Saratoga News

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Festival Theatre Ensemble fight director Ron Talbot (left) rehearses a 'Treasure Island' fight scene with actors Heather Piccotto and Tim Sudano.

Shakespeare arrives in Wildwood Park

By Shari Kaplan

Jovial Renaissance nobility and roguish 18th-century pirates have set their sights on Saratoga--and rumor has it the carryings-on of these and other characters can be spotted throughout the month of August in Wildwood Park.

In actuality, the park is the venue for the Wildwood Shakespeare Festival, the first of what members of the Festival Theatre Ensemble hope to make an annual summer tradition in Saratoga. This summer, the players present The Merry Wives of Windsor by the Bard, as well as Robert Louis Stevenson's classic, Treasure Island.

Founded in 1993 by San Jose resident Bruce De Les Dernier, the Saratoga-based Ensemble consists of a core group of about a dozen actors and an additional cast of eight to 12 who come and go through yearly auditions.

A professional, paid troupe, the Ensemble performs at Shakespeare festivals and Renaissance Faires throughout California. An offshoot program, the Shakespeare Connection, consists of selected plays with an interactive, learning format presented to schoolchildren in the greater Bay Area. Additionally, some members of the Ensemble act in the mystery dinner theater shows held at Mac's Diner in Los Altos.

De Les Dernier, who has taught acting for 17 years at West Valley College, is the Ensemble's artistic director and, when necessary, adapter of plays and tales for live performance on the small stage.

"The most challenging part of this is the casting--getting the right people in the right roles; also, channeling all the great ideas the actors have into one unified vision," he says, adding that in his group, there are no "stars" who take bows before the others. All the roles are equally important in each show.

Already familiar with the Saratoga community through his work at West Valley College, De Les Dernier approached the Saratoga Recreation Department with his idea for outdoor theater and met with approval.

"People used to say, 'Well, if you're based in Saratoga, how come you don't do anything here?' We didn't really have a venue," recalls member Jennifer Selden of San Jose, who does booking for the group as well as some acting.

"It's amazing Saratoga doesn't already have something like this. People in the Los Gatos and Saratoga area can really appreciate the cultural aspects, and the outdoors here are so beautiful. We're a local acting company that wants to do more local things," she adds.

For Saratoga resident and Ensemble actor Mark Pickens, the ability to become a storyteller and connect with the audience is his favorite part of the theatrical experience. In the Wildwood Shakespeare Festival, he plays Captain Smollett in Treasure Island. He also writes scripts for the murder mysteries at Mac's.

"Live performance is really like no other form of entertainment. You're really close to your audience and you get immediate feedback--either positive or negative. It's a real thrill to actually be on the pages you're turning for the audience," Pickens says.

"The Merry Wives of Windsor" plays Aug. 9, 16 and 24. "Treasure Island" runs Aug. 10, 17 and 23. All shows begin at 4 p.m. Advance tickets are $12 general admission, $8 for seniors and students; tickets on performance days are $15 general, $10 for seniors and students. For more information, call 868-1248.

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