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A Theater in Bloom

21 May, 2011 05:53:00 Jim Parisi

The sound and lighting man, Aldo from Pro Shows, had run his tests for the dress rehearsal and was happy. The Diria Amphitheater has become familiar turf for him; afterall, The Wizard of Oz would be the fourth production here by Beach Nut Theatre. “Listen, when we do this scene change from Act One to Act Two, we’ve got to make it quick. That’s important. I need everybody ready for it before it happens.” It was Paul speaking, but it was Paul the Director speaking, not Paul the Comedian who I’ve known since he arrived in Tamarindo seven years ago. It was a bit of a shock, I admit. He was speaking firmly, directly, professionally, and his cohorts were responding in kind. My three-year-old son, Samuel, and I were at the dress rehearsal, backstage, watching the makeup girls prepare the Tin Woodsman, while the scarecrow and flying monkeys were also getting prepared. There was an air of anticipation in the group, but it didn’t feel like nervousness; rather, it felt like they were ready and excited. Two minutes later, we were in the amphitheater, watching the Wiz unfold, and this group of proud Tamarindans preparing their final production. I was impressed. I had heard them doing a group chant/hug/psyche-up before going on, and the comraderie reminded me of when I played organized basketball in school. All three nights were sold out, and people were turned away at the gate. Three years of hard work had come to fruition. Paul is the first to give credit where it is due and to share the success. He’s a real team player. He is quick to point out that Gayle and May Lynn deserve all the recognition for producing the show, that Lidia and Wendy were responsible for all the set design, that Kata Kis worked double overtime to make the costumes perfect (I can attest to this), and that Vicki worked tirelessly at ticket sales. Gayle’s husband Robert worked countless, painstaking hours refining the sound to incorporate all the songs. Barry and Suzye, of Amigos de la Educacion, were real troupers manning the refreshments, and my personal trophy goes to Christy LaLonde, who was responsible for the choreography, which was breathtaking and a real showstopper. None of the production would have been possible without the gracious assistance of The Diria Hotel, who donated the use of the amphitheater, as well as complying with all the disruptions of their normal flow that was brought on by the making of Oz. For this, the Diria deserves all of Tamarindo’s applause and thanks for helping us bring culture and a sense of community to Our Little Town of Tamarindo. At the end of 2010, Beach Nuts Theatre had considered two productions for this year’s high season to be sufficient. Recently, a little birdie told me a secret and I want you all to keep it that way: don’t be surprised to see a third production around the end of May. The plan is to have a dinner theater production of “To My Amazement,” and it will be coming to a location near you – so keep your eyes and ears on alert, but keep it under your sombrero…and don’t tell anybody I told you.