SBCC Theatre Arts Department Presents TROJAN BARBIE 10/12

SBCC Theatre Arts Department will present a student showcase production of the 2007 Jane Chambers' Award-winning TROJAN BARBIE by Christine Evans, directed by R. Michael Gros, as the fall production in the Interim Theatre. 

THE PRODUCTION

Part contemporary drama, part homage to Euripides' Trojan Women, Trojan Barbie recasts the legendary fall of the city of Troy against the vivid reality of modern warfare. Poetic, compassionate, and tinged with great warmth and humor, Trojan Barbie is an epic war story with a most unlikely heroine, who always looks on the bright side even as past and present collide about her.

Past and present violently collide when Lotte, an English tourist who repairs dolls, is captured while on a tour of current-day Troy and flung back into the ancient camp of Euripides' Trojan Women. Lotte Jones, a doll repair expert, needs a vacation. She books herself on a cultural tour for singles and travels with them to modern-day Troy, where she finds more of a change of scene than she'd bargained for- she's in the midst of an attack by the Greek army threatening to destroy the last fragments of a mighty civilization. When the camp is torched, the women are enslaved and Lotte is rescued by the British Embassy. Her life returns to normal - until a revenge-obsessed Hecuba claws her way up through the centuries into Lotte's doll shop, in search of her murdered children's bodies.
Note: Trojan Barbie contains adult language and situations and may not be appropriate for all audience members.

THE PLAYWRIGHT

Christine Evans is an internationally produced playwright originally from Australia, now resident in the U.S. Her work has been produced and developed at the American Repertory Theater (Trojan Barbie, world premiere), Playbox Theatre, U.K., New Vic (London), Belvoir St. Theatre (Sydney), the Adelaide International Festival of the Arts, Deck Chair Theatre, Vitalstatistix, the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, the Magic Theatre, Theater Simple, Live Girls!, Kitchen Dog Theatre, hotINK Play Festival, Bricolage Theatre, Synchronicity Theatre, Perishable Theatre, New Jersey Rep, Crowded Fire, Ohio Theatre (NYC), The Irish Rep (NYC), Boston Playwrights Theater, Rattlestick Theatre, the Women's Project and Cutting Ball. Honors include an Australia Council for the Arts New Work Award, a Rockefeller Bellagio Center Fellowship, two MacDowell Colony Fellowships, a Millay Colony Fellowship, the 2007 Jane Chambers Playwriting Award; the 2009 Playwrights Theatre "Plays for the 21st Century" Award; the 2009 Rhode Island State Council for the Arts Playwriting Fellowship; a Fulbright Award in Visual and Performing Arts; the Rella Lossy Playwriting Award; the Monash National Playwriting Award (Australia); the Weston Award in Dramatic Writing; and Perishable Theatre's Women's Playwriting Award (2000 and 2001).Christine holds an M.F.A. (Playwriting) and a Ph.D. (Theatre & Performance Studies) from Brown and lectures in playwriting at Harvard.
THE CAST

The talented cast of Trojan Barbie are all current students in the Theatre Arts Department at Santa Barbara City College.

Ryan Baumann (Soldier #2) is a current Theatre Arts student at SBCC. He has performed in The Suicide, Almost Maine, Greater Tuna and Parallel Lives presented by the SBCC Theatre Arts Department.
Megan Connors (Clea) is a Theatre major at SBCC. This is her second year in Santa Barbara, having moved from Flagstaff, AZ. Her other theatre performances at SBCC include Love, Santa Barbara, The Ugly Duckling, and Machinal for which she received an Indie Award.
Cole Robert Eubanks (Max) is an actor from the Santa Ynez Valley. Having started acting sophomore year of high school, he has been a thespian at heart ever since. Cole aspires to bring his acting to more professional venues in the future, hoping to find opportunities in film, as well as onstage. Trojan Barbie will be the 10th stage production he has performed in total, and the 4th stage production he has performed in at SBCC.

Veronica Ekström (Helen) is one of many Swedes on campus, and this will be her third performance at SBCC. Last fall she appeared in Almost, Maine as Rhonda, and the following spring she was a part of the Festival of One Acts playing Arlene in Murder at the Howard Johnson's. She is finishing her AA in Liberal Studies this semester and will then continue working on getting a Green Card.

Alyssa Hadfield (Lotte) is a Theatre Arts major at SBCC. Her first role was as Supreme Being #2 in Parallel Lives directed by Rick Mokler. Alyssa was also a company member of the workshop production Love, Santa Barbara. She was last seen as The Queen during the Festival of One Acts. Alyssa has experience working backstage as well, having been invited to work wardrobe for SBCCTG's The Solid Gold Cadillac and Days of Wine and Roses at Center Stage.

Rachel Hallett (Andromache) is a current Theatre Arts student and is making her first appearance with SBCC Theatre Arts Department in Trojan Barbie. Previously, she has trained and performed with The American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco.

Ashley Saress Lemmex (Esme) is a Media Arts and Theatre major here at SBCC. She has spent the last 6 years working behind the camera, both in L.A. and here in SB. Recently, she decided to pursue her childhood passion of acting and made her re-entrance to the stage, as Sandrine in the SBCC Workshop Production of Almost, Maine and as Elmire in Tartuffe. She is a filmmaker by profession, a photographer by hobby, a philosopher by nature, a lover in spirit, and an actress at heart.

Richard Lonsbury (Talthybius) is a Theatre Arts major at SBCC. He recently directed the one-act, Murder at the Howard Johnson's Part Two. This aspiring playwright/screenwriter finally made his playwriting debut in the student showcase Love, Santa Barbara, directed by Katie Laris, in which he also appeared. He also acted in this year's spring show Tartuffe, and The Solid Gold Cadillac this past summer. His first performance at SBCC was in the workshop production of Almost, Maine, also directed by R. Michael Gros.

Adrian Marmolejo (Jorge) is currently enrolled at SBCC. Adrian is planning on majoring in Psychology or Communications. Adrian made his debut appearance in theatre at the Junior High level, starring as the protagonist in the production Old Folks Home.

Jana Nawartschi (Cassandra) is a Theatre Arts major at SBCC and is originally from Germany. Trojan Barbie marks her debut performance at City College, after participating in various performances back in her home country during high school.
Maria Oliveira (Polly X) is currently a Theatre Arts major at SBCC and Trojan Barbie will be her first production with the Theatre Arts Department. Of the ten shows she has participated in during the past four years her favorite roles have been Anita in West Side Story and Mrs. Bennet in Pride & Prejudice. Maria has also been a co-choreographer for productions of Godspell and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Stuart Orenstein (Man in Blue) has been acting since 1990. He is currently a Theatre Arts student at SBCC. At SBCC he has appeared in Tartuffe, Machinal, Moonchildren, In Their Eyes and Closet Madness. At the Center Stage Theater he has appeared in Twelve Angry Men, Inherit the Wind and King Lear. In Ojai he appeared in I Remember Mama. Stuart was featured in the SBCC Film Studies Film Roses are Red and in the UCSB Film School's Theoryland which was screened at the SBIFF in 2010. At Circle Bar B Dinner Theatre he was featured in It Runs in the Family (Summer 2011).

Garrett Sanders (Clive/Soldier #1) is a current Theatre Arts student at SBCC and Trojan Barbie is his first performance with the SBCC Theatre Arts Department.

Sophie Säther (Hecuba) was last seen as Isabel in Heights, and recently completed the Theatre Arts program at SBCC. She has previously been seen in several musicals in Sweden in the ensemble of Sweeney Todd, The Secret Garden, and as the U.S. of Bambi in the European Premiere of the Broadway hit Curtains.

Michael Sullivan (Mica) is a Theatre Arts Major at SBCC. He was last seen in the production of Machinal. He has previously worked in a scene shop in Davis, CA on sets for Les Miserables and The Laramie Project, and has acted in various roles at Davis Senior High School and Acme Theatre Company in Davis.

Jerry Vassallo (Menelaus) was last seen this past summer as Bill, an eccentric hospital patient, in It Runs In The Family. Other productions include Santa Barbara City College Theatre Group's production of Laughter on the 23rd Floor. While taking drama classes at SBCC he appeared in student productions of Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Fall, 2009) in the role of Sagot, and as the character Cleante in Tartuffe (Winter, 2011).

