It’s not the usual high school theater fare, but that’s the way
Mr. Hammerbeck’s drama students like it. For the first time in many
years, San Benito High School students will perform
”
Tartuffe,
”
the 17th century comedy by French playwright Moliere.
Hollister- It’s not the usual high school theater fare, but that’s the way Mr. Hammerbeck’s drama students like it. For the first time in many years, San Benito High School students will perform “Tartuffe,” the 17th century comedy by French playwright Moliere.
While high schools usually put on musicals, classic American plays and shorts, Hammerbeck, a first-year teacher at San Benito High who did his doctoral thesis on French literature and is the director, wanted to try something different.
“Tartuffe” is a five-act play that the that tells the story of a hypocrite who tries to get the title to his friend’s estate by sending him to jail. Along the way, he worms his way into the man’s family and spins lie after lie to get at his goal. Eventually, his true intentions are revealed and he is arrested and hauled off to jail.
“In many ways the play is a sitcom, but a sophisticated one,” said Hammerbeck, who has taught drama at numerous universities including Cal State Pomona and Loyola Marymount. The play opens today and runs through Monday. Tickets are available at the front door for $6 for general admission and $5 for students.
Students have worked hard to prepare for the play and say they are excited about doing something that evokes a completely different time and society.
“We worked really hard on this and I hope people come see us,” said Buddy Emmons, 15, who plays the bailiff. “It shows that San Benito is not stuck in one era.”
Hammerbeck says the preparation for the show and his classes in general are plenty challenging because many times students have not had a lot of exposure to the performing arts. But, because they are still young and more open-minded, they are easier to steer into an artistic direction, he said.
“We are catching them before they build the creative blocks and that’s a plus,” he said.
About 100 students participate in San Benito High’s drama program, according to Hammerbeck. He said his students sometimes struggle with the material, but have also prospered and have become more self-assured since the beginning of the school year.
“I’ve seen students become more comfortable in taking chances,” he said.
Hammerbeck himself is taking a chance with the unusual production. It is his attempt to interest members of the community, who are not necessarily parents, in attending and contributing to the arts scene in Hollister.
“We want to make our theater more sophisticated and charming and appeal to people who appreciate these things,” said Mary Maio, chair of the Visual and Performing Arts Department at San Benito High School.
Wesley Salazar, a junior who is playing Elmire, the mother of the house in “Tartuffe,” thinks the drama department can play an important role in fostering an arts scene in Hollister.
“There is so little cultural stuff in Hollister – it’s either bowling or the movies – but that’s about it,” she said. “The drama department has just blossomed and I hope it continues in the years to come.”
Karina Ioffee is a staff writer for the Free Lance. Reach her at (831)637-5566 ext. 335 or
ki*****@fr***********.com
