A new theatrical play was performed at Cerritos College called, “Our Lady of 121st Street.”
On Friday, Feb. 24, the theater had an estimated capacity for 121 seats available for the audience and only around eight seats were left empty.
The play, directed by Brant Reiter, was set on the day of Sep. 11, 2002, in New York City.
This dark comedy was based on the body of a beloved community activist and nun Sister Rose, being stolen from the casket in the viewing room.
The dark comedy took place around the Ortiz Family Funeral home. It was there that the body of Sister Rose, an activist and nun, beloved by the community, was stolen from the viewing room of the home.
Phillip Benton, criminal justice major said, “It was [an] interesting play, it had a lot of [profanity], it was something I wasn’t expecting. I wouldn’t see it again.
“The name of the play and the dialogue in the story does not connect, I thought it was going to be related with the nun and how she dies. Everybody had a history with her, but what [happened] to her? She got lost within the story and the play was more about a love story,” Benton said.
Benton’s daughter, criminal justice major Jenice Dorsey, enjoyed the play. She said, “It was interesting, [the play] didn’t have a focal point, but I will see it again for the funny parts. I liked how everyone had a history with the nun, Sister Rose.”
Actor Robert Hart who plays Rooftop, a character who had conflicts in his sentimental life; had his family member Raymond Hart attend the play.
“I thought the play was good, I loved it that it, it was, too, dramatic, but it also had a meaning to it, I liked the ending when they are sitting down around the casket and the actors were coming in and out, that was pretty dynamic, everybody did a great job,” Raymond said.
“It was very comical play,” commissioner of Inter-Club Council Tania Martin said, “But kind of seem not to have a path, it was supposed to be a funeral of a dead nun and there was something missing in the plot, it was just a bunch of love stories interconnected.”
Martin said, “The play starts liked if it was a crime scene where detective Balthazar was going to have to investigate all [of] the people that had some history with the nun and could have killed her, that’s was expected.”
What was unexpected for Martin was the resolution to the love stories in the play and the lack of background information for the characters in the play.
“I was very dissatisfied, I expected at least at the end Rooftop and Inez would end up together, maybe some more background information toward the character for the audience to fall in love with the characters, because we didn’t get to know any of them,” Martin concluded.
Theater Department professor Piotrowski Casey played Victor, an old man. In the first scene he appears in he is cursing and shouting out to detective Balthazar, hoping he finds nun Sister Rose’s body and the people who stole it.
He said, “It was a great experience, it will be something he will always remember.”
David Yoder, theater major, who plays Gail, said, “I loved the play, it was so much fun to rehearse and all characters were hilarious in their own different ways, I loved it each night.”
Capone Walker who’s a theater major, plays Flip, Gail’s boyfriend. During the play Flip has a relationship argument and hopes to find a solution to make things work out.
Walker said, “My favorite practicing scene was toward the end [in] the second act and I had to kiss Gail and he leaves me. I felt like even it wasn’t a major moment, but it shows that everything is not gonna go your way.”
Thespian Alumni from Troup 1442 Miles Isidro plays Pinky said, “I learned so much through all the rehearsal, each day we got better and build a bond as a cast, and tonight we showed it by giving our all.”
The play will still be available from Thursday-Saturday, March 2, 3, 4, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 5, at 2 p.m.
Tickets and information can be found at www.cerritos.edu/theatre or by calling 562.467.5058.
