• Organization

    masks.jpg

    Foothill College Drama Department

    The Foothill College Drama Department is an important center for theatre training on the Peninsula, encompassing studio acting, performance, literature, history and technical studies. Each quarter the department presents one or more major productions, and through the Foothill Music Theatre program produces full-scale presentations of musicals. All members of the community may audition for most of these productions.

    The Performance Program: The Drama Department operates a theatre program for the non-drama major, consisting of theatre appreciation, studio acting classes, and Theatre Live On Stage offered during the day and evenings. The Foothill Theatre Conservatory, a comprehensive and integrated program for the dedicated student, provides intensive instruction in acting, voice, movement, literature, history, master classes and production processes. The Conservatory is intended for actors of all ages seriously interested in an intensive investigation of all areas of theatre. The A.A. degree is available only through participation in the Conservatory or through the Theatre Technology program.

    For information on Foothill Drama Department courses, or to be placed on our mailing list for advance notice of auditions and classes, please call Jay Manley, department chair, at (650) 949-7417. For information on the Foothill Theatre Conservatory, call Janis Bergmann at (650) 949-7111. For information on the Theatre Technology Program, contact Joe Ragey at (650) 949-7272.

    • Contact Info

      Foothill College Drama Department

      12345 El Monte Road
      Los Altos Hills, CA 94022

      Phone: 650-948-4444

      Website

    • Member Reviews
      • Event Name: The Enchanted
        1 out of 5 stars rating "Disappointing"
        Review posted by: Sandra McCarty from Menlo Park, CA 94025, Nov 17, 2008

        A stellar cast laid waste by either poor casting, poor directing or simply a poor script. Add the heat and cramped theater and I left at intermission. I was very disappointed to see such talent act so... Expand

        All reviews/comments and complete event details

        A stellar cast laid waste by either poor casting, poor directing or simply a poor script. Add the heat and cramped theater and I left at intermission. I was very disappointed to see such talent act so badly. Collapse

        All reviews/comments and complete event details

      • Event Name: The Enchanted
        4.5 out of 5 stars rating "Wonderful"
        Review posted by: GailC from MenloPark, CA, Nov 14, 2008

        I have to disagree with the last post. The lead actress is from England therefore has a British accent. The story is an delightful tale of a young girl and her fantasies. The cast was strong and very... Expand

        All reviews/comments and complete event details

        I have to disagree with the last post. The lead actress is from England therefore has a British accent. The story is an delightful tale of a young girl and her fantasies. The cast was strong and very comfortable with one another. The dancing interludes was a great break between the scenes(gave my brain a chance to catch up!) I applaud Bergmann for such a touching love story and can't wait to tell my coworkers. Collapse

        All reviews/comments and complete event details

      • Event Name: The Enchanted
        4 out of 5 stars rating "Great energy from cast and good visuals!"
        Review posted by: Chet from San Jose, CA, Nov 14, 2008

        Although I expected The Enchanted to be a stage adaptation of the Disney movie, I was pleasantly surprised it was an entirely different plot.The actors portraying the main characters of the show:... Expand

        All reviews/comments and complete event details

        Although I expected The Enchanted to be a stage adaptation of the Disney movie, I was pleasantly surprised it was an entirely different plot.The actors portraying the main characters of the show: Isabell, Inspector, Supervisor, Mayor and Doctor provided a spiritual yet humorous look into how a small French town deals with the possibility of a Ghost (by the way, the actor performing the Ghost was very overdone--think of Keanau Reeves on crack).The ensemble maintained an upbeat energy especially during a surprising song and dance number which reveals a love of executing criminals.The simplistic set allowed us to focus on the cast and the audio/visual effects added a higher level of mystery to the show.Although the plot was a little confusing, at times, we must realize this was adapted from a French text in the early 20th century.The director was brilliant in using modern references: the internet, a cell phone.I recommend checking out this good production for a good price!! Collapse

        All reviews/comments and complete event details

      • Event Name: The Enchanted
        1 out of 5 stars rating "wasted two and a half hours on this"
        Review posted by: Jennifer from palo alto, ca, Nov 13, 2008

        i got the tickets free through tix bay area's "free night of theater." and thank goodness i didn't pay for this. acting wasn't bad, but too bad foothill's drama dept didn't pick a better material for... Expand

        All reviews/comments and complete event details

        i got the tickets free through tix bay area's "free night of theater." and thank goodness i didn't pay for this. acting wasn't bad, but too bad foothill's drama dept didn't pick a better material for them to work with. it's set in france, yet all the actors have a fake british accent. very distracting. and insulting since they must have thought we won't know the difference. plus the characters are just so stupid. everyone who lives in this fake-french town seem to not be right in the head. example: girl sees a man in black looking in through her window. she (and the entire town) immediately thinks it's a ghost. how about just a pervy peeping tom? nope, must be a ghost. then a whole lynch mob is assembled to assassinate the ghost... um, isn't he's already dead? not relatable. not entertaining. not believable. half the audience left at intermission and i should have gone, too. good thing it was free or i would've felt robbed of my time AND money Collapse

