September 19, 2007

West Side Story Told Again

Tony, Maria, Bernardo, Anita, Officer Krupke, and the Sharks and Jets will take the stage at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College on December 4 – 8 in a new production of West Side Story.

Directed by Dana Tarantino of the New York Arts Program, this production provides an opportunity for students and alumni from the New York Arts Program and students from the urban John Jay College to work and perform together in the now 50-year-old musical.

Ohio Wesleyan students and alumni are deeply involved in the project, says dance theatre major Adrienne Scott ’08, who is serving as production manager and dancing as Minnie, one of the Jet girls. “This is such an amazing opportunity and a wonderful internship,” she says. “Sometimes an internship can be working in an office 9 to 5, but this is a really big responsibility for me and for the rest of the students who are working on the show. Everyone involved has major responsibilities.”

Other Ohio Wesleyan students and alumni who are involved include:

• Rachel (Stevens) Bertoglio ’05, assistant director
• Jen Campos ’07, assistant stage manager
• Abby Lee ’98, Maria
• Eric Carpenter ’07, Diesel, a Jet
• Rosie Pignataro ’07, Rosalia, a Shark girl
• Chelsea Kilburn ’08, Velma, a Jet girl

Being backstage has been an enlightening experience for Scott. “I’m really interested in the business aspects of theatre. I know that I have to be involved in theatre in some way, but not necessarily on the stage.”

– Gretchen Hirsch