The residents of the gated community of Rancho Mirage have achieved the American Dream – but it may truly be only a mirage.
Bethel College Theater presents Rancho Mirage, a play by Steven Dietz, on stage in Krehbiel Auditorium in Luyken Fine Arts Center March 22, 23 and 24.
Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday’s is a matinee at 2 p.m. The Friday evening performance will be interpreted for the d/Deaf community.
Tickets are on sale at Thresher Shop in Schultz Student Center weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., online at https://www.bethelks.edu/fine-arts/theater/theater-department-presents/ or at the door. They are $12 for adults, $8 for seniors and $4 for students (free to Bethel students if picked up in Thresher Shop before 5 p.m. on Friday).
Rancho Mirage contains adult themes and language and is not suitable for children.
According to director Damon Klassen, the residents of the fictional Rancho Mirage “grew up believing everything that capitalist pop culture taught them about individualism, appearance and the value of the holy dollar. Now they’re faced with the results of their choices.”
In the Washington Post’s 2013 review, Peter Marks wrote, “When best friends gather in Rancho Mirage, … bottles of wine aren’t the only things that are opened and served.
“Old wounds, ancient grudges, petty swipes, recitations of the angst and despair marinating behind sun-dappled
doors: These are the pass-arounds that really get the party started.”
“Relentless comedy” keeps it all from dissolving into that despair, Klassen said.
“These incredibly talented students have united as an ensemble, taking all the rapid-fire banter and wit and making it their own. We hope you’ll have as much fun watching the whirlwind as we’ve had putting it together.”
The cast is Rowen Schulz, first-year from Lena, Ill., as Nick Dahner; Emily Guldner, junior from Independence, Mo., as Diane Dahner; Madison Terrell, junior from Derby, as Louise Caldwell; Denzel Dixon, senior from Newark, Del., as Trevor Neese; Emil Benavides, junior from Stockton, as Pam Caldwell; Tristan England, junior from Pretty Prairie, as Charlie Caldwell; and Kyra Linenberger, first-year from Garden City, as Julie.
The crew includes Bethel theater alumni Jocelyn Wilkinson and Rachel Geyer as technical director and stage manager, respectively; Linenberger and Delaynie Mayes, sophomore from Hesston, as assistant stage managers; Miquel Ruiz Gasull as sound board operator; and Daniel Kaufman, senior from Moundridge, as light board operator.
Costume design is by Hayden Honomichl, senior from Great Bend. The Theater Practicum class designed and built the set, while Marissa Harrison, senior from Newton, and Gracie Higgins, junior from Tacoma, Wash., serve as stage crew.
The show runs about 105 minutes plus a 10-minute intermission.
Note that the actors will not be using stage microphones. A few assisted listening devices are available on request from an usher or the sound booth.
Bethel is a four-year liberal arts college founded in 1887 and is the oldest Mennonite college in North America. Bethel ranks at #23 in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of “Best Regional Colleges Midwest” for 2023-24. Bethel was the first Kansas college or university to be named a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Center, in 2021. For more information, see http://www.bethelks.edu
