At 16, Haley Rezendes, a West Hills High School student, said West Hills has an extensive theatre arts program. This being her second year participating in the Grossmont College Summer Conservatory program, she believes that she has grown more in this venue as an actress than anywhere else.
At 16, Haley Rezendes, a West Hills High School student, said West Hills has an extensive theatre arts program. This being her second year participating in the Grossmont College Summer Conservatory program, she believes that she has grown more in this venue as an actress than anywhere else.
“What I really like is that they encourage so much individual exploration of your character,” she said. “It’s really open and up to you and they give you a lot of freedom in creating your character and constructing these different people. That is something that is really useful for people that are just starting acting and musical theater. The mentoring I get from the college kids and professionals here is so constructive. It’s a really good environment.”
And that is what the Grossmont College Summer Theatre Arts Conservatory program is all about, and now in its third year, they are crash coursing college and high school students together over an eight week period to bring this year’s production, “80 Days! A New Musical, based on the novel “Around the World in 80 Days” by Jules Verne.
Director Brian Rickel, full-time acting instructor said this program, only in its third year, is already successful and provides a family friendly production in East County during the summer months geared towards family but not geared towards children. He said at the same time, it continues the programs outreach to the local high schools, and in the cast of 16 alone, more than a third are from local high schools.
Rickel said San Diego is one of the most important theatre cities in America, with three regional theatres and a fourth one on its way.
“That means we have a lot of professionals living in the city, so we have a lot of professionals teaching in the city,” he said. “And we have a lot of students that are really talented because they are taking from the professional actors in town.”
He said these kids will eventually feed into our colleges which will then eventually feed into our professional community.
“There’s nothing finer than getting cast in a professional gig and seeing one of your former students on stage with you,” he said. “That’s really a special deal and in many ways part of our goal. Whether they are a technical student or an acting student to gear them towards what already exist in the city and they can elevate. That’s what I love about this program.”
Rickel said this is a big play with a lot of people and a lot of music. This is the first year using John Reynolds from the School of Creative and Performing Arts as musical director and the band that is playing is comprised of one Grossmont College music student and four SCPA students. He said if you have never heard SCPA’s Jazz Program, you are missing out, and that there is a lot of modern music in this ageless classic.
“And for me this story is about Phileas Fogg falling in love, which he didn’t think he was ever going to do in his life due to his precise nature,” said Rickel. “It’s about him accessing new technology to circumnavigate the globe. So we’ve taken the core of the original story, and we are using our modern technology. There is going to be a lot of projections. So when we’re on the train, we are using a blend of old technology and new technology and though we’ll be on chairs on the floor you’re going to see the Midwest in the background in moving images. When we are on the boat, when we see the storm you’re going to see this epic storm. We really do give our technical students an amazing summer. They will not find this kind of experience where they are allowed to do and expected to do what they are doing.”
With an impressive collection of theatre professionals working with the students, it is a successful combination. He said that is not only for the students, but for all of the professionals that participate in the program. He said none of this would come together so quickly, so well without people like scene shop technician Michal McKeon and Joan Matheson, costume shop technician, Craig Everett, technical director, Corey Johnston costume designer, Manny Lopez sound and lights whom are giving these students an incredible experience.
Choreographer Katie Whalley Banville is currently working in Gypsy Rose Lee in “Gypsy” at the Cygnet Theatre.
“What I think is important about this summer program is that we are literally part of the working body of theater talent in the city, and in one of the most robust theater cities in America,” he said. “We cannot be more of a body of working artists walking these kids through an amazingly professional experience in the summertime. That’s important. This isn’t some kind of pay to play kids production. It’s not what we do here and I think it’s important to separate those things. Those programs are great for what they are, but this is an entirely different thing. And that is important for us to maintain that level of quality.”
Delia Mejia, 19, Grossmont College, theatre major with an emphasis in acting said she was first introduced into the program while attending Monte Vista High School. That is where she met Beth Duggan, chair of Theatre Arts Department at Grossmont. She said Duggan was the most helpful, taught her what classes to take at Grossmont for her associate’s degree as she plans on transferring to San Francisco and continue her acting education and career. Mejia is the female lead Aouda. It is the romantic lead in the role, but Mejia said she is much more than that. “She got rescued from death so this is like her second life and she gets to finally do what she wants to do,” she said.
But it is the mentoring and possibilities that the Summer Conservatory provides that impress her the most.
“They are very hands on,” she said. “The professors are very involved in the work you have to do and very encouraging to participate in the plays, the travelling shows and programs like this.”
Daniel Castro, 20, Grossmont College Musical Theatre major is playing the infamous Phileas Fogg and it is his first time with the Summer Conservatory Program. In tandem, he is learning backstage work in building sets.
“So far it’s an awesome experience,” he said. “I’m actually helping build the set and acting at the same time. This is my first time working backstage too. It’s very educational learning to be a carpenter and it is giving me a great appreciation for all the work the people do here behind the scenes. The show is fun. We’re only in our second week of rehearsals and we’ve done so much already. It is the fastest pace I’ve ever worked with. Brian (Rickel) is one of my mentors. I met him when I took my Musical Theatre class and I was introduced to the way he taught and mentored students. When I heard he was directing this show I was so down to do this. I’m going to make a career of this.”
“80 Days! A New Musical” is playing at Grossmont Colleges Stagehouse Theatre July 28 through August 6. For tickets call (619) 644-7234 or purchase online at www.grossmont.edu/theatrebrochure.
