Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Photograph courtesy of Festival Theatre Ensemble

Los Gatos chiropractor Nicole Chain (left) is hugged by Peter Morgan in last year's FTE production of 'Much Ado About Nothing.'

Shakespeare-and more-returns to Saratoga

By Sandy Sims

This month, Los Gatans can enjoy watching Los Gatos chiropractor Nicole Chain play Viola, the lead character in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and see her brandishing a sword in King Henry IV, Part I at Saratoga's second Wildwood Shakespeare Festival. The producers of the show, the Festival Theatre Ensemble (FTE) will also be presenting The Hobbit and Beauty and the Beast. And for one night only, FTE will resurrect their mystery dinner play Crossing to Eternity.

Last year, festival plays were performed only on Wildwood Park's outdoor stage. The city of Saratoga, after a successful premier season, asked FTE to expand its repertory to include an indoor venue at the Saratoga Community Theater and to resurrect the children's theater.

Under the direction of FTE's Shauna Harris, the new Children's Festival Theatre will open at Wildwood with its presentation of The Hobbit. This stage adaptation, written by Saratogan Mark Pickens, will run Aug. 8, 9 and 15 at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. at Wildwood Park. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the gate.

Another addition this year is the one-night performance of the mystery dinner play Crossing to Eternity. Pickens, who is also a performer, has written dinner mysteries for Max's American Grill in Los Altos for the last five years. (The usual run is October to March.) FTE is presenting a production of this year's dinner mystery. The story unfolds on the luxury liner the Lusitania as it makes its historical Atlantic crossing during WWI. Instead of dinner, the audience--whose members will be treated like ship passengers--will partake of refreshments and dessert. This while they mingle with, bribe and question the cast in order to guess who the murderer is. The play will run Aug. 19 at 8 p.m. at the Saratoga Senior Center in the City Hall complex. The cost is $25 for Saratoga residents and $30 for nonresidents.

There are three major FTE productions:

King Henry IV, Part I is Shakespeare's story of young Prince Hal (Henry IV) coming of age in the midst of a savage rebellion. There's lots of pageantry and even a sword battle between the Royalists and the Rebels. This play includes the wonderful character Falstaff. Performances are in Wildwood Park at 3 p.m., Aug. 16, 22, 23 and 29.

Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare's funnier comedies. In their pursuit of love, the characters weave a tangled mess worthy of Lucy and Desi. In fact, this form of classic comedy is the basis for our television sit-coms. Performances are in the Saratoga Community Theater at 8 p.m. Aug. 8, 9, 15 and 22.

This year's family classic play, Beauty and the Beast, has been written for the stage and directed by Bruce De Les Dernier, FTE's founder and artistic director. Performances are in the Community Theater at 8 p.m. Aug. 14, 16, 20 and 21.

Tickets for King Henry IV, Part I, Twelfth Night, and Beauty and the Beast are $13 in advance and $9 for seniors and children under 12. Tickets at the door are $16.

Tickets for all the shows can be purchased at the Saratoga Community Center, 19655 Allendale Ave., or by calling 868-1248 or 868-1249, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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