Theater Department stages San Joaquin Blues
The Modesto Junior College Theater Department presents San Joaquin Blues, an award winning original play about life in the mid-1960’s in the Central Valley of California. The play was written by and is being directed by MJC theater professor Michael Lynch, with original music composed by Steve Sigel.
Performances are October 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29 at 7 p.m. and on October 30 at 2 p.m. in the Main Auditorium of the Performing and Media Arts Center on East Campus, located at 435 College Avenue in Modesto.
The play takes place in the Central San Joaquin Valley oil town of Coalinga in 1966 when the oil ran out and the town went into a financial depression. Populated by colorful characters and a live country-western band called Cherub and the Devil Dusters, this comedy/drama was originally produced in San Francisco in 1982 where it won Best Play of the Year by both the Bay Area Critics Circle and the Hollywood Drama-logue critics.
The cast for the MJC production includes:
Makil: Billy Ollis
Louise: Robin Bjerke
Charlie: Tanner Honor
B.J.: Roland Carbajal
Uncle Toby: Raymond O. Newman
Red Peabody: Dave Weltner
Rachel: Bev Barney
Ricardo: Luis Maya
Toni: Ranata Navarro
Garvin: Dean Medek
Maria: Prisyla Sotelo
Howard: James Lane
Manuel: Christian Macias
Lennie: Alyssa Rivera
Carolyn: Alexis Tourtlotte
Vera: Annie Irizarry
Townspeople: Tito Juajardo, George de la O, Ulises Moran, Daniel Medino, Max Plasencia
and Erica De Hart.