Acting out: Student-run theater group twists fairy tales
Fourth-year microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics student Grace Lau and fourth-year political science student Yalda Mostajeran practice improv as members of the LCC Theatre Company.
“Ob(li)vious”
Today – Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Jan Popper Theater, FREE
By Naomi Calbucci
Nov. 12, 2012 11:11 p.m.
After soaking in rain, the brave hero is dismissed by the princess in a failed attempt to profess his love for her. This is an unorthodox fairy tale that challenges the guidelines of happy endings considering the princess is in pajamas during the scene.
Characterized by flamboyant body language and far from timid vocal ranges, “Princess in Another Castle” is one of two student-written and directed scripts ““ the other is “In Regard to Darcy Lo” ““ that will be performed by Lapu, the Coyote that Cares Theatre Company in their production of “Ob(li)vious.”
The LCC Theatre Company is a 12-member, student-run theater company with the purpose of helping students find their creative realm within the group.
“It is fully operated by students with all different backgrounds and majors as well as levels of expertise,” said third-year biology student Ivy Dang, producer of the group and an actor in the show. “This production really allows all members to showcase their talents, either through writing, directing or planning,”
Ob(li)vious is an original production marketed, directed and written by members of the LCC Theatre Company that deals with different perspectives on what would otherwise be typical love stories. Its aim is to challenge the audience to analyze typical people and situations from a blank slate rather than with standard societal norms. It accomplishes this through careful script wording and specific stage direction.
“The dialogue in this show is extremely witty and is structured around saving damsels in distress but not really like that,” said fifth-year computer science major and LCC Theatre Company member Wesley Cheng.
The first production will be the drama “In Regard to Darcy Lo,” a performance that deals with confronting a romantic breakup or moving on without closure. There will be an intermission followed by an improv section which will conclude with “Princess in Another Castle,” written and directed by Melanie Dalby, a second-year political science student as well as the writer and director of the improv section of the LCC Theatre Company.
“My inspiration for “˜Princess in Another Castle’ came from the idea of the nice guy and I thought “˜What if romantic comedies and books are wrong and it’s not a given that two people are meant to be together?'” Dalby said. “It was structured around fairy tales and saving damsels in distress but with a twist.”
As the club’s first event of the season, “Ob(li)vious” will encourage the audience to actively participate through the dialogue of the scenes, which uses a great deal of subtext.
“The show will begin with an introductory video to allow the audience to get to know us, as well as the theme of the evening, altered perspectives,” Dalby said. “The show is prop heavy and we use a lot of lighting and music so the audience will get a kick out of it.”
Second-year undeclared student and Improv Director Mark Quintos said that through a lot of planning, funding and logistics, the theater company used all the resources available to it. He said their aim is to make the experience as developed and entertaining as possible.
“The show brings a different theater experience because it is entertaining but also thought provoking as well as utterly funny and full of swag,” Quintos said.
