By Khalida Sarwari
A simple, hard-working man is raising his niece after his sister-in-law’s death when his wife’s two cousins–illegal immigrants–move in with the family and begin working for unscrupulous characters.
Suddenly, his smooth and predictable life unravels and becomes complicated and turbulent. It’s a story that could be straight out of the headlines, except that this story is set in early 1950s Brooklyn, and the immigrants are of Italian descent.
Famed American playwright Arthur Miller heard the story while working on the docks in Brooklyn and was inspired to turn it into a script. Titled “A View from the Bridge,” Miller’s play probing the complex relationships of a family has had stints in London’s West End and on Broadway. And now it’s West Valley College’s turn. Theater students will be staging the play from Oct. 23 to Nov. 1.
“View” marks theater instructor Laura Lowry’s directorial debut. She’s directing the first of two acts; her colleague, Amy Zsadanyi Yale, is directing the second act.
“One of the reasons we chose this play is because it’s so beautifully written and so beautifully scripted,” said Lowry. “Miller is an incredible craftsman.”
Added Lowry, “We’re really proud we have the West Coast version.”
This version places Tad Cruz in the role of Eddie Carbone, the head of the family whose niece, Catherine (Aryanna Hernandez), begins a relationship with Rodolpho (Vaughn Mayer), one of the cousins. When they announce they want to get married, Eddie suspects Rodolpho is using Catherine to obtain American citizenship. As Eddie attempts to protect his niece, he sets into motion a series of events.
The play explores the themes of immigration, Old World vs. New World, and what can happen in a family if they don’t address their issues, said Lowry. Above all, with “View” Miller wanted to write a modern-day Greek tragedy. Throughout the play, said Lowry, it seems as if the playwright is asking his audience to consider whether we are in charge of our fate or if it is predestined.
“It’s a beautiful, tragic, but really wonderful show,” she said.
Performances are at the West Valley College Studio Theatre on Oct. 23-24 and 29-31 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 25 and Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 general admission and $10 for students and seniors and will be sold only at the door. For more information, visitwestvalley.edu/academics/fine_arts/theater.
