Honor’s theater students took over the black box theater on May 4, kicking off Red Bird Production (RBP)’s multi-week Brown Bag lunch time performances.
RBP opened the shows on May 4 with a performance of “A Cinnamon Roll of Happiness,” directed by varsity theater student and junior Ray Martinez. The show featured sophomores Zoe Novak and An Hoang, junior Francisco Ochoa-Media and senior Juliette Nahman, with sophomore Luciana Sydow as their technician. The play took place in a diner where a manager judges a customer for looking poor, when in reality their judgement was incorrect.
Red Bird Production’s annual Brown Bag shows invite company and non-company members to participate in short performances during lunch, directed by the honors theater students. The performances will run May 4-20 during lunch in the black box theater.
For Hoang, Brown Bags was one of her first acting experiences, where she learned how to perform on stage from her director and castmates. She said she was able to grasp fundamental theater skills through her portrayal of a commanding and comedic character like the manager.
“Ray is an amazing director and gives feedback on anything I need to work on,” Hoang said. “Ray is also very kind and considerate. She answers anything I have concerns or doubts about because it is my first-ever theater performance. From projecting my voice to having confidence, my castmates gave me advice and support to be a better actor in the short time of rehearsals and practice.”
Hoang is unable to have theater as a course, but was able to participate in Brown Bags for the first time this year. Due to the busy schedules of many students which prevent them from taking theater as a course, events such as Brown Bags and the 24-Hour Play Festival give these students the opportunity to participate.
“Brown Bags is an excellent Bellaire tradition because it connects theater students with students that don’t have theater as a course, like me, in a lighthearted environment,” Hoang said. “I’m glad that I was able to participate in this tradition not only to learn, but also to become part of the theater community.”
This was Sydow’s first experience doing Brown Bags as a technician for “A Cinnamon Roll of Happiness,” but according to her, she enjoyed the stress-free nature of the experience. Despite her initial concerns, she was able to hone her theater tech skills, particularly in lighting.
“I was initially worried about being the only technician in my group, but it was a pretty laid-back ordeal. It ended up being a lot of fun and really not stressful at all, and served as a perfect way to practice my tech skills without the stress of a full production,” Sydow said. “I think that Brown Bags are a great way to allow actors and technicians from a variety of skill levels to work together and collaboratively improve and practice doing things independently.”
Sophomore Ella Streeter attended the show on May 4 and enjoyed the way the actors embodied their characters as well as the technical elements — particularly costuming. This year she will be participating in Brown Bags for the second time, performing in two shows directed by junior Sophie Tang and senior Belsey Ferguson.
“My favorite part of the show today was the costumes,” Streeter said. “I really liked that they embodied the various characters so well. This show really made me excited to perform and watch the shows this year and set the stage for what I think will be a great Brown Bags season.”
Freshman Nyla Phillips-Lockett was in attendance for the show to support her fellow Brown Bag actors. She is participating in Brown Bags herself on May 14, where actors will perform a 20-minute version of “Little Shop of Horrors” directed by junior Sierra Little.
“Seeing Ray’s show today made me feel a little less nervous about performing one myself,” Philips-Lockett said. “The show also gave me an idea of how I’d look when I’m performing on stage next week.”
She enjoyed the comedic elements of today’s show, such as the manager’s comedic timing and the customer’s laid back humor. According to Phillips-Lockett, the meaningful themes of not judging a book by its cover, coupled with witty humor added to the lightheartedness of the show.
“My favorite part was most definitely the sound effects, which really added to the setting of a casual diner,” Phillips-Lockett said. “Another thing I really liked was the part where the customer gave their cinnamon rolls to the worker, as I thought it was a really sweet moment to see on stage.”
Phillips-Lockett does not have significant experience in theater, however she appreciates that Brown Bags inspires people with less experience to try new things. She has been able to learn in a community of people who, according to Phillips-Lockett, love what they do and are amazing to work with.
“As someone who is not in RBP or theater yet, Brown Bags really gives me a chance to try something new and to see all these amazing people thrive in their element,” Phillips-Lockett said. “The shows are a lot of fun to work on, and the opportunity has really helped me get out of my comfort zone while meeting and rehearsing with new people.”
Student-directed Brown Bags will continue during lunch in the black box through May 20. Follow Red Bird Productions on Instagram @redbirdprod to access the Brown Bag schedule and to follow future theater activities.
