Westmont Magazine Students Take Center Stage

“Innovative . . . exciting . . . unnerving,” wrote critic Charles Donelan about “The Car Play Project” for the Santa Barbara Independent. Student productions at Westmont continue to win praise for their creativity and excellence.

Professor Mitchell Thomas had such a successful run with the fall production “The Car Play Project”that he drove it downtown and kicked off the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization’s inaugural First Thursday, a monthly event focused on art and culture. The 16 short plays take place entirely within 16 different vehicles.

Putting a new spin on the classic Greek comedy “The Clouds” by Aristophanes, Professor John Blondell staged an enter-taining play with a moral edge (see photo above). The work lampoons intellectual trends of the fifth century B.C., but Blondell made it exciting and relevant with contem-porary elements and references. The production won praise from local media.

The Chamber Orchestra presented the opening event of the Santa Barbara International Guitar Festival, featuring faculty soloist Patrick Anderson on the guitar. The 50-member College Choir joined the 40-member orchestra for a number.

The College Choir presented the rock musical “Godspell,”co-directed by alumna Sharon Williams ’06 and student Jessica Weber. The cast included 10 students and two recent Westmont alumni.