A summer of melodramatic moments

Young Chang

Evan Hirsch lets out a “Moo-ha-ha-ha-ha!” It’s a lecherous,

crescendoing laugh, like Dr. Evil’s in the movie “Austin Powers.”

Onstage, the 15-year-old wears a black cape, black shirt, black pants

and black top hat. It’s all for his role as the villain, J. Tamarack

Gargle.

He means to be obvious.

Evan and his 31 youthful co-stars in “Melodrama Madness” -- being

performed Saturday and Sunday at the South Coast Repertory’s Second Stage

-- are trying their best to overact.

This weekend may be the Summer Players only chance to throw subtlety,

naturalism and realism far, far away -- out the window and into the

audience.

Those who go to see the play will be asked to participate by emcees

holding signs encouraging them to hiss for the villains and sigh for the

heroines. Just like in the melodramatic days of the 1890s.

The Players troupe is part of the repertory’s Young Conservatory, a

yearlong youth theater program.

“Melodrama Madness,” a compilation of Victorian-style music hall acts

showcasing singing, dancing, acting and comedy talent. It has all the

elements of a flamboyant, exaggerated performance.

“True, Blue and Trusted,” makes up about a third of the show. The play

focuses on the Lackamoney family, which doesn’t have enough money to pay

rent.

The landowner-villain, played by Evan of Newport Beach, blackmails the

daughter of the household, played by Courtney Stallings, 16, of Fountain

Valley. If the damsel in distress will marry him, he says, the dastardly

villi an will let the family live in their humble abode.

This would today, Courtney said, be the story of a New York family who

can’t pay rent and the mean coach-potato landlord downstairs who actually

enjoys evicting his tenants.

Costumed in a white dress, white gloves, white shoes and white

stockings, her character is innocent and pure. She’s the only one wearing

all white; Evan’s the only one clad in all black. Makes it easier to know

when to hiss or sigh.

Others have more vibrant wardrobes: Andrea Savopolos, 14, of Costa

Mesa, wears a shiny maroon tuxedo coat with perky jacket tails and puffy

shoulders for her role as the emcee.

The exaggerated nature of “Melodrama Madness” makes the whole

performance more colorful, in Andrea’s opinion.

In preparation for the performances, the troupe has devoted the last

three weeks to trying to forget what the members have learned about

acting. Instead of playing real characters, they’ll blow up emotions and

gestures and be as unreal as they can be.

“It’s like being in a cartoon, and no one gets to do that,” Courtney

said.

Newport Beach’s Katrina Redelsheimer, 14, will sing and dance for the

show. She noted that the music of the 1890s is different from today --

much happier, with melodies you can sing along to.

“Now we have Eminem and all these people who just rave about how

terrible the world is,” Katrina said. “You can’t really hum rap, but the

songs in this era are really easy to sing.”

As emcee, Andrea will do a lot of talking, exchanging funny lines with

co-emcee Leon Schwab, to entertain the audience between scene breaks .

Andrea said that, from her studies, she noticed comedy hasn’t really

changed in the last 110 years.

“The same things make people laugh,” she concluded.

FYI

* WHAT: “Melodrama Madness”

* WHEN: 1 and 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

* WHERE: South Coast Repertory’s Second Stage, 655 Town Center Drive

* COST: Tickets are $5.

Information: (714) 708-5555