Local plays ‘Translations,’ ‘Pirates’ worth seeing

Two plays worth seeing are currently running in Yuba-Sutter, with “Translations” in its final weekend at the Yuba College Theatre and “The Pirates of Penzance” in its second week at The Acting Company in Yuba City.

All the acting in “Translations” was good throughout this two-hour play.

Geoffrey B. Wander as Hugh, the teacher; Ralph Gaetano as Jimmy Jack, the old scholar; Sarah Skinner as Maire, the love interest; and Janet Frye-Stottmann as the colorful Bridget stood out especially. K.C. Brown as Doalty and Mark Durham as Lt. Yolland deserve high marks, as well.

There was one minor difficulty. Maire and Bridget were so similar in appearance, and their character names so seldom used, it was hard to keep them separated.

“Translations” is a traditional three-act drama, with a beginning, a middle and an end.

That is to say, there is the “beginning” in which the characters and setting are established; “middle” during which the characters are developed and the plot complication is introduced; and “end” (or denouement), where the issue is resolved and the play’s message, if any, is delivered.

Or, as Hollywood scriptwriters more succinctly put it: Boy meets girl; boy loses girl; boy gets girl back. Of course, if it’s a tragedy, the boy and the girl lose each other forever, either through death or other permanent separation.

These days, however, plays are more often just two-act affairs. Act I offers up the characters, action and complication. Act II carries the action on until some singular event provides a resolution to the dramatic problem.

At “Translations,” sit as close to the stage as possible and pay attention. Dialect, accents and the Gaelic, Greek and Latin languages are used, so it takes an effort to keep oriented.

There were two big scenes.

There is the love scene between Lt. Yolland and Maire. The audience gave this “kiss and the implied lovemaking scene” a very big hand, not to mention whistles and hoots.

And there is the third-act scene between Jimmy Jack and Hugh, in which actor Wander - playing Hugh - delivers an astounding elocution. It is technically not a soliloquy because Jimmy Jack is on stage, too, but Wander does it so well it deserves that dignified title.

One thing needs mending: the somewhat cloudy ending. At that point, a bit of the critical Irish-accented dialog was blurred in the show I saw. It left at least some of the audience uncertain whether one of the main characters had been killed and whether another went on the lam because of it.

Myself, I think so, but a few of the playgoers confessed afterward to being confused about it.

The stage set worked fine. Nothing complicated. The lighting effects were nice, although it could have used more lightning flashes and louder rain sound, but all in all it was well presented.

Special kudos ought to go to director Dave Wheeler and all the actors in “Translations” for their language and diction accomplishments.

It closes this weekend, so see it now.

Producer-Director Foster Campbell-McManus has put together a sharp show with “The Pirates of Penzance,” which continues at The Acting Company through November.

For her rendition of the classic Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera, Campbell-McManus has brought together a big cast, some fine singers and good music to make a show well worth seeing.

Particularly notable among the singers are Travis Leonard as the Pirate King, Neil Thorson as the Major-General Stanley and the two romantic leads - Darek Riley as Frederick, “the pirate apprentice,” and Shannon Doscher as Mabel Stanley.

And keep your eyes and ears peeled for these three relative newcomers: Stephanie Balmer, Lisabeth Hidalgo and Heather Cowell. They are the three main daughters among the Major-General’s brood of 10 girls.

Cowell is the eldest daughter (apparently). Balmer is the tall one with the mobile eyes and big smile. And you can’t miss Hidalgo, she’s the short one with dark eyes, black hair and a very, very expressive face. All three are terrific vocalists. Let’s hope we see them in future productions.

Thorson is a professional actor of note in the Sacramento area. He does a smashing job with one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most spirited and demanding songs, “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General.”

Thorson added some localized verses to the rapid-fire lines, which brought a big hand from Sunday’s packed audience.

Another show-stopper is the set of three songs done in the second act by the trio of Sharon Wonder (who begins as a maid and returns as a pirate lady), Travis Leonard and Darek Riley. These songs include, “Now for the Pirates Lair,” “When You had Left Our Pirate Fold” and “Away, Away! My Heart’s on Fire!”

Joe Moye as the Police Sergeant singing his advice to his Bobbies in “When a Felon’s Not Engaged in His Employment,” is another performance worth the price of admission.

All the speakers, by the way, managed good English accents, an accomplishment in itself.

When you applaud, be sure you add some oomph for musical director Steve Shepard and for the sets designed by Foster Campbell-McManus and Paul McManus. They are clever and functional.

Award-winning journalist and author Tom Nadeau has written for and acted on stage, screen, radio and television. Write to him at theaterland@gmail.com.