Pintello Comedy Theater still searching for permanent venue, but
return with ‘Flight Path’
An evening with the Pintello family will undoubtedly offer a few
laughs. But when Rod and Marion Pintello choose a new play for the
Pintello Comedy Theater to perform in South Valley, you will likely
heap on chuckles, chortles, guffaws, sniggers and even titters.
Pintello Comedy Theater still searching for permanent venue, but return with ‘Flight Path’
An evening with the Pintello family will undoubtedly offer a few laughs. But when Rod and Marion Pintello choose a new play for the Pintello Comedy Theater to perform in South Valley, you will likely heap on chuckles, chortles, guffaws, sniggers and even titters.
The Pintellos, who both served on the board for South Valley Civic Theater, started their own local theater company three years ago so they could perform more shows from their favorite genre – comedy.
“Wouldn’t you want to go somewhere you knew you’d laugh out loud?” Marion asked. “Where no one dies or cries and it’s always going to be a happy ending.”
“Or at least a funny one,” added her husband, Rod
The Marions have performed, directed and produced a variety of shows through the years with SVCT and other local theater groups. Their children, Simon Pintello and Whitney Pintello McClelland, now married with children of their own, have long been involved with the family “avocation” as well.
“There aren’t always many opportunities to do comedies,” Marion said. “We are partial to them and wanted to see more.”
The couple manages to make just enough money on each venture to help produce the next show down the line.
“Comedies are easier to produce,” Marion said. “They have less expensive royalties than musical royalties.”
With full-time jobs outside of their theater interests, the Pintellos keep busy.
“It’s definitely more than a hobby,” Rod said.
The couple has produced and directed 12 shows since starting the Pintello Comedy Theater in 2003.
During 2005, they started looking for a more permanent venue for their theater and are still on the search.
“We’ve had some talk with dance studies or physical fitness centers,” Marion said. “Places where we could have the space to ourselves in the evenings and on weekends.”
For now, the couple has opened a play at the Morgan Hill Grange Hall called “Here on the Flight Path,” by Norm Foster. The show stars Jonathan Bass and the Pintellos’ daughter, Whitney. With a minimal set of cardboard painted with bricks to portray two apartment balconies and few props, the couple has set up their garage as a rehearsal space. The show has only two actors and tells the tale of a man who befriends three different next-door neighbors – all played by Whitney.
“We have a stage, walls, lights that are all in storage,” Rod said.
The couple prefers smaller venues and sets up small tables for the audiences, similar to a cocktail lounge show. They try to keep the guest list down to about 100 people per show.
“It feels like we have 100 friends over,” Marion said. ”
Since they started, they have gathered quite a following, with more than 1,600 people on their mailing list.
“We don’t really need store-front exposure,” Rod said. “Everyone [on the list] has been to several shows.”
The couple gathers new patrons in much the same way they discover new actors – through word of mouth. They have a group of about 50 people they have worked with and they always have an eye out for potential actors – even those without any experience.
“We have friends who will say they saw a waitress who would be great in a show,” Marion said. “We often see people and think they’d be great in a show.”
The couple avidly reads comedy screenplays in their search for new shows. In the search for the 12 shows they have done, they read at least 90 plays, Marion said.
“We need to do shows that will fit the actors we have,” Marion said. “We keep in mind who our actors are.”
When they have a new show in mind, they call up actors, such as Jonathan Bass and ask if they are available and want to be involved. They never hold auditions.
Bass, a Gilroy resident, has been in a few Pintello shows and productions with other groups.
“I like the reaction from the audience,” Bass said. “In this play, I get to talk to the audience and there aren’t many plays like that.”
With only one other actor, Bass doesn’t get a break from stage.
“It’s really challenging with just the two of us on stage,” Bass said “But I guess actors like the attention.”
Whitney added that Bass has three-fifths of the lines in the play, but he pointed out she has to play three characters.
For Whitney, acting has been a part of her life since she was a teenager. She has worked in many of her parents’ productions.
“Comedies are always more challenging,” she said.
Reading the audience is another challenge, though Whitney credited Marion with knowing the audience well.
“Some don’t like low brow or sexy humor. We have older folks, family folks and some who like a bawdy time,” Whitney said. “Mom knows how to strike a balance. She knows what dirty words to cut.”
As soon as a play closes, the family is always looking for another comedy to take to the stage.
“We are just a lighthearted family,” Whitney said. “Once we don’t have a facility, dad and I are always thinking about it. Boy, are we itching to get one.”
“Here on the Flight Path,” is directed by Marion Pintello, and will be staged at 8 p.m., April 22, 28 and 29 at the Morgan Hill Grange Hall, 40 East Fourth St. Tickets are $15. For reservations, call 408-776-8004 or visit www.pintellocomedy.com.
