2006-2007 Theatre Season

From the Artistic Director It is May 23rd, 2007—the last day of the semester and the end of SCT’s season. Although the entire staff is immersed in planning for the year ahead, I find myself looking back, taking stock of the year just completed. Where did this last season take us? How have we been changed by it? 2006-07 saw the graduation of our 17th class of the renowned Actor Training Program. As always, the graduation gives me a great sense of satisfaction, accomplishment and pride. It signifies the successful transformation of a group of young people with raw talent and desire into a group of adults, with experience and discipline. Graduation signals the change from student to artist, as graduates head out into the world to create, to fulfill, to transform dreams into reality. Looking back, I am amazed to see how much SCT—created two decades ago by Dave Leonard and me in the kitchen of my apartment in Ashland—has transformed me and, I hope, you. 18 years of drama, comedy and music has had a profound effect on me. Theatre has that remarkable power. Its intimacy and emotional honesty can transport us to a different place and change how we see the world around us. That is why we go, why we love it and why we always want more. Whether it is the riveting drama of Dead Man Walking or the hilarity of The Underpants, we are changed by the theatrical experience. We are not the same when we leave the theatre. And so, once more into the breach, dear friends, as we present to you the 2007-08 season, which we hope will change you in ways both unexpected and delightful. We offer you a multitude of transformations. From the culture shaking songs of Smokey Joe’s Café; the jumbled joy of Comedy of Errors; the powerful honesty and loss in The Shadow Box; the strength of character and purpose of Intimate Apparel; finishing finally with the loving friendship and natural rhythms of A Year With Frog and Toad, the season ahead is a journey of transformation and learning for all of us. Change is the one constant of our time, and we at SCT embrace it. Every night when I go to sleep, I know that the next morning is a blessing, giving me the opportunity to transform the world, if only just a little, for a student, for you, for me. Theatre transforms. Welcome to Solano College Theatre 2007–08. Top: Sean Scofield, The Underpants,06–07; Middle: The Cast of Dead Man Walking, 06-07; Bottom: Seth Michael Anderson and Amanda Durante, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, 05-06. George Maguire Artistic Director

From the Managing Director Welcome to the 2007-08 season of Solano College Theatre. As I begin my second season as managing director, I am struck by the ways that I have changed SCT and, even more so, by the ways SCT has changed me. In the past, I thought about theatre in terms of a single show or, at most, a season. Now I am looking years ahead, trying to anticipate what the future will demand. I have also come to see theatre more in terms of growth than entertainment. SCT is more than a staff of directors, performers and technicians, who rehearse, build scenery and put on shows—it is a company of dedicated artists and educators, who foster a sense of wonder and exploration. This has had a profound effect on me. As we begin a season built around the idea of transformation, it seems to me that it is much more than just a theme for a brochure. Truly, evolution describes the state of Solano College Theatre in 2007. The production and artistic staffs feature six new faces. We have just completed a top to bottom review of our programs, outlining ways in which we must update our organization to meet the evolving needs of our community and, hopefully, grow. The SCTA is moving forward to revitalize its board and renew its operations. We are working with the College and the SCTA toward a renovation of the Campus Theatre, with an eye to modernizing its theatrical systems and capabilities and improving its comfort and audience appeal. I believe that we are a company in transition, moving into a future that holds a great deal of promise. Having been founded on a solid base of academic and artistic excellence, SCT must continually adapt and improve in order to be a dynamic part of the community, to better provide services to our students and our audiences, and to have relevance in a changing world. I am hopeful that we can and will continue to look at ourselves with a critical eye and never become complacent. I invite you to join us as we grow, to help us with your ideas and opinions, to keep us focused on the future. As George Maguire has said, theatre has the power to transform. So do all of us. I look forward to discovering what we—as performers, audience members, educators and citizens—will create in the coming year. Join me, won’t you? Top: Kat McFadden, Seth Michael Anderson, John Rivard and Barbara McFadden, Bat Boy: The Musical, 06-07; bottom: Katie Winchell and Joshua Hollister*, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, 05-06. * Member, Actor’s Equity Association Chris Guptil Managing Director