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Drama at Cal
Under the guidance of director Michael Holt, California Middle School has built a tradition of fine drama. From the first small staging of Tennessee Williams’ sensitive The Glass Menagerie to the bloody nihilism of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Cal students have taken on challenging roles and transformed their understanding of literature.
2005 brought something new to the stage, Mr. Holt’s first Shakespearean comedy. Sacramento arts and culture writer Derek Rudnak praised the “high production quality” and entirely “stellar” nature of the 2005 production. 2006 saw two plays, Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale and Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex come to the stage. This year’s play The Tempest, was a great success, and featured a number of seventh grade actors for the first time ever.
Thanks to a generous donations from the Land Park Home Association, Cal’s stage now boasts a first-rate scrim and lighting system from Sacramento Theatrical Lighting, as well as wireless microphones that do wonders to offset the dubious acoustics of Cal’s 1930’s vintage stage.
All proceeds from Cal’s drama program support an eighth grade trip to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Many of Cal’s most talented students receive full scholarship for the trip to the festival. This excursion has been a highlight for many Cal students.
If you have questions about California Middle School’s theater program, please direct them to Michael Holt. By phone, call 916-807-0445 or email him at mortalcoil71@comcast.net.
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