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"