The opening of Actors Alliance Fest is a resounding success. If the four one-acts and two one-pagers presented in Program #1 are any indication, this is going to be a festival you should see.
The Apple Tree is produced by Sandy Campbell with book, music, & lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Block. Directed by Lisa Drummond with musical direction by G. Scott Lacy and starring Sandy Campbell, Danny Campbell, and David Radford. The Campbells represent Eve and Adam with Radford as the evil snake in the grass. The Apple Tree starts with Adam's arrival in the Garden of Eden and continues through Eve's death. The songs are light and airy, the dialogue crisp and amusing. Incidentally, Eve gets the upper hand quickly.
Cowboy vs Samurai by Michael Golamco, is produced and directed by Jolene Hui and Asian American Repertory Theater. It stars Volt Francisco and Chad Sakamoto. What do the two Asians in a two-bit town do? They form a club for their betterment. Francisco and Sakamoto are a delight. One a forceful reactionary and the other a mild, just-let-it-flow type. One is convinced that a third is moving to town. The excitement builds as he describes her as a must-be- Asian. Her name is Lee. Cute.
Little Brown Mice is produced, directed and written by Doug Hoehn. The cast includes Noell Tarpey, Monique Fleming, and Jasbir Toor. Hitler is in power. The brown shirts rule. Jews are losing ground rapidly. But Magda and her lover Elise feel that the Nazi rule promises sexual freedom. Hoehn has written a very powerful piece, an excellent drama about a terrible time in history. The performances were excellent.
The Ventriloquist's Wife is produced by Robert Salerno and Vantage Theater. The play is written by Charles Ludlam and directed by Robert Salerno. The cast includes Priscilla Allen, Robin Christ, and Jeff Wells, with Allen cross-dressed to become the ventriloquist. Robin Christ was the ditzy wife. The ventriloquist purchases a dummy at the local pawn shop, and what transpires is out of "The Twilight Zone" as the dummy (Jeff Wells) rules. Wells' performance is awesome. Limited to only dummy-like moves, he is convincing as his mouth and eyebrows move straight up and down, his eyes stare, and his voice wooden, yet Machiavellian.
Patrons of the Arts is a one-page play by Todd Blakesley. Two high-society dames, nourishing themselves on elegant fare, while attending a fund raiser for the arts, comment on the performances. This is interesting, considering they don't bother attending any of them. Playwright Blakesley has been to too many of these events.
Love Spam is a delightful one-page solo, outstandingly performed by George Soete. He plays a TV pitch artist, Gertrude, and one of her hapless buyers.
