`KISS ME KATE' PLAYFULLY PITS DRAMA TEACHER AGAINST EX-PUPIL.Byline: Gloria Gonzales Daily News Staff Writer On stage as Petruchio, Ray Hebel towers over his co-star, Baptisto, a role played by his former high school drama teacher Steve Robertson Steve Robertson (born July 4, 1964) is a race car driver from Hackney, England. After spending three years in British Formula Three (which included a 3rd place championship finish in 1990), he won the 1994 Indy Lights championship and captured 7 wins during his 2 years in . The former student and teacher play in ``The Taming of the Shrew shrew, common name for the small, insectivorous mammals of the family Soricidae, related to the moles. Shrews include the smallest mammals; the smallest shrews are under 2 in. (5.1 cm) long, excluding the tail, and the largest are about 6 in. (15 cm) long. ,'' a play-within-a-play in California Lutheran University's Main Stage Theatre production of ``Kiss Me Kate'' - the Cole Porter Noun 1. Cole Porter - United States composer and lyricist of musical comedies (1891-1946) Cole Albert Porter, Porter musical that follows the romantic hi-jinks of a Shakespearean theater troupe. And although the 6-foot-3 Hebel now surpasses his former teacher, Robertson remembers when the tables were turned. ``When he was a freshman, he was tiny,'' Robertson said. The Moorpark High School Moorpark High School, located in Moorpark, California, is a public high school in the Moorpark Unified School District and currently has an enrollment of 2,478 students.[1] drama teacher met his lanky co-star 29 years ago during a freshman high school drama class. ``I wasn't tiny!'' Hebel countered. ``I was the same height but I weighed 118 pounds. I was skinny - but not tiny.'' Since that meeting, Hebel has returned to the high school to teach alongside his former mentor, but their upcoming musical performances mark the first time the two have paced the boards together. ``The director asked me if I knew someone who would be good for the part of Baptisto, Petruchio's father-in-law,'' Hebel said. ``They asked, don't you know some old guy?'' Robertson joked. ``And I thought of you - you're perfect for the part,'' said Hebel, ribbing his co-star before the company's first dress rehearsal dress rehearsal n. A full, uninterrupted rehearsal of a play with costumes and stage properties. dress rehearsal Noun 1. . ``He convinced me to do it,'' Robertson said. ``He said, `It's just a couple nights a week - two or three scenes and no songs.' He meant there were no solos.'' The two men have rehearsed nights and weekends for six weeks, all while teaching their normal course load and rehearsing their own students in a high school production of ``Li'l Abner Li’l Abner ungainly comic strip oaf with height of six foot three. [Comics: Horn, 450] See : Awkwardness Li’l Abner naive comic strip character. [Comics: Horn, 450–451] See : Unsophistication .'' Hebel said he enjoys his main Shakespeare scene with Robertson, in which he wheedles a high dowry dowry (dou`rē), the property that a woman brings to her husband at the time of the marriage. The dowry apparently originated in the giving of a marriage gift by the family of the bridegroom to the bride and the bestowal of money upon the bride by out of his future father-in-law. In the play-within-the-play, Baptisto pays Petruchio 30,000 crowns and half his land to marry off his shrewish daughter. Robertson said he had little idea how successful his former student would be when he first taught him as a freshman. ``I knew he was going to study music in college,'' Robertson said. ``But you never know what's going to happen. Obviously, we laid the groundwork well in high school and it serves him well both theatrically and with his Elvis performances.'' Hebel may be better known in the Conejo Valley The Conejo Valley is a region spanning both Southeastern Ventura County and Northwest Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States. It was discovered in 1542 by Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, and eventually became part of the Rancho El Conejo land grant by as an Elvis impersonator An Elvis impersonator is someone who impersonates or copies famed American musician Elvis Presley, either as a hobby, a career in entertainment or occasionally for fun. Elvis impersonators can range in ethnic background, size and talent. who performs a yearly benefit for the university. Hebel and Robertson are two of several professional performers who support a talented student cast, said director Michael Arndt. The cast of 44 belts out Cole Porter's show tunes, many of which are considered among the songwriters finest compositions, Arndt said. A full orchestra backs the large company. THE FACTS WHAT: ``Kiss Me Kate'' WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; through March 16. WHERE:Forum Theatre, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza The Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza is a performing arts and administrative center located in Thousand Oaks, California. It was built in 1994 on the former site of "Jungleland" at a cost of $63.8 million. Forum Theatre, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. COST: Tickets are $10 and $15 at the auditorium box office or any Ticketmaster outlet. Call (805) 493-3161. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos Photo: (1--color) Ray Hebel, left, and Steve Robertson negotiate a dowry in a Shakespearean scene as part of ``Kiss Me Kate.'' (2) Ray Hebel, left, studied drama with cast member Steve Robertson at Moorpark High School. David Sprague/Daily News Box: THE FACTS (see text) |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion