Play review
Santa works magic on his ‘night off’
By Sally Carpenter sallyc@theacorn.com

KIM RAMSEYER/Special to the Acorn Newspapers HOLIDAY CHEER—Mark Rafter, left, toasts the season with Joel Macht as David Dean watches in this play at Moorpark College.

The Moorpark College theater department should make a New Year’s resolution that the inaugural holiday fundraiser on Dec. 16 won’t be the last.

On Saturday night the lights went up on a benefit created by new full-time theater faculty member John Loprieno.

The Moorpark College Foundation and Moorpark College Performing Arts Center sponsored the benefit, which included preshow carolers, an improv sketch, wine and cheese reception, and music by a string quartet.

Funds raised from the evening will go to the theater department for such needs as equipment repair and replacement.

The principal entertainment of the event was “Santa’s Night Out,” a one-act play written and directed by Loprieno. The play debuted in 2003 at the Actors

Workout Studio in Los Angeles for Toys for Tots. Perhaps that’s why the play began and ended with a discussion of classic toys.

The setting is a bar on Christmas Eve, after the stores have closed and most people are home with their families—except for these folks. David Dean plays Frank, who has just finished his job as a mall Santa and for some inexplicable reason is still wearing his Santa hat. He’s relaxing and drinking

with his buddies, Sam (Joel Macht) and Rudy the bartender (James J. Thomas). They’re arguing over which piece is the hardest to remove in the “Operation” game. How did grown men get on this topic in the first place?

Their conclusion is the Broken Heart—an apt metaphor for the business that follows. The play examines how a relationships are formed, severed and restored.

Although the play covers some heavy themes, it’s full of yuletide yucks and plenty of playful banter between the guys.

Two tables are set up on stage, and the story and lighting switch back and forth between them. Two stories unfold simultaneously.

Sam’s younger sister, Gina (Jill Klopp), arrives to meet a blind date she met in an Internet chat room for potpourri (apparently there’s a website for every interest). Sam’s certain that the date’s a loser; why else would he be available on Christmas Eve?

The date arrives. He’s Stanley (Philip D’Amour), who prefers to be called “Stan.” His mother called him Stanley, and at first he seems as fixated on her as Norman Bates was on his mom. Even though mother died a year ago, Stan’s still living in her house with her many cats and fulfilling the requirements of her will.

Stan seems to be yet another stereotypical bad date and socially awkward dork until a wonderful twist at the end of his scene which shows that he’s got potential and he may be ready to release it.

Gina initially tolerates Stan, but gradually takes a liking to him. Is she truly interested in him, or just so lonely she’ll take anyone?

As Gina’s deciding about Stan, she’s also dealing with her sibling relationship. Sam gets drunk and tries to drive Stan away. Gina tells Sam that she’s tired of him running her life and she’s moving out. This comes as a blow to Sam, although he behaves so immaturely that it’s hard to picture him as the protective big brother.

Meanwhile, Rudy admits to Frank that he’s planning to spend Christmas with his girlfriend, Carmen, instead of his ex-wife and their little boy. Frank tells him of a certain “hottie” who sat on his lap at the mall and told “Santa” her Christmas wish—she and her boy would like to see Rudy for the holidays. Yep, you guessed it—Rudy has a change of heart and plans. It’s a little too pat, but so are all the classic holiday films.

Rudy, Gina and Stan leave the bar to work on their relationships. The curtain drops as Sam and another customer discuss the erotic nuances of Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Robots, going full circle back to the toy metaphor.

Is the toy talk a way for Sam to deny his real feelings? Does he want to regress to the safe, uncomplicated world of childhood, or is he just a jerk who can’t grow up? Is he trying to form a relationship with the customer?

Sam begins the play by curing a patient of a “broken heart,” but now he wants to punch someone out with hisrobots. Apparently his own heart needs an “operation.”

The mark of a good one-act play is to create such memorable characters that the audience wants to continue the story with an “Act 2.” Do Gina and Stan hit it off? Will Rudy reconcile with his ex? What will happen to Rudy and his child? How will Sam cope with living alone?

And what about Santa? We don’t learn much about Frank. Does he see his Santa gig as a mission or a money-maker? He talks about the gross things that happened on his job more than the joy of serving children. What’s he doing on Christmas Day? Is Frank intended to be a mystery character, much as we know little about the “real Santa?” Obviously a short play can’t answer all the questions, but I’d like to see more of the man beneath the red hat.

The cast, all stage and screen professionals, turn in fine performances all around. Mark Rafter (spouse of college President Eva Conrad) and Josh Goldstein pop up in a hilarious cameo as mall “elves,” complete with redandgreen tights. Some people will do anything to get onstage.

Loprieno mentioned that next year’s benefit may include dance performances, which would only make a great show even better.