Moorpark College Fall 2009 Student One Acts

Written and Directed by
Tyler Bianchi

Assistant Directors
Vincent Miller and Eric Carranco

"The Z-Word" takes place not long after the zombie apocalypse, leaving mankind to do whatever it can to survive. Amongst the many survivors are an odd couple pair of gentlemen who use the break room at a local Wal-Mart to keep themselves hidden and alive. Jack, Erick Rozet, is a bitter cynic who's lost all hope for a better tomorrow, whereas his unwanted roommate, Max, Jesse Taylor, is a naïve optimist determined to maintain a positive attitude, even in the face of certain death. Their desperation and will to survive are about to take a turn from existential to unbearable when Max proposes his idea to redeem mankind.

"I'm fortunate to have such a great cast and crew," said Bianchi. "I've known Vincent for years, and he's got the experience in the theater that a guy like me could use. This is my first time directing a play and it's a real help to have an experienced AD. It also doesn't hurt to have a second AD, Eric, for a extra help! On top of that, we've got a wonderful and enthusiastic cast to help make my script come to life." Fellow newcomer and assistant director Eric Carranco said, "Our cast is full of talent and will indeed fullfill our highest of expectations."



Written and Directed by Kristine Purcell "Strangers Like Me" centers around the romance between Bex and Larissa. Larissa, who suffers from congenital heart failure, is confined to the hospital, in rapidly deteriorating condition. It's up to Bex, her lover, to keep her spirits up and keep fighting for her life, and deal with the intrusions of her homophobic mother. "Strangers Like Me" is an immediate and emotionally intense play dealing with complex themes of intolerance, love, and family. "I wanted to write a play that would touch on the social issues of our time in a sympathetic and passionate way", says writer and director, Kristine Purcell. The play features Michele Chung of Vancouver, Charles Match of Moorpark, Sally Cortenbach of Simi Valley, Morgan Lewis of San Francisco, and Crystal Sloan of Simi Valley.	Written and Directed by Robyn Thomas "House of Cards" takes a brief look into the lives of six friends who must deal with the destruction of one couples' relationship and the realizations of how deeply it affects each of them. "This story is not about anyone in particular," insists the writer. "Though it may have been sparked by a specific instance, it quickly melded into a compilation of similar situations lived by four other couples in my own life. Though the details are different, the feelings are very much the same." Directed by Robyn Thomas under the watchful eye of Professor John Loprieno, the cast includes a blend of first and second-year students: Kristle Protacio from Camarillo; Melissa Armstrong and Pierre Alexander Smith from Thousand Oaks; and Jessie Bruno, Chris Guerrero, and Ryan Lefton from Simi Valley. "Ours is a dream cast," said the director, Robyn Thomas. "Individuals who are not only interested in honing their own skills, but who are looking to create a quality piece of theatre art together. Their support of one another, both onstage and off, is remarkable."	Written and Directed by Tyler Bianchi Assistant Directors Vincent Miller and Eric Carranco "The Z-Word" takes place not long after the zombie apocalypse, leaving mankind to do whatever it can to survive. Amongst the many survivors are an odd couple pair of gentlemen who use the break room at a local Wal-Mart to keep themselves hidden and alive. Jack, Erick Rozet, is a bitter cynic who's lost all hope for a better tomorrow, whereas his unwanted roommate, Max, Jesse Taylor, is a naïve optimist determined to maintain a positive attitude, even in the face of certain death. Their desperation and will to survive are about to take a turn from existential to unbearable when Max proposes his idea to redeem mankind. "I'm fortunate to have such a great cast and crew," said Bianchi. "I've known Vincent for years, and he's got the experience in the theater that a guy like me could use. This is my first time directing a play and it's a real help to have an experienced AD. It also doesn't hurt to have a second AD, Eric, for a extra help! On top of that, we've got a wonderful and enthusiastic cast to help make my script come to life." Fellow newcomer and assistant director Eric Carranco said, "Our cast is full of talent and will indeed fullfill our highest of expectations."

