Bella Donna, The Play

[michelej1]

Albuquerque Journal (NM), November 16, 2007

Section: Venue

Don't look for message, just have fun


Aurelio Sanchez JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

How does personal sacrifice make your life better or the lives of others better? And is it worth it?

These are some of the ideas examined in the original drama "Belladonna," making its world premiere at Theatre X at the University of New Mexico's Center for the Arts.

"We were curious about what people are willing to do to try to change things," director Summer Olsson said in an interview.

"You can talk all you want about what you want to happen, but until you're willing to give up something to make a real change that affects you, there won't be any real change in the world," she said.

But before anyone gets bogged down with the idea that this is a message piece, it really isn't, Olsson said.

"It's a good, fun, funny story; telling a really good story was something we were most interested in," she said.

"We" includes Juli Hendren, who conceived the story idea and co-wrote the original script with Aaron Hendren. Olsson noted that she and the rest of the cast also participated in the shaping of the final story and script.

The play is a rock 'n' roll fantasy set in a fairy-tale world. Belladonna is a naive young woman whose scientist mother invents a potion of ultimate power.

It was invented for reasons of ultimate good, one example being to bring power to powerless people.

But an evil dictator kidnaps Belladonna's mother and is intent on stealing the secret of the potion. Belladonna tries to rescue her mother, but is instead cursed to be speechless, except for the ability to speak through the lyrics of four 1980s rock divas.

"The whole show is definitely influenced by rock 'n' roll, particularly through the lyrics of Joan Jett, Stevie Nicks, Pat Benatar and Debbie Harry," Olsson said.

On her quest to save her mother, Belladonna arrives in a gritty, volatile rock bar, where she meets her true love.

"In the beginning, her quest is solely to rescue her mother, but it becomes clear as she goes on that she will have to make some tough personal choices," Olsson said.

The play uses masks, choreography, original songs, and a dose of the French horror genre, Grand Guignol, to dramatize a twisted rock fable, Olsson said.

"We have a few moments where there are some pretty grotesque things that happen, with lots of fake blood," she said.

"But though people might be wincing, they'll also be laughing," she said. "The show is a blend of a lot of different styles of storytelling."

The cast includes Kate Schroeder as the Overlord, Katy Houska as Blackheart the evil witch, Abigail Blueher as Belladonna, Alex Knight as Gibb, Erin Phillips as the scientist mother Walta, Kristen Simpson as the scientist partner, and Juli Hendren as Garfunkel, Belladonna's sidekick.

"Belladonna"

[David]

I bet it's like The Iceman Cometh, or Cats!

[Livia]

Play rocks lyrics of the '80s
By: Maggie Ybarra
Posted: 11/28/07
by Maggie Ybarra

In Tricklock Company's latest pet project, a young woman is cursed to speak in the lyrics of four female rock stars: Stevie Nicks, Joan Jett, Debbie Harry and Pat Benatar.

Director Summer Olson said the idea for "Belladonna" evolved from a solo project into an ensemble production.

"The original idea came from Juli Hendron," she said. "She's a company member, one of the founding members of Tricklock, and she had the idea for the story a couple of years ago."

"Belladonna" will be performed at Theatre X in Popejoy Hall on Friday and Saturday.

"Belladonna" is about a young woman who witnesses the kidnapping of her scientist father after he has invented a potion that gives unlimited power to the person who drinks it. During the kidnapping, Belladonna is inflicted by the "Curse of the Four Witches Tongues" and forced to speak in '80s lyrics for the remainder of the play.

Olson said actors in the ensemble group were interested in Hendron's idea and altered it from a simple solo project to a complex collaborative project.

"I would send people away in groups to rehearse scenes and rewrite them and rework them," she said. "So in the end, it was a real collaborative process."

In the original version of the play, Olson said Hendron used only lyrics by Nicks to convey Belladonna's plight.

"Now we use lyrics from 'Call Me' by Blondie and 'Heart of Glass' and 'Bad Reputation' by Jett," she said. "So all those familiar choruses are featured."

In "Belladonna," the lead character is played by many actors.

"We're an ensemble company, and we often create shows that have a really ensemble cast which means that everybody has a really heavy role," she said. "And in this show, most people have double and triple roles, and people are wearing masks. It's a mask show."

Chad Brummett, director of marketing for Tricklock, said he enjoys being involved in the artistic vision and marketing strategies of Tricklock.

"We do a variety of different editorial campaigns - ad purchase campaigns, word-of-mouth campaigns," he said. "We try as many different ways as possible to reach our audience and try to bring people into a theater."

Creative plays like "Belladonna" are the primary way Tricklock Company attracts an audience. Promoting cheap admission prices for students is another.

Olson said students on a budget can participate in a last-minute ticket rush before the show begins.

"If you show up five minutes before the curtain rises every night with a student ID, you can get a ticket for $5," she said. "So, if you're willing to risk it and wait to the last minute, you can get in for five bucks."

Olson said one of the interesting things about "Belladonna" has been how some people don't recognize any of the lyrics.

"It doesn't really, at the end, matter that you can place the songs or not - but that you can be amused by the way she can only sing these songs," she said.

"Belladonna: A
Twisted Rock 'n' Roll Fairy Tale
(Nightmare)"
Theatre X, UNM
Runs through Dec. 2
Friday, Saturday
8 p.m.
Sunday
6 p.m.

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