Arts, Etc.Theater

‘Telephone,’ ‘Medium’ hit right notes

"The Telephone," a curtain raiser for "The Medium" is a light and humorous opera, in which Lucy (Kim Reed) is being constantly bombarded with telephone calls, preventing her boyfriend, Ben (Nathan Lahr), from proposing to her before he misses his train. The opera ran for three nights last week in Founders Auditorium. / photo by Adam Omernik
“The Telephone,” a curtain raiser for “The Medium” is a light and humorous opera, in which Lucy (Kim Reed) is being constantly bombarded with telephone calls, preventing her boyfriend, Ben (Nathan Lahr), from proposing to her before he misses his train. The opera ran for three nights last week in Founders Auditorium. / photo by Adam Omernik

by Bailey Porter
LV Life Editor

As part of the University of La Verne music department’s fall concert series, two chamber operas were performed last Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Founders Auditorium.

“The Medium” and “The Telephone,” operas by Gian Carlo Menotti, were directed by Jane Dibbell, associate professor of theater, and Scott Farthing, assistant professor of music and chairman of the music department.

“The Telephone” starred junior music and English major Nathan Lahr as Ben, a frustrated man in love with Lucy, senior social science major Kim Reed.

Ben had one hour before he left for an extended trip and he wanted to ask Lucy to marry him.

Lahr’s comedic attempts to propose were constantly interrupted by the “two-headed monster,” the telephone, which proved to be flighty Lucy’s real love.

The pair carried their performances with energy as the telephone kept ringing and Lucy kept answering it, focusing on everything about her conversations and paying no attention to poor Ben. Eventually Ben, in his desperation, tried to cut the cord.

Ben realized the only way to get Lucy’s attention was to propose over the phone. So he left for his trip and called Lucy from the station. And what did Lucy ask Ben to never forget while he was away? Her phone number.

Lahr enjoyed working on this production and had heard of Menotti and liked his works.

“I got a phone call, ‘Hey, I have a project for you’,” Lahr said, and he began rehearsal with Reed Aug. 20.

“It was a lot of fun and it was also really hard,” Reed said, on preparing for “The Telephone.” “Menotti, the composer, does a lot of things with, like, key changes and intervals and it’s really hard to hear the music with the piano, so that was a long process to get that down.”

In the second performance, “The Medium,” the audience was invited onto the stage.

The physical closeness to the performers coupled with the extraordinary set brought the audience into the world of Madame Flora, junior music major Sarah Morales, a gypsy-type woman who acts as a medium, a liaison to the spiritual world.

Madame Flora was a con artist who rigged her house for spooky lighting and coerced her daughter, Monica, played by Melissa Stahly, junior music major, and her daughter’s friend Toby, played by Christopher Smith, sophomore theater major, to take part in the trickery.

"The Medium," a dark and moody opera that explores the afterlife and people's fear of the unknown, was performed Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Founders Auditorium. Monica (Melissa Stahly) is a comforting and forgiving daughter to her mother, Madame Flora (Sarah Morales), who makes a living out of acting as a false medium so that other people can communicate with their deceased loved ones. / photo by Adam Omernik
“The Medium,” a dark and moody opera that explores the afterlife and people’s fear of the unknown, was performed Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Founders Auditorium. Monica (Melissa Stahly) is a comforting and forgiving daughter to her mother, Madame Flora (Sarah Morales), who makes a living out of acting as a false medium so that other people can communicate with their deceased loved ones. / photo by Adam Omernik

When three clients came trying to contact their loved ones, Madame Flora’s house was transformed as the séance began and the lights dimmed and flickered.

A figure appeared silhouetted high above the stage. A client thought it was her dead daughter when it was really Monica.

As the story took shape, Morales carried her character from intensely dramatic and calm to unnerved and superstitious as Flora was frightened by what she thought was a real spirit’s presence in the room during the séance. Madame Flora unraveled, Toby and Monica tried to communicate their love for each other, and overcome the boundary set by Toby’s muteness.

Tragedy struck the couple, however, when Madame Flora shot Toby thinking he was the spirit that had been lurking around her.

“I thought it was superb ­ sublime. [The students] are just incredible,” said Jane Dibbell, who directed “The Medium.” “Everything comes together, their voice, their hearts, their mind and the way that they work together with each other was just so respectful and appreciative of Menotti and also of working with Scott Farthing who helped them vocally get to a different level than they’ve ever been before.”

Stahly said of the production, “It was a great experience. I’m really passionate about it.”

“This is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done as an actor,” Smith said.

In preparation for his part as the mute Toby, Smith spent weeks prior to the performance trying not to speak, much to the amusement of Brianna Roth, sophomore theater and music major, a client in “The Medium” and Lahr.

“It was such a tight knit cast that it wasn’t individual for anybody. It was everybody pulling each other along,” Smith said.

Christina Michelle Ruiz De Castilla, 10, came with her sister Clariza, who was attending for Honors Colloquium.

Christina enjoyed the lighting effects of “The Medium” and her favorite character was Toby.

“I liked him the best because he was acting so good that I really thought that he was like that,” she said.

Opening night was a hit with the audience. “I think it went really well. We had a pretty good crowd and I think they were really responsive,” Reed said.

“The Medium” and “The Telephone” are among other recent productions at ULV, “Naughty Marietta” included, that have leaned toward music theater collaborations, Reed said.

The music department will present a student recital on Oct. 8 at noon in Founders Auditorium.

Bailey Porter, LV Life Editor
Bailey Porter
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Adam Omernik, Photography Editor
Adam Omernik
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