Air guitar play sings with 'humanity' at college
Apr. 23—With only a few shows left, Yuba College Theatre is taking audience members into the world of air guitar competitions and allowing them to root for one woman's quest to achieve victory and airness.
Set to run until Sunday, the comedy play "Airness" is about more than just what its name suggests.
"I feel like (airness is) freedom because that's what rock and roll is. It's freedom to be yourself and spread the love," Quinn Rickert, an actor in the play, said.
Airness is when you are not on stage scared to death, a different actor in the play, Asaiah Dangerfield, said.
"You're just there in the moment playing (air guitar)," Dangerfield said. "You're doing it better than the original guitarist."
Dangerfield said that a philosophy of air guitar is that if everyone is holding air guitars, they cannot hold guns.
The play is directed by Yuba College theater professor James Gilbreath. Gilbreath said that although the play is about air guitar, it is also really about performance, and many of the statements that the characters make resonate with actors. For example, one character in the play said that air guitar is pretend, but it is a serious pretend.
Eloisa Lopez plays the female lead in the play, Nina, who later becomes her air guitar stage name, "The Nina." Audience members first get to watch her disappointing showing at her initial air guitar competition in a run-down bar in Staten Island, New York. Nina tries to improve from there, and there is something that feels quite heartful and organic about her portrayal.
"I have absolute confidence that Eloisa could act as any character — the most challenging character," Gilbreath said. "That's just such an exciting thing for a young actor. It's exciting. I just can't wait to see what Eloisa is like in 10 years."
Lopez is a Yuba College student who also works in the cafeteria, and Gilbreath said that someone noted how when Lopez is on stage, she is totally different. She has a real transformation skill.
Meanwhile, Dangerfield had to transform into his character Shreddy Eddie on short notice. He plays Nina's air guitar mentor in the play and it is a large role. However, at the last minute, Dangerfield was added to the group for an emergency recast. He is currently a senior at CORE Charter School in Marysville.
"He has mastered not only his lines but also an engaging interpretation of his character. His energy is incredible, and he has become an inspiring member of the cast," Gilbreath said in an email.
The play features some memorable costumes, primarily from the air guitar-playing character Golden Thunder, played by Yuba College student Alberto Salcedo.
Visually, it is a whirl. Golden Thunder can be seen wearing gold, a sombrero and poncho look and there is also a pants rip-off moment during an air guitar performance. Underneath the pants are shorts that feature half of a normal American flag and half of a Confederate flag, and Golden Thunder quickly rips off those shorts in favor of shorts that only show the American flag — the Billy Idol song "Rebel Yell" plays in the background of this scene. Golden Thunder rips away the harsh symbol of the Confederate flag because air guitar is instead about peace, Dangerfield said.
"This play reminded me so much of humanity as a whole," Lopez said. "Perfections, freedom, anger, everything — it just felt so beautiful."
The play will continue at the college through Saturday with showings at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 2 p.m. The play is at the Yuba College Theatre, located at 2088 North Beale Rd. in Marysville, and tickets are by donation at the door. For more information, visit YubaLive.com.
For future performances, Gilbreath said that auditions usually occur during the first week of every semester, and anyone can attend whether they are a Yuba College student or not.
