Gilroy – More than six dozen local kids got down and funky at
the rehearsal for the Bisceglie’s
”
Soul Terrain,
”
a high-energy, all dancing, all singing wild revue that plays
this month at the Gilroy High School Theater.
Gilroy – More than six dozen local kids got down and funky at the rehearsal for the Bisceglie’s “Soul Terrain,” a high-energy, all dancing, all singing wild revue that plays this month at the Gilroy High School Theater.
More than a dozen actors decked out in colorful and extravagant costumes as they sat together and suggested how they would survive in the jungle.
The play is about a group of stereotypical high school kids who go on a field trip and get stranded in the jungle. They do not get along at first, blinded by the biases they hold against each other, but by the end of the play they learn to get along by helping each other survive in the wild. Music from K.C. and the Sunshine Band’s ’70s-era disco hit “Get Down Tonight,” to Beyonce’s “I’m A Survivor,” are only a few of the tunes performed during the show.
Kayvon Kardestani, co-choreographer said the musical is a culmination of the blood, sweat and tears of the actors and their parents.
“The parents have to help. John (Bisceglie, the director) designs the set and shows his plans to the dads,” Kardestani said, adding that some dads are in the building trades and they lend their skills to set construction, and the moms helped paint the scenery. The bigger kids help the little kids learn their dances as well.
In theater, you never know, as opening night looms, what disaster will befall the cast and crew. The “Soul Terrain” production was hampered by an illness that struck the seamstress – prompting all the parents to pitch in and make their children’s costumes.
Maria Gonzalez helped with her daughter’s lady bug and crawdad costumes.
“Its been a lot of late nights getting everything ready and embellishing the costumes,” said Gonzalez who teaches first grade at Las Animas School.
Bisceglie is a contractor for the Parks and Recreation department for the city of Gilroy. He works with the Gilroy Community Services Department and has directed dozens of shows in the area. The producer of the show, Judy McBrearty, has worked with him for more than 10 years.
Actors such as Gilroy High School senior Alan Hoshida will play the part of a high-school jock. He has acted since the age of 6, and this will be his 26th show with Bisceglie.
“This show has been a lot of fun,” he said. “The show is really a reflection of how life is. You just have to learn to work with who you’re with.”
Hoshida is not the only one who has performed for Bisceglie and McBrearty.
Daejia Fernandez, 12, a Brownell Academy Middle School student will play the role of a bird. She wore a light blue dress with long, see-through blue sleeves, with a feathered hat.
Since the age of 7, she has performed for many of Bisceglie’s plays.
“I like plays because I love to sing and dance,” said Fernandez. “It’s my second priority and I’m trying to get good grades so I can keep participating in these plays.”
The performance is expected to run today through Jan. 28 at Gilroy High School Theater, 7-9pm.
