"Charisma" Showcases Original Student Work

By Keli Demertzis

The lights illuminated the nearly empty stage of Fess Parker Theatre on Thursday evening. One actor, senior Alec Brown, stepped forward to share stories of those who have suppressed their dream: a boy who stopped acting, two girls who lost their voices and two girls who lost their sense of movement.

"Wake up, please!" he proclaimed to the theater's full audience. "Stop, look and see what you were meant to be!"

So began "Charisma," the student showcase that featured original performing arts pieces that ran from Thursday to Saturday night.

According to sophomore Nicholas Manfredi, who performed in and created a scene for the production, the six-student cast wanted to develop a show that tied their common interests in spirituality and the performing arts after attending a retreat together in September.

"We wanted to affect people, to inspire, to promote excitement and action within the hearts and minds of those who would see the show," said Manfredi.

The showcase featured eight student-produced pieces, including dance numbers, spoken word, songs and dramatic scenes. The pieces were inspired by "a loss of dreams, a loss of large, seemingly out-of-reach goals," said cast member, sophomore Michelle Cabinian.

"Many times, dreams can be lost, forgotten and even rejected, but we challenge that idea," Cabinian continued. "We want people to make a difference in the world and to share the unique the gifts that they have, so we decided to shape the show around a call-to-action sort of theme. It was a completely collective effort."

The cast — comprised of Manfredi, Cabinian, junior Samantha Pistoresi, senior Alina Borchardt, senior Alec Brown and senior Callie Tepper — began rehearsing for the showcase during the first week of fall quarter. Tepper, who also served as the production director, aimed to capitalize on each student performer's different artistic background.

"Everyone is so talented and brought different artistic passions to the table, which is why the show was so well-rounded," said Tepper. "We all cared about everyone else's pieces and worked together to reach our full potential."

Brown's opening dramatic monologue, "But a Dream Will Last Forever," was followed by a dance number featuring Borchardt, Brown, Manfredi and Tepper. Dressed in simple attire, the barefoot dancers' fluid movements to British singer-songwriter Alexi Murdoch's "Orange Sky" evoked a sense of loss and an eventual regaining of hope.

The scene entitled "Shine Through," featuring an original song performed by Pistoresi and composer Cabinian, was inspired by "the need for love, peace and justice," said Cabinian.

"I hope that students will be reminded of the wonderful talents and gifts they have and use them to make the world a better place," she continued. "It doesn't necessarily matter where individually find our inspiration, but rather that we all work together to change the world." The scene, "Why Not Me," encompassed the show's theme. "My piece stems from the belief that anyone can be a leader," said producer Manfredi.

While the music featured excerpts from speeches by Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy and Ghandi, the cast, initially sleeping on the floor, were awoken one by one. They tossed boxes painted with messages like "Support the Troops" and negative words like "Greed and Hate" around the stage. Suddenly, each actor holds a candle and describes the "blessed ones" — those people "who thirst for hunger and justice," who possess the necessary qualities for social leaders. "Anyone can be a Martin Luther King, a JFK, a Gandhi, a philosopher, someone who changes the world for the better in their own way through a strict adherence to justice and faith in themselves and this world," explained Manfredi.

In the second to last scene, Manfredi began plucking the petals off of a flower and proclaimed, "I'll reach my dreams." The whole cast joined him onstage as OneRepublic's "Good Life" played, then they passed around the flowers in order to illustrate the sharing of dreams.

The showcase ended on a lighthearted note with this scene, ending with the telling last line: "What will you do with your dreams?"

According to Cabinian, "Charisma's" last line summed up the show's focus and aimed to encourage the audience to go out and find their niches.

"Charisma's" other cast members echoed these sentiments.

"We want people to be moved to do their very best in whatever it is they do," said Manfredi. "We want everyone to realize that everyone must be working to create a better world in their own way, and the most universal vehicle to this end is making the most of yourself day by day by understanding that you are something special."

Pistoresi agreed with the show's overall message. "Dreams are nothing if you stand idly by without acting on them," she said. "In our dreaming, we had a message of hope and change." Although the show's three-night run has ended, the cast hopes that "Charisma" will have a lasting impression on its audience members.

"Although the show is over now, I would like to believe that the message of it remains living on inside us all," said Pistoresi.

As a last message to Santa Clara students, director Tepper said "Don't hide your gifts. Use them to change the world. Dream out loud."

Contact Keli Demertzis at kdmertzis@scu.edu or (408) 554-4852.