Photograph by Scott Hartman

Portraying the tough Jets gang from 'West Side Story' are (standing) Peter Woolhouse, Sean Stangl, Brian Conway, John Donley, Cameron Bass and Andrew Ceglio; and (kneeling) Tad Kistnes, Darrin Glesser and Joe Belpasso.

West Valley College tells 'West Side Story'

By Shari Kaplan

The script may be 42 years old, but the message, music and dancing of West Side Story--one of the country's most-performed musicals--is as appealing today as it was decades ago. Local director and part-time West Valley College instructor Jeff Bengford knew that when choosing the classic tale of love and tragedy for the college's 1999 summer musical program, and was not surprised when more than 100 eager young people auditioned.

"There's something about West Side Story that takes Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and gives it a real extra charge! It's a story about young love, which everyone can identify with," Bengford says of its enduring popularity.

Although he could easily have double-cast the play because so many talented individuals tried out, Bengford says, he kept the cast to just one group of the 46 best. This includes all the tough guys in each of the two rival gangs--the American Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks; the gang members' girlfriends; leading couple Tony and Maria; Maria's confidante, Anita; kindly Doc; cops Lt. Shrank and Officer Krupke and various other characters.

"One of the interesting things we've done is cast this totally colorblind. We're telling a story here; the costumes and the lines tell people who the characters are--not their skintones," Bengford adds. "Talent was the only thing we took into consideration. It's amazing how many people come in thinking they're limited by what their racial or ethnic background is."

This is the second year of WVC's summer musical program, which encourages theatrical-minded South Bay teenagers to get involved in community theater and introduces them to WVC's theater and theater arts department, which Bengford says is the only one of its level among junior colleges in the area. According to Bengford, about 80 percent of West Side Story's actors are high school students; the rest are WVC students or other members of the community.

One student is Stephanie Keller, a soon-to-be senior at Cupertino High School, who portrays the innocent, lovestruck Maria. Nearly 17, Keller has known Bengford since she acted in a children's theatrical production he directed many years ago. Keller has been dancing since the age of 3 and singing and acting since she was 9. She says she loves these activities so much that she has a hard time picking one favorite. In West Side Story, she is excited to combine them all.

"Nobody is stuck in the background in West Side Story; everyone has an important part to play," Keller says of another reason she likes this musical.

"It's fun to get to be somebody else for a while. I definitely like live performing; it's such a rush! It's also a challenge to get everyone in the audience into what you're doing--I love it when it's challenging. Theater is addicting!" she adds with a laugh.

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The West Valley College Campus Theater is at 14000 Fruitvale Ave., Saratoga. Performances of "West Side Story" are July 29-31 at 7:30 p.m. and Aug. 1 at 2 p.m. Call 741-2058 for directions and ticket prices.

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