        All reviews/comments and complete event details

      • Event Name: The Adding Machine
        4 out of 5 stars rating "A Striking Commentary on the Modern Mechanics of Humanity"
        Review posted by: Drew Moore from San Jose, CA, Jun 11, 2008

        I have seen multiple plays at Foothill, and Adding Machine is one of the best. The cast does a great job of fulfilling the challenging demands of expressionism, and Tom Gough's able direction... Expand

        All reviews/comments and complete event details

        I have seen multiple plays at Foothill, and Adding Machine is one of the best. The cast does a great job of fulfilling the challenging demands of expressionism, and Tom Gough's able direction steers them well. There were impressive performances all around, but I was particularly impressed by Alex Hero as Mr. Zero and Suzanne Poulson as Miss Daisy, definitely the best work I have seen from them both. Sarah Griner also fills the stage with her commanding presence as the tour guide. This show requires some energy on the part of the audience as it is not a typical piece of theatrical realism, but stick with the action. You'll be glad you did. Collapse

        All reviews/comments and complete event details

      • Event Name: The Adding Machine
        5 out of 5 stars rating "COUNT THE WAYS!!!!"
        Review posted by: Uncle Sam from San Jose, CA, Jun 08, 2008

        OMG! Loved it! Spooky show. Very very strange, and takes a while to get used to. It's a type of show that you'll only see a couple of times in your theatre life. Intimate staging in the brand new... Expand

        All reviews/comments and complete event details

        OMG! Loved it! Spooky show. Very very strange, and takes a while to get used to. It's a type of show that you'll only see a couple of times in your theatre life. Intimate staging in the brand new Lohman theatre. Acting is HIGHLY stylized, but the style by definition is apart of the EXPRESSIONIST genre. I'm a theatre guy, and I loved the show. Check out the weird makeup/costumes/body positions. Mr./Mrs. Zero both good, along with Daisy and the Army fellow at the end. Check out the Fixer in the end of the first act, and Shirdlu throughout Act 2. Impressive stuff. Shirdlu was something to be seen. In two seconds Shirdlu goes from tortured weeping to calm relatable church member. There is one week left I believe to see the show. Take the time to go to Foothill and watch. And the new theatre means NO STAIRS!!!!! Hahahah. Collapse

        All reviews/comments and complete event details

      • Event Name: The Adding Machine
        1.5 out of 5 stars rating "Tries way to hard to be odd..."
        Review posted by: Steve from California, Jun 07, 2008

        But it fails miserably. The first act was terrible. It seemed like it had potential to be good but never was. I believe this was because of bad direction. One good actor came out of this whole thing:... Expand

        All reviews/comments and complete event details

        But it fails miserably. The first act was terrible. It seemed like it had potential to be good but never was. I believe this was because of bad direction. One good actor came out of this whole thing: The student playing the character of Shirdlu was hilarious... However his amazing skill was not enough to save this play. 1.5 stars only because of Shirdlu... Collapse

        All reviews/comments and complete event details

      • Event Name: The Adding Machine
        3 out of 5 stars rating "Great performances....play loses steam after intermission"
        Review posted by: Greg from Palo Alto, Jun 07, 2008

        What a great play, and some amazing performances. The actors playing Mr. Zero and his wife ramp up the dark comedy in the fist half with a couple fantastic exchanges. Though a simple set, these two... Expand

        All reviews/comments and complete event details

        What a great play, and some amazing performances. The actors playing Mr. Zero and his wife ramp up the dark comedy in the fist half with a couple fantastic exchanges. Though a simple set, these two really draw you in to set the stage for what you hope would be a strong finish. However, the second half is a little diluted with some over done performances by supporting actors, and this distracted from the story and the other performances. But overall, worth seeing and in parts extremely well done! Collapse

        All reviews/comments and complete event details

      • Event Name: The Adding Machine
        4 out of 5 stars rating "Excellent"
        Review posted by: Ray from Palo Alto, Jun 05, 2008

        Go see this show and expose yourself to a different kind of theatre experience. It's over the top style is probably more of the type of political theatre that you would only see in parts of Europe... Expand

        All reviews/comments and complete event details

        Go see this show and expose yourself to a different kind of theatre experience. It's over the top style is probably more of the type of political theatre that you would only see in parts of Europe these days. These young actors really get it and the deliver a fantastic show. Collapse

        All reviews/comments and complete event details

      • Event Name: The Adding Machine
        4.5 out of 5 stars rating "WONDERFULLY STRANGE"
        Review posted by: T Wilkins from Sunnyvale, CA, Jun 04, 2008

        Delightfully offbeat, poignant and humorous. A real change of pace from conventional theater with some terrific performances by the talented student cast. Takes a few scenes to get used to, but great... Expand

        All reviews/comments and complete event details

        Delightfully offbeat, poignant and humorous. A real change of pace from conventional theater with some terrific performances by the talented student cast. Takes a few scenes to get used to, but great story that leaves you to think about a few things. Definitely worth checking out in Foothill's comfy new theater. Collapse

        All reviews/comments and complete event details

  • Featured Sections

  • Featured Video

    View all videos in Video Central