TOM TITUS -- Theater

The theater operates on energy, and periodic transfusions of the young

and wide-eyed. Enthusiastic variety is required to sustain the state of

this art.

South Coast Repertory received a transfusion in December in the form

of a petite, thoroughly energetic dynamo, listed simply as the “Pursued

Maiden” in the program of “A Christmas Carol.” Trust me, you’ll be

hearing more from Holly Sena.

In “A Christmas Carol”, Sena did not have a great deal of dialogue.

What she had was a consistent giggle, bordering on hilarious panic as she

was being chased around the stage by a blindfolded young man in the

Christmas present scene. That giggle, and the enthusiasm with which she

attacked the bit role, made an indelible impression.

“I am totally living my dream,” Sena said following a performance of

SCR’s youth touring show, “Bad Water Blues”.

In the play she gets a chance to display much more of her talent and

versatility than she did in “A Christmas Carol.”

More importantly, she is now a member of Actor’s Equity, meaning she

can now audition for meatier roles at SCR.

For the effervescent actress, SCR is the proverbial Emerald City at

the end of her personal yellow brick road -- a road that started back in

Connecticut and wound through Clarion College in Pennsylvania and San

Diego’s Old Globe Theatre.

The excitement that Sena, 27, radiates on stage extends to her

offstage persona as well.

“I just fell in love with SCR,” she declared. “The people have been

fantastic here. They treat you like a family member.”

Sena was bitten by the acting bug early in life and earned a

bachelor’s of fine arts in theater from Clarion College. There she was

twice nominated for the Irene Ryan Award for her performances in

“Euripides” and “Vanities” -- plays that represent the opposite poles in

theater.

“I didn’t win, but I got to perform at the Kennedy Center,” she said.

Sena migrated to California three years ago and was first drawn to San

Diego. There she played Hermia in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and

appeared in a playwright’s project at the Old Globe.

When the opportunity to enroll in SCR’s Professional Conservatory

materialized last summer, Sena seized it. Her graduation present came in

the form of the small role in “A Christmas Carol.” The experience proved

the old theatrical adage that there are no small parts, only small

actors.

She used the Christmas show as a springboard to “Bad Water Blues” and

an Equity card. Sena displays an abundance of talent, energy and

versatility in the touring show -- an object lesson in the evils of water

pollution in which she appears in a variety of far-out characterizations

to the delight of her pint-sized audiences.

These audiences will number some 80,000 youngsters during the show’s

engagement at local schools between January and May. And Sena is loving

every minute of it.

On this occasion, she had just put in a harrowing day driving back and

forth between Costa Mesa and Compton, where her car’s license plate had

been stolen during an afternoon performance. She returned to report the

theft to the Auto Club and was told she must drive back to Compton to

file a police report -- her call that night was 6:30 in Aliso Viejo.

She made it back, barely, and took about 20 minutes to chat for this

article before donning her costume for the show. If she was feeling any

strain, it certainly didn’t show onstage as she romped through a

succession of caricatures in the private eye spoof abounding in nautical

puns.

“I’ve always had an expectation of what theater should be like,” Sena

said, “Finally, that dream has come true.”

* TOM TITUS writes about and reviews local theater for the Daily

Pilot. His stories appear Thursdays and Saturdays.