The Cupertino Courier Photograph by Skye Dunalp Before the curtain goes up, the cast of 'Oliver!' gathers in the makeup room to focus its energy on a single purpose: to perform a flawless show. Acting Together The Sunnyvale Community Players puts on more than plays--it builds families By Justin Berton Nineteen minutes before showtime, Tim Harris, the director of Oliver!, says he is calm. "I can't do anything now," he says, palms turned toward the ceiling. "It's all up to them." The "them" Harris refers to is not just a gaggle of random actors and stage hands he met during auditions. "Them" includes his 19-year-old daughter, Sabrina, who choreographed the show, and his wife, Rande (pronounced Randee), who designed the costumes. In fact, of the roughly 70 people who make up the Sunnyvale Community Players, most of them share more than a love of theater: they also share a last name. A glance through the playbill reveals the redundancy: the Arevalos, the Bartholomews, the Careys, the Coads, the Stangls, the Vaillancourts--the list goes on. The program also includes Monty Silverstone, whose daughter, Alicia, has been know to do some acting as well. Fourteen minutes before show time, Harris is huddling with his actors in a small room backstage. "Let's pull it together," he says. "Let's close our eyes and focus the energy." For the past 29 years, the troupe has been huddling up moments before thousands of performance at the Sunnyvale Community Theater. Ranging from the upcoming A Chorus Line to The Leader of the Pack, each year the troupe attempts to provide a wide range of material that is enjoyable--and artistically challenging--for both parents and children. Since its inception, the group has survived on little more than volunteers, shared its equipment with local troupes and enjoyed few corporate sponsors. The city helps sponsor performances through the Parks and Recreation Department. "People are usually surprised Sunnyvale has a performing arts theater," Rande says. But when they attend a performance, it often turns them into instant fans of theater, Rande says. "A lot of kids just don't have a place to go to see live performances with their families. A lot of kids have never seen live theater," Rande says. "This is a place where kids can come with their families to do something not only educational, but enjoyable." The Harrises got involved, like most of the families, by supporting the wants of their children. When Sabrina was 8 years old, she and a friend pressed her parents to join the troupe. As Rande recalls, her daughter "said she wanted to be in the show, something fierce." "It was all uphill from there," she adds. Sabrina, a graduate of Homestead, took her first role as a munchkin in The Wiz. The part may have been a small one, but it had a big effect on their family. "I thought I was just going to help out, do my four hours that the parents are required to do," Tim says. "The next thing I know, I was doing all the shows." For Tim, Sabrina's part was an unknowing ticket back into the world of theater. In his high school years, he was part of the drama department. During college, where he met Rande as a music major, he was continually performing. But he did little acting afterward and took what he now calls "a 16-year hiatus" from the stage. Harris began by helping with building sets and painting props, but he soon found himself performing again, starting in the ensemble for a production of Mame. Soon after, he was performing again on a regular basis, alongside his daughter and wife. Harris was inspired to join Stage One, a San Jose acting troupe, where he learned to direct himself, and others. Directing the younger staff members has proved to be the most rewarding experience. "I really enjoy working with the kids," Tim says. "The kids are so hungry. If you give it to them straight up, with no nonsense, they are ready to devour anything you throw their way." Directing has made Harris a better actor, he says, but it also has taught him about the craft of delegation and collaboration. "I like to use my staff a lot," he says. "I give them a chance to be as creative as possible--and sometimes it works, and sometimes I change it." "Oliver!" is the first play Sabrina has choreographed, and therefore the first time she has been part of her father's staff. That in itself presents unique challenges. "I have to remind myself, 'When we're here, even though he's my dad, he's not really my dad, he's the director,' " Sabrina says. "We both have a common goal. We want it to be the best show possible. We may get on each other's nerves some of the time," Sabrina says, "but it's been a real positive experience." Though Rande jokes that if she ever has a problem with the director, she can "wait to get home to talk to him," a strict level of professionalism is called for once at the theater. "Once I walk through that door, I'm not Mom," Rande says. "I'm the costume lady." Nine minutes before showtime, Jae Landers' three daughters, Elizabeth, Kelly and Jessica Leigh, are all scrambling around backstage. Jae is also in costume as Mrs. Sowerberry. Butterflies? "I don't get nervous," Jae quips. For the kids? "Nah," she says. "I'm amazed to see how well they really do." Rande says watching the young actors grow up on stage makes a fascinating sidenote to the family within the family of the theater. "I love to watch them grow from the little teeny kids that were once singing, "Happy Birthday," to the big, strong, confident performers they become," Rande says. Still, the rigid professionalism can't contain the parents from getting a small case of the butterflies when watching their kids perform. "It's always different when you are watching your children perform," Rande explains. "It's the same if you're watching soccer or football. This is why you have children, for these moments." [ Back to Contents Page | Cupertino Courier Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Cupertino Courier, September 23, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.