Lighting strikes again with return of Lightning Bolt Theatre

After a six-year hiatus, Del Mar Drama is performing “Lightning Bolt Theatre” at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 22 and 23 in the Finley Theatre on Heritage Campus. “It’s all student-written material, original stuff,” drama professor Carl Yowell said. Previous performances have seen students put together and perform full plays. “Lightning Bolt has historically been a bunch of different projects,” Yowell said. “We’ve done original plays, we’ve done sketch comedy, like ‘Saturday Night Live,’ we did puppet theater.” For this installation, Yowell has opted for a more individualized approach to the students’ productions. “This year, it’s student-written monologues,” Yowell said. “There may…

Professor Frederick’s farewell production imminent

Del Mar’s very own Kim Fredrick will be retiring with his last show as a drama professor. Fredrick, a cherished figure in the drama department, is orchestrating the special production as a farewell to his long and impactful career. Having dedicated over 30 years to DMC, Fredrick is set to retire after a final showcase of “Greater Tuna,” a play that resonates deeply with him. “Of the many plays, “Greater Tuna” – I feel a connection with this play, in particular,” he shares. His connection to the play underscores his belief in its enduring charm and the joy it brings even decades…

Behind The Scenes: ‘The Rocky Horror Show’

Have you ever dealt with a moment in time where you felt like you weren’t doing anything productive? One where you were just going through the motions and letting life pass you by? I had that feeling for the longest time earlier this year. I’ve been interested in theater for the past 7 months now and that comes from the improv workshop I did in late January. This brought me to Del Mar’s production of ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,’ which was my first time acting. To put all the years of listening to music, learning how to…

Giving the audiences ‘Goosebumps’

For the first time ever a South Texas theater, namely Corpus Christi’s Harbor Playhouse, is staging “Goosebumps: Phantom of the Auditorium.” Tickets can be found on Harbor Playhouse’s website at harborplayhouse.com. One of the lead actors, Abigail Martin, felt a certain kinship with her character, Brooke Rodgers. “Brooke is kind of an upbeat, optimistic fun-loving girl who loves scary stuff and that’s me really,” Martin said. The music also influenced her to audition as well. “I loved the songs ‘Babbling Brooke’ and ‘Story of the Phantom,’ and they are my second and third most-listened songs on Apple Music right now,”…

Drama department’s “big comedy of misunderstanding” to open on Nov. 10

“Rumors,” the 1988 Broadway farce by Neil Simon, is coming to Del Mar College’s Sue Sellors-Finley Theatre on Heritage Campus. “Rumors” is a form of comedy known as a farce, centering around the exaggerated and the absurd. The story follows Ken and Chris Gorman, a couple who have been invited to the 10th anniversary party of New York City’s Deputy Mayor, Charlie Brock, and his wife Myra. From the moment they arrive, they are forced to navigate a growing cast of characters, a missing person, and a scandalous cover up. “It’s a big comedy of misunderstanding,” said Samuel Howarth, who…

Upcoming Around Campus

Drama students to perform ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ Students in Del Mar’s first production of the semester have been busy preparing for the show’s Nov. 11 opening. Brennen Bellows plays Lysander, one of the lovers, in Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream.” “There’s love potions involved; it’s an emotional roller coaster,” Bellows said, “a funny, emotional roller coaster.” Although “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be Bellow’s first college production, it is not his first overall. Bellows was in plays throughout high school and three just in this last year. Being in a play is “the most fun thing a person can do,” he…

Tis’ the season for a great show

 The Harbor Playhouse has kicked off the holiday season with Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” a can’t-miss play that you can take your whole family to enjoy.  The play adaptation is exactly what you would expect, a charming play that captures the essence of Christmas. The production as well as the acting in this play is phenomenal. Each character played their part perfectly, each song was sung with great passion, and the costumes and choreography were paired together impeccably. “A Christmas Carol” is led by Andres Elizondo II, who plays Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge is a grumpy old man who hates…

Drama students fearlessly take the stage

 After over a year of no productions due to COVID-19, the Del Mar College Drama Department is finally back. Drama students started their 2021-22 season off with director Carl Yowell’s interpretation of “Circle Mirror Transformation.” The Annie Baker play, which opened Nov.5 in the Finley Theatre, is about a group of individuals who find themselves experiencing heartbreaks and breakthroughs during a six-week session of a community center drama class. Audience members grow with the characters through each of their unique journeys. This play highlights the impact others have on someone’s life even in just a short time frame.  The lights…

Light shines on drama students

‘Circle Mirror Transformation’ continues this weekend Del Mar College drama students are taking the stage after over a year of no productions due to COVID-19. “Circle Mirror Transformation” by Annie Baker, which opened Nov. 5, is about a group of individuals who find themselves experiencing heartbreaks and breakthroughs during a six-week session of a community center drama class. During the span of the six weeks audience members grow with the characters through each of their unique journeys. The play highlights the impact others have on someone’s life even in just a short time frame. The show continues at 7:30 p.m.…

Drama students preparing to perform again

The Drama Department is ready to take the stage with its first fall show since the start of the pandemic.  Since the department had wrapped up its last show just a week before Del Mar College closed its doors for the pandemic, the costume shop, scene shop and Finley Theatre had no lights on to shine upon talent. However, those days are now in the past. Under the direction of Drama Professor Carl Yowell, Del Mar will present “Circle Mirror Transformation” in November.  The show opens on Nov. 5 with five public performances spread over two weekends. The shows, which…