Written and Directed by Jenna Zoleman Assistant Directors Stacy Treible "Lovesick" is a heartfelt romantic comedy begging for proof that true love does exist. The story focuses on two friends and their romantic relationships. Iris rejects an emotional connection and struggles to find herself solely through physical intimacy with men, while her best friend Aubrey can't even be around them without getting nauseous. Things get interesting when the girls find themselves in association with friends Tyler and Xander. Directed by students Jenna Zollman and Stacy Treible, the cast features Rebecka Pruett, Lindsay Strickland, Max Rockwell, Eric Austin, Sarah Schindler, Luke Lippold, and Maggie Darlington all from Simi Valley. Assistant Director Stacy Treible is pleased with the current outcome. "The show is coming together very nicely. To take a fresh well-written show and cast it with such creative and committed actors this production is bound to be a success." Director/Writer Jenna Zollman is thrilled about the progress being made. "My Assistant director has so many great ideas, it's truly amazing. I am always surprised by how Stacy is able to comprehend what I try to communicate through the script without even asking me. It is so much fun to be on the other side of the actor - director relationship. I am really surprised at how talented and understanding our actors are! We are dealing with how difficult it is to find love that is physical AND emotional. I want audiences to realize how lucky it is to find true friendship and love."	Written and Directed by Kelce Casey Assistant Directors Jelena Djokic "Bibliophilia" is the dark and twisted story of Cyrus, Christopher Mamian, with an ultimate obsession with books, and Kennet, Philip Sanders, whose destruction of one book leads to the end of his life. As Cyrus relates his tale to the audience, we are taken into his memory as he shows us his entire thought process behand the gruesome act. This "Psycho-drama" will be directed by Kelce Casey and Jelena Djokic and includes the wonderful talents of actors, Christopher Mamian of Hollywood, California, and Philip Sanders of Simi Valley, California. "I am very happy to be working with these great people." says Kelce Casey, writer and director of Bibliophilia. "I know this play will be a very well done work and that people will enjoy watching these powerful performances." Says Jelena Djokic, "The play will be such a creative porthole through which we get to go through the mind of a mad man. Moorpark College has always been nice enough to allow young talented students such as Kelce Casey use the black box theater to let the Simi Valley, Moorpark, and Thousand Oaks citizens see the new-coming talent on campus today."	Written by Jeremy Barbee Directed by Lindsay Strickland Assistant Directors Michael Terry “A Stupendously Warped Existence” is a comedy portraying a young college student coming to terms with his sexuality. Having always identified himself as a straight man, protagonist, Timothy Wheaton, questions what he believed after meeting boxer, Jack Riley, at school. Aided by his lively, although not always proper, best friend Nichole, Timothy is able to discover whom he really is inside. Directed by Moorpark College students Lindsay Strickland and Mike Terry, and written by Moorpark College Alumni Jeremy Barbee the cast includes Lauren Sinutko of Moorpark, Christian James of Simi Valley, and Kevin Schacter and Sam Sterns of Chatsworth. Director Lindsay Strickland of Simi Valley is “proud to be working with the writer and actors so closely” and stated that it is an “amazing experience and opportunity to get to cast, rehearse, direct, and produce a whole play all as a student.” “I just wanted to write something my peers could relate to”, said writer Jeremy Barbee, “the topic of one’s ambiguous sexuality is a very important matter, especially with students. With my script, I hoped that I could take this issue and breathe some comedy into it. It really is a funny experience finding out who you really are.” Lindsay Strickland comments on the subject matter by stating “it’s sometimes hard to find a gay male character that audiences can relate to, especially when they are portrayed as campy or flamboyant. When I first read the script, I was impressed how well Jeremy created lovable, original characters.”

Written and Directed by Jeremy Hanes Assistant Director Derek May “Bad Day” is Jeremy Hanes’ first attempt at bringing the stage to life through dark comedy and thrilling suspense. It takes the audience through a not so typical day shared between two not so ordinary neighbors. Cynthia is locked out of her apartment and her creepy neighbor wants to help out but he seems just a bit too eager to get her inside. Complete with lighting, special effects and a highly developed soundscape this show offers twenty five minutes of action that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Written and directed by Moorpark Theatre Arts Student, Jeremy Hanes, the cast includes: Danielle Kaufman of Simi Valley, AJ Ruiz of Simi Valley and Chris Guerrero also from Simi Valley. “I feel as though I am working with an all star cast!” said Hanes, “How can we possibly fail with this group of exceptionally talented actors. Aj has a history of playing unusual characters and has the ability to attach himself to the characters he plays. Danielle is one of the most natural actors I have worked with at the college. Chris is dedicated and willing to go the distance. We have the formula for a great show and I can’t wait to see the end product.”	Written and Directed by Tiel Kinsner This fall semester’s line up includes “I’ll Miss You, You Know,” a romantic drama written and directed by Tiel Kinsner. “I’ll Miss You, You Know” journeys through the lives of two friends who can’t seem to take hold of love - even when it’s right in front of them. The two witty and endearing characters, played by Allison Parmenter and Jeremy Hanes, know that they have a chance to be with the love of their lives, but bad choices and fear of loss continually holds one of them back leading to the ultimate dissolving of their friendship. The non-linear structure of the show takes the audience from end to beginning, ending for us on a sweet but heartbreaking note. “I’m more than excited to see the show go up,” says Kinsner, “I’m eager. I have two incredibly talented actors who want to be challenged, and also have a great understanding of their characters and their relationships. I’m excited to grow as a director discovering new things about each character and their lives with both actors. I think the audience will be captivated by and relate to the struggles of each as they face the scary monster that is being in love with one’s best friend.”	Written and Directed by Kasey Clark Assistant Directors Kevin Clark and Doug "At The Gates" deals with the subject of religion and human nature. Taking place ten years after the end of the world, Thomas Jefferson (played by Tyler Greene of Filmore), Saint Peter (played by Ed Connelly), Galileo Galilei (played by Patrick Beakstead of Moorpark), and Jerry Garcia (played by Tim “TC” Curts of Simi Valley) sit outside the pearly Gates talking about their thoughts on life while several people who have died throughout various human atrocities come out to share their stories. Evan Anzalone of Simi Valley plays Ctirad, a Holocaust victim, Natasha Patel of Simi Valley plays Danielle, an Afghan refugee, Shoshannah Gardner-Frankel of Oxnard plays Dembe, a victim of Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army, and Scott Donohue of Thousand Oaks plays John, an average man who happened to be alive during the Apocalypse. “I’m very excited to be a part of this production,” assistant director Kevin Clark says. “Kasey usually does silly stoner comedies so I’m happy that he’s trying to do something a tad bit more ambitious.” Fellow writer Jeremy Barbee stated “This is in my opinion the best script that Kasey has ever written. I cannot wait to see it in production.”

	Written and Directed by Tyler Greene and Tony Bennett An Original Film Project “All of My Life” is the story that proves that love can be loaded with laughs and heartfelt remembrances. The story of Bronco McLoughland, a young country boy who learned that love means many things to many people. To his parents, it means courage and sacrifice and to his lady Faith, love is at once a tender and terrifying thing. To Bronco himself, love comes to mean heroism and fearlessness. Here surging out of the bustling city is the most powerful gripping romantic story ever brought to the screen. Coming soon to Moorpark College.