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by Bev | Jan 14, 2022

Roswell Community Little Theater Spotlight on: Alethea Hartwell

by Bev | Jan 13, 2022

Alethea Hartwell, seasoned director, and actress for Roswell Community Little Theater (RCLT) has begun an improv program for the theater. The second production is in the works and scheduled for Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. inside of the theater.
Alethea brings out the best in her actors. She shines in the art of improv, pulling delight and mischief from the impromptu performances of old and young thespians.

Married for 21 years to her high school sweetheart, Alethea grew up in Roswell where she homeschooled her daughter and son. Alethea’s parents drew her into theater at a young age. When she was 12, she “opened the door” of the murder room in the play, the Murder Room, along with several other special effects. This early theater work, along with church skits gave Alethea the “acting bug” and she has happily worked in theater ever since. Her directing debut was Wait Until Dark at RCLT in the old building about 15 years ago.

One of Alethea’s most memorable experiences in theater was in the comedy, Evening of Culture. It is a play within a play and Alethea starred as Juliet’s mother. In the performance, many malfunctions were scripted in. A flat was to fall and a bench was to kind of break. On opening night, as Alethea sat on the bench that was to “kind of break,” it broke completely, and she found herself abruptly seated on the stage floor. She managed to calm her giggles before they got the best of her, and the performance was well received. Of course, the bench was fixed to “kind of break” for the following performance.
Alethea is a consummate professional. She knows her lines long before the off-script rehearsal and manages to turn even marginal characters into great fun on stage. When asked how she does this, she responds that she tries to think what the character would do in any given instance and then channels that into her role.

The nervous jitters on opening night, signal Alethea that she is off and running. They give her a boost of adrenaline. In a recent play that she was directing, one of the main actors fell ill between week one and week two of the live performance. Alethea stepped into his role and performed several of his scenes. Though she knew the lines, she wasn’t quite stage ready. However, the jitters and her professionalism got her through.
Alethea is the perfect director for Improv between shows. Attend this event and laugh and enjoy on Friday, 28 Jan. We hope to see you there.

Review of The Shadow of the Wind

by Bev | Jul 2, 2020

The Shadow of the Wind (La Sombra del Viento)
Carlos Ruiz Zafon, 2001
Translation to English in 2004, Lucia Graves

The book opens in 1945 Daniel Sempere’s father takes him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books where eleven year old Daniel adopts a book titled The Shadow of the Wind, written by Julian Carax in 1935.
Zafon layers the love stories of Julian Carax and Daniel Sempere, not so much as a book within a book, but more two stories within one novel. He sets these tales on the plane of surreal Barcelona, as much a character in the novel as either Julian or Daniel.

Seeking more information about Julian Carax, Daniel falls in love with the beautiful Clara Barcelo almost twice his age, when he seeks out Clara’s uncle, a noted book seller and collector. Clara knew of Carax through an old tutor and had long searched for titles by the author to no avail. Barcelo knows just enough to send Julian down several circuitous paths, chasing the whereabouts and intrigues of the missing author. Eventually Julian gives his prized book to Clara, hoping to garner her love.

Daniel meets Lain Coubert in the street one night following an argument with his father. Lain’s leathery, burned face scares Daniel. The monstrous man seemed to have stepped from the pages of Carax’s novel. Lain is the name Carax gave the Devil in Shadow of the Wind and he wants to buy the book from Daniel. Shaken, Daniel seeks out Clara to protect her from Lain and to hide the book. He finds Clara in bed with her lover. The enraged lover beats Daniel and throws him from the house, but not before Daniel finds the book.

Stumbling from the house, Daniel passes a beggar camped outside Clara’s door. The beggar invites Daniel to rest and share some cheap wine. Eventually, Daniel’ father employs this beggar, Fermin Romero de Torres.

Daniel conspires with Fermin to unravel the mystery of Julian Carax and the missing books. They learn that Julian and Fermin share a common enemy, who yet seeks to detroy Fermin and those who help him.

The plot unfolds into a history of Julian Carax that mirrors Daniel’s story. Daniel falls for his best friend’s sister, just as Julian had done years earlier. Brothers and rival suitors tear through the linked tales in past and current setting for the book, while Fermin and Daniel track further into the reaches of a colorful underbelly of Barcelona. Meanwhile, Fermin’s enemy seeks to kill both Fermin and Daniel.

I enjoyed the dense layering of plot and setting. At one point Daniel promises to show Bea, his beloved, a side of Barcelona that will make her want to stay, in the city and with Daniel. In showing Bea the city, Daniel reveals Barcelona to the reader, delighting, scaring and enticing. Fermin Romero de Torres establishes a running commentary on politics women and Barcelona adding delightful turns of phrase, sophistry and wisdom to the text. Julian Carax as well as the old librarian delighted me throughout.

All in all a great, if long, read.