Show still goes on at Estancia, albeit downsized

Tom Titus

When Pauline Maranian first took over the theater program at Estancia

High School eight years ago, one of the joys of her new assignment

was the spring musical production in the Robert B. Wentz Theater at

Newport Harbor High School.

Her first show was the musical “Carnival,” which won the MACY

award as best production of the year (and memorable personally

because it produced a bright spot award for my daughter, Mindy, as

the snake charmer). Since then, Estancia’s musicals have collected an

impressive number of honors.

However, the Wentz auditorium, which hosted spring musicals from

all schools in the Newport Harbor Unified School District, sustained

a setback last year when it was declared too old and decrepit to use

for performances. Maranian’s impressive 2003 production of “Sugar”

was Estancia’s last hurrah in the edifice destined for destruction.

“It is a terrible loss to the community, especially for the sake

of the kids, not to have access to that beautiful theater,” Maranian

said. “Rumor has it that it may stay closed indefinitely due to lack

of funds. It appears that all the theaters in our district will be

overlooked at renovation time because we are not a priority.”

Estancia’s spring musical will go on, however. In fact, it’s going

on right now. “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” opened

last night in the school’s much-smaller Barbara Van Holt Theater,

where it will be staged through Sunday.

That theater, Maranian said, “is in terrible condition ...

Portions of the stage are literally rotting away and the seats are

absolutely embarrassing. I am writing a grant to have the seats

replaced, but the cost is well over $60,000, and I don’t see the

entire amount being funded.”

The bottom line, Maranian said, is that all the theaters in the

district are suffering, and that means all the kids will pay the

price, she added.

“I feel fortunate in that I can still perform in my own space at

EHS year-round,” she said. “Our theater has such a rich history and

powerful legacy that I feel at home and even sentimental about the

space.”

But she added, “that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t need repair. “We

have no orchestra pit, which is pretty tricky when doing a musical.

It makes staging a large show challenging, to say the least.

“Our acoustics are awful because our space was never intended to

be a performance venue, rather a lecture hall. Lighting capabilities

are limited and there is virtually no fly space and almost no wing

space.”

So how does one do a musical there?

“Very carefully and creatively,” Maranian said. “I am pleased to

say that ‘Joseph’ is working rather well in the BVH Theater, but I

have a yearning for the Wentz Theater. What can I say? I was spoiled

there. We all were.”

What particularly concerns the Estancia director is the future of

theater programs in the Newport-Mesa district.

“Perhaps downsizing is the future for all of us,” she said

sadly.”But I refuse to do anything other than professional quality

shows. I came into an outstanding theater program, and I intend to

maintain it while I am teaching and directing at Estancia High

School. The students are so wonderful; they deserve no less.”

Local theatergoers can catch “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor

Dreamcoat” tonight and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and a closing matinee

Sunday at 2 p.m. at Estancia, 2323 Placentia Ave. But even if the

show is a complete sellout, as anticipated, the school will not make

its money back.

“We are charging $10 pre-sale and $12 at the door,” Maranian said.

“That is the most we’ve ever charged, but it seems to be the going

rate.

“With such limited seating -- only 250 seats -- we can make only

around $10,000 on ticket sales, and we have spent well over that

already. But who’s in this for the money, right?”

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews

appear Fridays.