 | | | Pictured are SMC cast members (L to R) Andrew Galindo, Jenna Stich (in front), Francesca Crebassa,
and Liam Callister Photo by Michael R. Cook
| | | | | | There is no reason to be afraid of Virginia Woolf according to Delia MacDougall, a respected Bay Area actor and director. MacDougall is directing an evening of short stories written by the lyrical English novelist to be presented by the Performing Arts Department at Saint Mary's College (SMC) in Moraga. "Virginia Woolf's writing is so rich and poetic, but her sentences can go on for a whole paragraph," says MacDougall. "Seeing her work presented makes it easier to digest, and the viewer can appreciate the felicity of her language," she adds.
Ten student actors in SMC's Performing Arts Theater Program will each play multiple roles as guests at a party thrown by the eponymous Mrs. Dalloway, the protagonist of Woolf's seminal novel. "Virginia Woolf is actually a very funny writer," states MacDougall. "She was writing the novel at the same time that she wrote these short stories which are lighter and have a more humorous flair." Woolf's ironic observations of the upper middle class unfold through the anxious thoughts of, and social predicaments faced by, the cadre of amusing party-goers.
Woolf's narrative style, a stream of consciousness that seems to reveal a character's thoughts as they are being formed, was considered revolutionary at the time she published these stories, according the MacDougall. "Woolf has the most exquisite writing. It's full of imagery. The beauty of the production is that we can say the lines and bring the imagery to life," explains the director. "It's truly an ensemble work. One sentence may be divided and delivered by four or five different actors."
MacDougall is a founding member of the San Francisco-based performing arts ensemble Word for Word, acclaimed for their literal staging of classic and contemporary fiction, often short stories. She has performed five seasons with the California Shakespeare Repertoire and has acted with ACT, Berkeley Repertory Theater, and several other Bay Area companies. Highly regarded for her work both on and off the stage, MacDougall is impressed with the caliber of the SMC Performing Arts Theater Program. "SMC has a great acting program. The faculty works hard to bring these young actors up to a professional level. They have a great work ethic and deliver a sophisticated performance," she says.
At Mrs. Dalloway's Party will be performed in the LeFevre Theater at Saint Mary's College in Moraga on November 12, 13, 14, 20, and 21 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, November 22 at 2:00 p,m. General admission tickets are $15, non-SMC students with ID are $12. To purchase tickets call (925) 631-4670.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA