OCEANSIDE — “Believe,” a holiday mime and magic play, premiered at the Sunshine Brooks Theater on Dec. 4. In the play a loveable town vagabond, played by Jerry Hagen, observes the holiday traditions of love, celebrating and gift-giving. When he learns to believe he finds he has a lot to give himself.
Humor, heartache and hope are expressed in mime by Hagen and a cast of town people to a score of more than 100 orchestrated musical cues.
The cast consists of Grossmont College performing arts students Katherine Bothwell, Lauren Brodsky, Tim Gladstone, Andrew Wellhitz and Christina Wortman.
The story ends with a visit from Santa Claus. Audience members get involved by having their names checked on the naughty or nice list and visiting with Santa.
“A play that can get children to laugh and sit still is pretty good,” Loren Dixon of Oceanside said.
The play’s author and key performer, Hagen, is a regular mime performer at Seaport Village and instructor of theater and mime at Grossmont College. “Mime is universal,” Hagen said. “There is no language barrier.”
The fun performance is especially geared to kids. “Kids have always been my audience,” Hagen said. “When I’m not a kid at heart, I’m a grandpa. It’s the same thing.”
“Believe” performances will be held at 2 p.m. Dec. 11 and Dec. 18.
previous post