THE PRODUCTION STAFF

R. Michael Gros (Director) is an Associate Professor of Theatre and joined the SBCC faculty after teaching at Kansas State University. His recent directing experience includes Tartuffe, Almost, Maine (at SBCC),The Fifth of July, Guys and Dolls, Romeo and Juliet, Doubt, The Guys, The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, and Once Upon a Mattress. Prior to teaching at Kansas State, he served for six seasons as the Artistic Director of PCPA Theaterfest. Michael received his BA, magna cum laude, from UCLA, and his MFA in directing from the University of California at Irvine. Michael is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.

Patricia L. Frank (Set/Lighting Designer) This is the first production for Pat as the new Director of Design and Technology for the Theatre Department. In over 25 years at SBCC Pat has participated in more than 130 productions serving as the Technical Director for all of them and as a Designer for more than half of the 130. Pat is very excited to take over the reins from Tom Garey, who was an excellent mentor, teacher and designer, and begin her new capacity as a full-time faculty member at SBCC. Pat has an MFA in Visual Art and an MA in Dramatic Arts.
Pamela Shaw (Costume Designer) is delighted to return to Santa Barbara City College to design Trojan Barbie. Credits include Ghosts (Ensemble Theatre Company) Home Siege Home (Ghost Road Ensemble at Inside the Ford,) Hamlet, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Christmas Carol, Tom Sawyer, (Will and Co.,) Doubt, The Little Foxes, The Rainmaker, Lonesome Traveler, Steel Magnolias and Defying Gravity (The Rubicon Theatre) The Elephant Man, Children's Hour, The Rocky Horror Show, Lope De Vega's Lo vingido ferdadero (Loyola Marymount University) and Bleeding Through, Evangeline for About Productions, Camping with Henry and Tom for McCoy Rigby Entertainment and the annual Holiday Parade for Universal Studios Theme Park. Ms. Shaw was Assistant Costume Designer for the acclaimed film, The Artist, with designer Mark Bridges and completed the second season as Assistant Costume Designer for period costume on the hit television show, Vampire Diaries. Shaw is co-author of the definitive costume resource guide, Shopping LA: The Insiders' Sourcebook for Film & Fashion, 3rd edition. She received her MA from California State University, Fresno and MFA (2011) from California State University Long BeacH. Shaw served two terms as Vice President of the Costume Designers Guild, Local 892 and is currently a Trustee for the Western Region of United Scenic Artists, Local 829.

Adam Escárcega (Production Stage Manager) is in his second year at Santa Barbara City College as an Early Childhood Education major. He is also a Theatre Arts student. He has been part of technical theatre since high school. Trojan Barbie is Adam's seventh show at City College. He recently stage-managed The Solid Gold Cadillac and Almost, Maine. Shows that Adam has been a part of include Picasso at the Lapin Agile, The Suicide, Time Of My Life, and Tartuffe.

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Note: Trojan Barbie contains adult language and situations and may not be appropriate for all audience members.

Performances will be October 12-29, 2011 in the Interim Theatre on SBCC's West Campus. Thursday through Saturday @ 7:30pm* (Note new early evening start time), Sundays @ 2pm, Previews October 12 & 13 @ 7:30pm. The Sunday, October 16, 2pm performance will be live-captioned for the hearing-impaired. The Interim Theatre is wheelchair accessible and parking is free and near the Theatre. Prices are $15 general, $12 seniors and $8 students.

INTERIM THEATRE. For those of you who may not know, the INTERIM THEATRE is our cozy, temporary home while the Drama/Music complex is being remodeled. We are located in one of the white, single story buildings adjacent to the West Campus turnaround, tucked neatly between the Garvin Theatre and the West Campus parking lots. The Interim Theatre is small-only 100 seats-so get your tickets early. Box Office hours are Monday through Friday from 1-5pm. Call the Box Office at 965-5935 for reservations and information or go to www.sbcc.edu/theatrearts and click on Upcoming Events to purchase tickets online.