The making of ‘How the Other Half Loves’ A sneak peak into the production of this semester’s first show

Monica Velasquez/Roundup mvelasquez.roundupnews@gmail.com

At first glance the red-and-green walls of the set for “How the Other Half Loves” by Alan Ayckbourn, seem off-putting

It’s not until the lights are lowered and the play begins that the audience realizes that they have been transported into not one but two different residences.

Creating both homes was the one main challenge for scenic designer and adjunct instructor of theater

Michael Gend. His solution “was to take both worlds and instead of doing a 50/50 even split across the stage, was to weave elements of both houses in all locations on stage.”

However, with almost two completely different sets on the same stage, Gend and his crew had to create six feet of additional stage.

Arthur Tagg is one of many that make up the backstage crew and had a hand in creating the fantasy world.

“I get everything organized, mop the floor, and get the props ready in the order that they are going to be

International Students

Classes to improve your English

Writing $99 (Max 8 Students)

Conversation $79

Classes 4 weeks at a time

TOEFL Class $89 for 8 weeks

BuildMyEnglish.com

Address: 19321½ Vanowen St (corner of Tampa) Reseda, CA 91335

818-344-5055 used,” Tagg said. For him and the rest of the crew production started Aug 28. and since then no detail has been too small.

The wallpaper that is seen on the walls, which are technically called flats, was hung by hand and the unique wallpaper design was individually stenciled, according to Tagg. Also done by hand was the painting of the wood floor on the stage. The floor is stained in two differnt wood colors to create guildlines for the actors.

Michael Chandler, who becomes Frank Foster, is one of the six actors that will use the guidelines.

For the next two hours he is Foster, a “big boss” who “forgets the little things”.

This becomes more challenging once Chandler steps off the stage and changes into a one of the different costumes that Foster wears.

Eileen Gizienski, the costume designer and an adjunct professor for the Theater department, took into consideration the limited time that some actors would have to change.

“You have to try and make it so that maybe [the actor] doesn’t change all their pieces of clothing or maybe it’s simple where everything drops, and you can pull everything on,” Gizienski said.

However, students practice changing quickly, and there are also four dress rehearsals where the actors are able to time the change more accurately.

“How the Other Half Loves” is set in 1969 in the suburbs of London and one of the obstacles that Gizienski encountered “was making it so that the pieces that were pulled were wearable, and not pulled off the pages of a magazine.”

The costumes were pulled from different sources.

“It’s a little bit of everything,” Gizienski said. “Used out of stock items at Pierce, thrift store, vintage shops, and we built about 12 pieces.”

She as well as students bring all the aspects of the actors’ costumes together as part of lab.

Everything from sewing, to pulling shoes, and finding jewelry is done by students according to Gizienski.

Also working closely with the costume crew are students that are responsible for the actors makeup.

This allows for cohesiveness in order to keep the 1960’s feel for the character as strong as possible.

The makeup artists work together with the costume designer and the director so that the different departments have the same idea when it comes to how the character should look.

“Actors usually have had some experience with putting on stage makeup and the ones that haven’t get help from either students or the other actors in the show,” Gizienski said. “It’s sort of a community effort between hair and makeup.”

Traditionally, costumes along with hair and makeup are done backstage but because of construction they are located in a classroom next to the theater tent.

It is 10 minutes until curtain and the voice of 21-year-old Bree

Cardenas can be heard throughout the costume shop warning actors that dress rehearsal will start at 7:30 p.m.

She then heads back to the tent and passes through the set to take her place in the audience.

As the stage manager, she will follow along with the script to make sure that the actors know all their lines, and that transitions are smooth.

Everything, both on and off the stage, is her responsibility, and before the final curtain she, as well as the entire cast and crew, would have put in approximately 80 hours of work, according to Cardenas.

“There is a connection between

Painter’s passion discreet on campus Opera singer discovered

Violet

Who knew Pierce College had their own Enrico Caruso on campus?

Juan Rodriguez, lead painter at Pierce, has been working for the college for about 10 years and is modest and discrete about his hidden talent of being an opera singer.

With a strong voice that has sent chills up many peoples’ spines, Rodriguez always loved singing, not only as a hobby, but as a passion.

Before becoming a painter, Rodriquez had been singing since he was a young boy.

Growing up, he listened to opera in his household along with many other genres of music and felt that he could reach the unreachable high notes that only the famous singers on the radio could hit.

“It just felt like my soul was coming out of my mouth,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a feeling that is hard to describe but it is the best feeling.”

Inspired by well known singers, Mario Lanza, Placido Domingo, and Enrico Caruso, Rodriguez decided to pursue a career in singing. He went to L.A. Valley College and enrolled in singing lessons to improve and master his artistry. He then later met Carl Thomas, a singer for a company in New York which worked on “Phantom of the Opera”, which became a close friend and colleague.

Thomas began to mentor Rodriguez when he noticed the passion and drive Rodriguez had for music. Although classes from Thomas were expensive, Rodriguez felt that a chance to work with a well-known and talented Broadway singer would be an experience of a us,” Cardenas said regarding working with the same group of people every other day.

“It’s like a quick marriage and a happy divorce.”

By those standards this would be her fourth marriage, already having worked on three previous plays at Pierce.

“How the Other Half Loves” opens Friday Oct. 26 and runs through Nov. 4. Friday and Saturday shows are 8:00 p.m. and Sunday matinees are at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are avaliable by calling 818-7196488.

“That’s less than the price of a 3D movie,” Gend said. “And we’re in 4D.” lifetime, and for Rodriguez it was.

“I worked with him for four years,” said Rodriguez.