, "Luck Be a Lady", "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat". This is musical theatre at its best!