Pintello Comedy Theater
“The number one comment we hear from the community is
that they always know they’ll leave laughing. Whether it’s screwball
or cutting-edge thoughtful comedy, there is something for everyone
in every show season. We aim to bring levity into the community
with entertainment that is touching, but not taxing.
“Our musicals are always a huge hit with our patrons. This year
we hired a new vocal director, Joe Kelley, who is fabulous. Our
summer production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling
Bee was our fourth musical and we brought the audience right into
the action, inviting guests onstage to participate in the spelling bee.
It was hilarious.”
South Valley Civic Theater
If you haven’t been to South Valley Civic Theater (SVCT), you
owe it to yourself to go. The 2015-16 season includes Mulan Jr for
Disney fans (complete with a performance by local Taiko Drum
musicians), Tru for fans of Truman Capote, and Mary Poppins for
the whole family. Past season hits included The Producers, Proof,
Oliver! and Little Women to name just a few.
According to board member Scott Lynch, “Our new season
features new productions that will appeal to children, teens and
adults. We are particularly proud of the opportunities we provide
THEATER
If there is a gene that carries the instinct for comedy, the Pintello
family has it in spades. Rod and his wife Marian, daughter
Whitney and son Simon have been in community theater together
since the early 1980s. They were involved with the South Valley
Civic Theater until 2003 when Rod and Marian opened their own
theater company so they could focus on comedy.
“Our parents’ vision has always been to make people feel
welcome, like they’re in our living room and not just patrons,”
Whitney said. “At every performance, we personally greet people,
many of whom are regulars and have become our friends.”
Before they choose a new year’s worth of productions, the
Pintellos like to do “table reads” where they sit down with a script
and read it out loud to see how it sounds live. “It’s not like TV.
Theater is so much more personal. We want to get a strong sense of
whether people are going to connect with the story and enjoy it.”
The Gilroy Grange Hall became their home stage in 2006. A
donation from Don and Karen Christopher kicked off a phased
renovation of the theater that began in 2011 to upgrade the basics
from storage, stairs and lighting to restrooms. The theater offers
cabaret style seating, encouraging guests to come in groups and
relax with food and beverages from the concession area.
“The Grange Hall is a nice partnership for us,” Whitney said.
“This summer, we celebrated our 50th show since opening there.
The Annual
Putnam County Spelling Bee
12
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015
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