"Willow Glen is starting to be the hip place to be," director Becky Wilding said. "There are a lot of little shops, coffee houses and restaurants. But people keep saying there is nothing to do at night. We want to provide Willow Glen with great entertainment."

And this is not the first time Easy Street has attempted to entertain Willow Glen. In 1990, the company performed its first show, A Christmas Carol, at Willow Glen Middle School. After the curtain closed on the Christmas classic, the troupe relocated to Santa Cruz. Now 11 years later, they have returned "over the hill" to set up camp at the Adobe Hall on Lincoln Avenue.

Jackie Bejan, a director of the Assyrian American Association of San Jose, a cultural and social non profit organization that owns the building, said she is excited to see a burgeoning arts movement in Willow Glen.

"Part of the organization's mission is the cultural aspect—drawing cultural activity to the center of Willow Glen," she said.

Bejan believes residents will benefit by having a local activity that is both entertaining and enriching. And business will also reap the rewards by luring patrons from outside of the neighborhood, she notes.

Easy Street Theatre Company partner and costume designer Tisa Reeves thinks residents will be receptive to having a source of entertainment right in their neighborhood.

"I think people are very excited about it," she said. "It's the right time. The people are extremely friendly, and there are nice shops and restaurants, but there is no entertainment per se—nothing to do after you have had dinner."

And residents looking for a night on the town won't have to wait long. The theater company is currently rehearsing for its production of Man of La Mancha, a musical adaptation of Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote, which will open on Jan. 20.

Set in Spain during the Spanish Inquisition, the play depicts the struggles of Cervantes, a failed playwright who has been thrown in jail for an offense against the Catholic Church. When his fellow prisoners attempt to rob him of his possessions, including an uncompleted manuscript of a novel called Don Quixote, the plucky author defends himself by proposing an impromptu production of his work. The prisoners don costumes and makeup, and act out the story of Don Quixote and his manservant Sancho Panza.

"I think it's an inspiring story," Wilding said. "Especially for the month of January, when everyone is making New Year's resolutions."

Thespian Summer Reeves, who plays Don Quixote's love interest, said she fell in love with the story when she first read it at nine years old.

"It's an amazing story," she said. "Don Quixote is such an idealist. He has a vision of the world, and he embellishes it with what is in his heart and mind."

Actor Michael Kane, who plays an innkeeper and governor, said his first viewing of the musical touched him deeply.

"I wept for two hours," he said. "The story is all about striving against the impossible."

But the play also has the potential to make its actors strive, as well. As a "play within a play," each of the actors must tackle two roles—one as a prisoner and one as a figment of Cervantes' fantasy.

Kane said adopting dual roles is a challenge he is prepared to handle.

"It's variety," the actor said. "It requires the consciousness of body and mind."

The actors' double duty, however, is not the only reason their performance will require exerting a little extra attention. A mere 1,300-square-feet, the actors will be getting up close and personal with the audience.

Reeves, a seasoned actress who has performed in venues large and small, said she prefers the intimacy of a small theater.

"I love small theaters," she said. "The audience is right there, so you get a sense of closeness."

Kane, a class clown-turned-thespian, said he thrives on the reaction of the audience.

"If you get a good response, it becomes contagious," he said. "You get training and get effective, and you think, 'I can do this role and make it worthwhile to the audience.' "

Although he has acted on and off since his college days, Kane said he is not immune to bouts of stage fright.

"I get terrified before the curtain goes up," he said. "It's my version of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with frayed rope."

The post-performance adrenaline rush, however, makes working through the jitters worth it, he said.

But an actor's solid performance requires the assistance of a competent director. Reeves and Kane agree that Wilding has what it takes to solicit nuanced characterizations from her cast.

"Becky is very detail-oriented, and really flushes out the characters," Reeves said. "She's very visual and organized—very professional."

Wilding, who began her theatrical career as an actress, said she prefers directing because she has control of the story's interpretation.

"As a director, you get to tell the story in your own version, with your own thoughts on how it should be told," she said.

And as she interprets a play, Wilding pays closest attention to the characters.

"My goal as a director is to make the characters as believable as possible," she said. "I try to give the audience an experience, and make them so engrossed in the play they think they are actually onstage."

And part of the fun of acting in a period piece is the opportunity to wear an elaborate costume. Reeves, who has designed costumes for 16 years, said she enjoys recreating the Spanish Renaissance stitch by stitch.

"I love the Spanish Renaissance," she said. "And it's fun for the audience to see costumes of that era—the long dresses, tights, boots, velvet hats. People enjoy theater with great costumes. It adds visual excitement."

Growing up, Reeves and Wilding, who are sisters, inherited a love of theatre from their mother, Lillian Wilding. Living in star-saturated Los Angeles didn't hurt, either.

"I went to school near Paramount studios," Wilding said. "I used to climb the fence to get in, and got kicked out a number of times."

Although she eventually broke through the fence to work in the film and television industries, Wilding said theater remains her first love.

"I like theater because you get to see the completion of something," she said. "With film and television, you are doing things out of context, and filming scenes out of sequence. With theater, you start at the beginning."

The curtain has barely risen on Man of La Mancha, but Wilding is already thinking ahead about other plays to bring to Willow Glen. The director said she wants to introduce family-oriented musicals like Annie as well as dramatic works. Steve Martin's Picasso, a fictional account of a meeting between the famed surrealist and Albert Einstein, is another possibility. Wilding plans to direct about three plays a year at Adobe Hall.

And in the meantime, Wilding said she wouldn't mind a little competition from other cultural groups, such as symphonies, theater troupes, and other aspects of the arts. Wilding, Bejan and the other players of Easy Street think the time is right for a cultural renaissance in Willow Glen.

"Maybe we can be the doorway into changing the arts scene in Willow Glen," Wilding said.

'Man of La Mancha' opens Jan.20. Tickets are on sale now at $35 per adult and $30 for students and seniors. For more information about Easy Street Theatre Company or to purchase tickets, call 408.236.2149 or visit www.easystreettheatre.com. For more information about Adobe Hall, 1352 Lincoln Ave., contact Jackie Bejan at 408. 482.1949.