August 26, 2005

In "The Scarlet Letter," Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic American novel, the letter "A" stands for adultery.

But local actor Lim Forgey is focusing on the letter "B." For "breakthrough."

Tonight at College of the Sequoias, "The Scarlet Letter: The Opera" transforms Hawthorne's story - about a young woman who has an affair with a priest in Puritan Boston - into what Forgey calls a visual and aural masterpiece. Forgey plays wronged husband Roger Chillingworth.

"The story is fantastic for opera," director Jon Rainbow said. "It is emotional, melodramatic and tragic."

John Ploegstra, a teacher at Central Valley Christian School, plays the charismatic but troubled Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale. With Hester Prynne, Dimmesdale has an illegitimate child, Pearl, who's played by 11-year-old Pinkham Elementary School student Aryonna Ambrose.

"He is a conflicted man," Ploegstra said of Dimmesdale. "His heart has been stolen by Hester and he seriously loves her. But he loves God as well."

Amy Brown, a senior at Central Valley Christian, plays Prynne. Brown said she read the novel to put herself in the woman's shoes.

"I admire her strength and her refusal to cave in under pressure," she said.

But there's more to the production than strong characters, Brown said.

"The audience should expect wonderful music in every scene," she said.

Local musicians in a 15-piece orchestra will perform the opera's music, which fuses drum beats, modern Broadway, rock and traditional opera, flutist Jennifer Rincon said.

"People will find it refreshing that they will hear music that they can identify with and connect them to a story from a different time," she said.

Music helps tell the classic story in a new way, said stage director James McDonnell, head of theater at COS.

"We not only get insight to the emotional lives of the characters but also clues to how they feel about each other and how they stand," he said.

One pivotal moment to watch for is the love scene between Prynne and Dimmesdale, Ploegstra said.

"It's the emotional crescendo of the story," Rainbow said. "It will be something that the audience will be longing to see."

But be ready for surprises, Rincon said.

Another aspect of the opera that audiences will enjoy is the costume design by the director's wife,

See Opera/4

How to attend

What: "The Scarlet Letter: The Opera"

When: 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday

Where: College of Sequoias Theatre

Tickets: $15. Available at Central Valley Christian School, Borders Bookstore, Piano Gallery, Studio 317, Visalia Coffee Co. and at the door.

Information: 635-0606

Juan Villa/For Choices

Amy Brown, a senior at Central Valley Christian, plays Hester Prynne during a rehearsal for "The Scarlet Letter: The Opera." Jon Rainbow, an English teacher at CVC, adapted the classic American novel for the stage. It's about a woman who commits adultery.