HLOC Brings God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater to Arcata Stage This March

A voice not unlike God's speaks in the darkness, announcing to the audience that the main character in this adventure is the staggering sum of $87,472,033.61. That's the opening gambit of the Humboldt Light Opera Company's production of God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, Kurt Vonnegut's savagely funny satire on American greed, generational wealth, madness and the struggle for dignity, now playing at Gist Hall Theater on the Cal Poly Humboldt campus in Arcata.

The production opened Friday, March 13, and runs through Sunday, March 22, with six performances total. Evening shows on Fridays, March 13 and 20, and Saturdays, March 14 and 21, begin at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees on March 15 and 22 start at 2 p.m. Doors open 30 minutes before each curtain.

The production marks HLOC's first adult spring show in 14 years. Casey Vaughn leads the cast as Eliot Rosewater, with Samantha Williams as Sylvia Rosewater, Bill Ryder as Senator Rosewater, Dave Stacey as Mr. McAllister, Tehya Tuttle as Norma Mushari, and Jim Buschmann as the science-fiction writer Kilgore Trout. Rounding out the ensemble in various roles are Kate O'Faolain, Brandy Rose, Elaine Yslas, Bryan Tari, Tom Szanto, Becky Perry, Nieves Rathbun, Cindy Dower, Nona Mineva, Chuck Supple and Alexander Hermstad.

HLOC assembled the cast specifically to mix stage veterans with newcomers, reflecting the company's stated mission to give anyone who wants to participate in community theater the chance to do so. The result, according to the company, is a cast that "delightfully brings this story alive."

Tickets are $25, not including fees, and are on sale at hlo.booktix.com. The theater has open seating, and given Gist Hall's intimate size, HLOC is advising audiences to purchase tickets as early as possible, noting that performances will likely sell out. Additional information is available at hloc.org.