Behind the curtain Behind the curtain (January 17, 2003)

Making community theater thrive
by Teresa C. Brown

Sitting in the theater amongst the crowd attending a Pleasanton Playhouse production, the excitement is everywhere. Chatter fills the auditorium as people file in to their seats. An occasional face peers from behind the stage curtain, briefly turning the tables on the audience. Finally, as if choreographed with the fading lights, the audience hushes to a whisper - it's show time.

Through its 19 seasons, the Pleasanton Playhouse has entertained scores of people. Although performances appear effortless to the audience, the productions are the result of long hours by those who are drawn together by their love of the theater.

"It's kept going by volunteers," said John Baiocchi, president of the Pleasanton Playhouse. "All the office people, people who sell the tickets, build the sets, put the program together, sell refreshments, box office, house manager - they are all volunteers."

Kathleen Breedveld, producer and volunteer, estimated about 40 volunteers are involved in a production, from ticket sellers to cast and crew.

Each season begins the preceding year. The Playhouse board of directors canvases patrons to find out what plays are in demand.

"We get an idea of what people want to see. We have to analyze whether we can do them. Some we just can't do. Everyone would love to see 'Phantom of the Opera,' but it would cost so much. We couldn't even break even," Baiocchi said.

In February, the plays are scheduled for the following season. They usually put on four Main Stage shows annually, Breedveld explained, two straight plays, one small musical and one children's team production.

In spite of careful planning, the advance schedule must remain flexible. "Our next show (after 'Man of La Mancha') was going to be the 'Best Little Whore House in Texas,'" Baiocchi said. However, with the show now on tour, the Playhouse was unable to secure the play's rights.

Royalty fees must be paid in advance to a royalty house to secure production rights. "Usually it's around $6,000, but can go up to $9,000 for a musical," he explained. With sets and costumes, the Playhouse's production budget can quickly soar.

Although they get a royalty quote in advance, the fee is not paid until about the time of auditions. Once the fee is paid, the Playhouse receives the play materials, and the next hurdle to clear is holding auditions and selecting a cast. For "Man of La Mancha," Baiocchi took on the director's role. Auditions were held in October for the musical to open Jan. 17.

It was a frenzied pace in the Playhouse's backroom on Serpentine Lane where callback auditions were held. Baiocchi rushed from one room to another to watch the actors in singing or acting queues. Those vying for the same roles sang the same songs, each personalized with an individual flair. All of the actors used the same improvisation props - a broom became a sword and a folding table, an enraptured audience.

In between the performance slices, the actors seemed relaxed and quietly whispered to one another. But it is not always so for Pleasanton resident Daniel Olson. "I'm much more nervous at auditions," he said. "They are harder to prepare for."

Olson is playing the lead role of Cervantes, a storyteller who is jailed with his servant Sancho Panza during the Spanish Inquisition. The other prisoners beset upon Cervantes and he defends himself in the manner he knows best, telling the story of Don Quixote and his "Impossible Dream."

During the audition, Olson and other play hopefuls spent a few minutes preparing to sing. Those auditioning clustered around music director Cary Litchford as he sat at the piano giving a hasty lesson for a particular song. While one group practiced one song, another could be heard singing a different tune in another room.

For more than three hours, Baiocchi systematically listened, watched and critiqued. And when it was over, he faced the tough task of casting.

Less than a week later, with casting complete, the first rehearsal for the production was held Oct. 30 in the same backroom. And so began a more-than-two-month commitment for every cast member.

"I am really thrilled with the cast," Baiocchi said. "They (the Playhouse) get good actors in spite of being volunteers." He should know: The Pleasanton resident has been involved in theater work for more than 25 years and has a master's degree in theater, although by day he works at a title company.

At rehearsal, everyone received a "prompt" book, which is a dialogue-only script, as well as "side" books with individual dialogue for each character. Schedules and vocal books were passed around and playbill information sheets were distributed.

In the backroom, among dismantled stage set pieces from past productions, the cast sat on folding chairs around Baiocchi and began their first reading. For some, this script was familiar territory. A 20-year theater veteran, Olson had played Cervantes before in a college production. "I think this is terrific show. It's one of my favorite shows," he said.

A card dealer by trade, Olson aspires to a theater profession and knew all of the music. "I've been singing it at auditions and in my car. It's probably easier to do the role again than to do a new role, but it's still a fair amount of work," he acknowledged.

For Rick Costello, who portrays Sancho Panza, preparation meant sitting back and learning. He has worked in theater for more than 20 years and has been in 100 productions, including five other "Man of La Mancha" shows, playing Sancho four times. The San Ramon resident's challenge was making the character what the director envisioned.

In addition to the almost nightly weekday rehearsals, cast members had to study individually. "I have a handheld recorder," said female lead Bobbie Duncan. "I record other people's lines to listen to in the car. For me, it works."

Duncan is fairly new to theater work, compared to her co-stars. A former boyfriend convinced her to audition for a play four years ago. Singing at that first audition was easy, she said, she had been singing in show choirs for two years. But acting was another story. When she was handed a script, she panicked. "I wanted to turn and run," she recalled.

Individually, the actors also spent time preparing for their roles. Duncan did a lot of outside reading, including renting the movie to understand the story as well as borrowing material from Costello. Olson researched armor. He compared different Don Quixote pictures and tried to find a look he liked best for the character. In this production, he explained, they had some costume choices because the wardrobe was being both rented and borrowed from other productions.

As opening night approaches, the show starts to come together and, likewise, anxieties increase. "The hardest part is waiting for it all to set, to gel," Duncan said. "We don't rehearse one scene after another."

Rehearsals continue through what Duncan called "hell week," the week before opening. During that week, the rehearsals begin taking the form of a complete show.

All of the individual rehearsals come together and every detail - sound, music, lighting and even the precise location of props - must be rehearsed, Costello explained.

He recalled the time when he found himself minutes from going on stage without a critical prop: a handkerchief. With no time to find the misplaced hanky, he improvised, crumpling a sheet of paper moistened with the only liquid available, his saliva. The scene required him to hand the handkerchief to another actor, which he did as rehearsed, using the dampened paper. Later, after finding the real prop, Costello positioned himself close enough to the actor for a discreet, slight-of-hand hanky exchange. The other actor managed to take the substitutions without missing a beat.

The long rehearsal hours pay off for what seems to be a seamless performance. But what motivates the actors is theater itself.

"It's a labor of love," Baiocchi said. "They just want to play that part."

Costello, a chauffeur at a local limousine service, falls into that group. He loves acting and this particular show's story. "I like the character," he said, "and the fact he has a dream."

To see 'Man of La Mancha'

"Man of La Mancha" will be on stage 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m., Sunday, through Feb. 2 at the Amador Theater, 1155 Santa Rita Road. Tickets are $23 for adults, $20 for seniors (over 60), and $13 for youths (under 17). For tickets or group discount prices, call 462-2121.

'Man of La Mancha' cast

Cervantes Daniel Olson Aldonza Bobbie Duncan Antonia Jacqueline Arroyo Padre and moor Michael Verzosa Sancho Panza Rick Costello Anselmo Penn Brimberry Pedro John Tiedemann Dr. Carrasco Jared Hussey Housekeeper Mema Mataban Barber Todd Aragon Innkeeper Dean Creighton Maria Melanie Ulrichson Captain Tim Dwyer Muleteers Jay Markwart, Bob Weisman and Jesse Midili Moorish Dancers Mia Rae Valverde, Mema Mataban, Jacqueline Arroyo
John Baiocchi Director Kathleen Breedveld Producer Cary Litchford Music director Jean-Francois Revon Set design