California Baptist University’s theatre department welcomed over 13 new theatre majors this fall semester from techies, stage managers, costume designers, and performers. Audition week brought new personalities, characters and talents to the stage.
After posting the cast list on the doors of the theatre, Director Krista Jo Miller immediately began rehearsals for the musical “You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown” by Charles M. Schultz.
“This production was chosen because it’s a great show, charming, and we wanted to explore something people were familiar with as well as present the Christian, theological grounding and allow God’s truths to come out and be revealed to the audience,” Miller said.
The performance dates, Oct. 7, 8, 14 and 15, were announced after the directors and designers spent hours brainstorming about how to reproduce something so popular like Charlie Brown, going from comic strip to television series and now into 3D production without duplicating the original.
Frank Mihelich is a new director and head of the upcoming production “The Great Divorce” by C.S. Lewis. The play is a fantasy about miserable figures in the shadow, or as Mihelich says, “creatures living in Hell” with their hope continuing to fade.
C.S. Lewis actually plays a main character in the story where he has an opportunity to visit the ‘Bright City’, Heaven. The character has one chance to redeem his intimacy with God and live for a better purpose, in which the audience will find out what he chooses to do.
“My goal for this production is to tell a good story that is theatrically and creatively challenging to the actors as well as the audience so that when it ends it gets people thinking about the Gospel,” Mihelich said.
The play is scheduled for Nov. 11, 12, 16 – 19. With the idea of moving forward, Miller said, “I am definitely putting an emphasis on community this year. Theatre works at its best in community with the students and actors and everyone, making sure they understand the meaning of connectedness.”
