MCCC students take center stage in two performances

By Diane VanDyke
Montgomery County Community College Theatre Arts Program, Drama Club, and West End Student Theater will present “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” and “Tartuffe." Hannah Redding-Gurczynski (left) and Xander Soboleski rehearse for “Tartuffe.” Photo by Jessica DalCanton

Montgomery County Community College Theatre Arts Program, Drama Club, and West End Student Theater will present “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” and “Tartuffe." Hannah Redding-Gurczynski (left) and Xander Soboleski rehearse for “Tartuffe.” Photo by Jessica DalCanton

Montgomery County Community College’s Theatre Arts Program, Drama Club and West End Student Theater will be holding two exciting performances on the Montco Cultural Center stages in November: “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” by Greg Allen and “Tartuffe” by Molière, featuring an original translation by Jenny Jacobs.

Under the direction of Theater Instructor Sarah Stryker, students in MCCC’s Theatre Arts Program and West End Student Theatre will perform “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” in North Hall 228 at MCCC’s Pottstown Campus, 16 E. High Street, Pottstown. Showtimes are set for Nov. 7-9 at 7 p.m., Nov. 8 at 12:30 p.m. and Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. Free parking is available in the College’s South Hall parking lot.

“Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” is an interactive, fast-past experience in which the audience controls the order of the plays, challenging the cast to present 30 (yes, 30!) short plays in only 60 minutes. From the humorous to the thought-provoking, this promises to be an unforgettable theater experience.

The cast includes Addy Barnette, Austin Diachynsky, Autumn Sherry, Colin Hogan, Erin Armstrong, Jazz Campbell, Makayla Breiner, Mikayla Mulhern, Nathan Kratz, Nelly Jefferson, Sonja Rosenwald and Taz Ratkowski. The stage management team includes Addison Streat and Angeli Genovese. The production and design team members are Nelly Jefferson, Tristan Herren, Austin Diachynsky, Rhea Khilnani, Mark A. Teseny, Sonja Rosenwald, Phoenix Rhoads, Erin Armstrong and Brett Pastella.

Tartuffe rehearsalAt MCCC’s Blue Bell Campus,  students in the Theatre Arts Program and Drama Club will present “Tartuffe,” directed by Theatre Assistant Professor Jessica DalCanton in the Black Box Theatre, Science Center 107, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. Performances will be held Nov. 21-23 at 7 p.m., Nov. 22 at 12:30 p.m. and Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. Free parking is available in the Morris Road and Advanced Technology Center parking lots.

Once banned for its bold portrayal of hypocrisy, “Tartuffe” returns to the stage, challenging audiences with its wit and satire.

The cast includes Amy Reichling, Nora Redmond, Torren Santos, Nick Sherlock, Hannah Redding-Gurczynski, Bre Freeman, Zaki Coleman, Maeve Brennan, Nick Decolli, Xander Soboleski, Ally Cole, Tommy Mayes, Kayla Alderfer and Seth Miller. The production assistants are Dillon Diorio, Gabby Boone and Colin Sokol. The design team includes Abigail Brand, Maeve Brennan, Tommy Mayes, Nora Redmond, Nate Root and Ryan Hinderliter.

The production team members are Rhiannon Baldini, Victoria Bewley, Ally Cole, Nicholas Decolli, Abbigale Delfiner, Breana Freeman, AJ Garner, Morgan Krause, Jayden Robinson, Tori Scurry, Sulaiman Shabazz-Williams, Analycia Smith, Makiya Smith, Alexander Soboleski and Jordan Torres.

“These dedicated students have poured their energy into rehearsing and refining these productions,” said Theater Assistant Professor Tim Gallagher. “We’re looking forward to sharing two remarkable performances that will captivate and entertain our audiences.”

Tickets are on sale now for both shows and are $15 for adults, and $10 for students, seniors and children. Order your tickets at mc3.edu/tickets.

For more information about MCCC’s Theatre Arts Program and student performances, visit mc3.edu/theatre.