It’s already three weeks into the semester and the LMC Drama department is gearing up for the two shows they plan to perform this fall.
“Man of the Flesh”, written by local bay area playwright Octavio Solis, tells the story of a young man who leads a promiscuous life and does not care about the consequences of his actions or the people he hurts.
“After experiencing feelings of love for the first time, the spirit of the man’s mother communicates with him to teach him an important lesson… the hard way,” Director Hugo Carbajal explains.  “’Man of the Flesh’ is a comedy that deals with the Day of the Dead, including the spiritual realm of the dead among us.”
Being a fan of magical realism, Carbajal picked the show because he felt it would not just benefit the acting community, but the Los Medanos community as well, providing a challenge for the actors to prove their skill.
“It tells the community that you don’t have to have connections or be in a major city to make it,” said Carbajal, referring to the success of Solis. “Skill alone can take you to where you want to go.”
Solis is considered by many to be one of the most prominent playwrights in America today, having earned a number of awards including the United States Artist Fellowship award in 2011.
In addition to “Man of Flesh,” with its local connection, this December the Drama Department is set to perform the international hit musical “RENT”.
“RENT” will collaborate with the music department, the drama department, Allies, creating something much bigger than LMC has done in the past. Music professor Silvester Henderson and professor Nick Garcia of the drama department are working together on some of the details of the show.
“The project combines so many departments and creates something wonderful,” said director Garcia.
The show will combine multiple skills that will help aspiring students, promoting creativity through an artistic manner. Using the physical involvement of song and dance to bring the show to life.
“I’m looking forward to this show because the music and drama department have not collaborated in a few years,” said Henderson. “Hopefully, with the success to this show, we can look forward to more work in the future.”
The many faces of “RENT” will bring a lot to the audience, including the chorus. Each actor will have their own personal story and journey, telling a story of love, acceptance and forgiveness.
“The message of “RENT” tells us that the people in our lives are a blessing. Love is what gets you through those hard times,” added Garcia. “If the relationships you have are full of love, then you know the life you’ve lived is a successful one.”
What really makes this show different from previous LMC works will be its location off-campus, the actors are set to perform at the Pittsburg California theatre.
The change in venue will help ensure the possibility of a larger audience. With the prospect of universities and other directors seeing the performance, the students can look forward to the chance attaining scholarships.
“Man of the Flesh” will be playing at LMC’s theater from October 16 to 25. Tickets are $7 with a military or student ID, $5 for high school students and $10 for the general public.
“RENT” will be showing December 3-6th in the California Theatre in Pittsburg, more info to come.