'Bunnicula' hops into Mountain View 'Bunnicula' hops into Mountain View (October 22, 2004)

Peninsula Youth Theatre opens hilarious horror story

By Julie O'Shea

:Peninsula Youth Theatre opens its 2004-2005 Stories on Stage season with a vegetable-sucking bunny and a very paranoid cat.

Based on the popular children's book by Deborah and James Howe, "Bunnicula" will play at the Mountain View Performing Arts Center's Second Stage on Friday at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. and Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

The story is exactly what you'd expect it to be about -- a vampire pet bunny. But instead of sucking blood, this deviant critter is draining the family's tomatoes and carrots of their juice. Interestingly, the only one who seems disturbed by these discolored veggies is an uptight housecat named Chester, who's read one too many vampire novels.

"Chester is sort of your typical cat. He's jealous of the rabbit and thinks everyone is lower than him," said Emma Carr, a 12-year-old Mountain View resident who will be playing the snobby feline protagonist.

It is the cat who gets the ball rolling on his vampire theory and tries to bring the dog, Harold, into his corner.

"The pets are the only ones who know what's really going on," said Anna Powell, 14, a Los Altos resident who plays the title role. "I read the book when I was younger and thought it sounded interesting."

The seven-member cast will have rehearsed just eight times before this Friday's opening.

"It's kind of an exciting pressure," said director Elise Guerrero. "I think it's a great idea. It's a different kind of theater."

Stories on Stage brings well-known children's books to stage. The staff at Peninsula Youth Theatre either uses scripts already adapted from the books or, if none are available, gets permission to adapt the stories themselves.

Guerrero said the Seattle Repertory Theatre had already adapted "Bunnicula," and PYT decided to use a truncated version of the script for this season. PYT's "Bunnicula" clocks in at 50 minutes, and Guerrero considers this the perfect Halloween threat for kids.

"I love the feeling of being up there and everyone watching you. It's really exciting," Emma said. However, the young performer still admitted she's a little nervous about Friday's opening.

"Even though I'm an actor, I do get stage fright," she said.

E-mail Julie O'Shea at joshea@mv-voice.com

For more information about Stories on Stage, call 988-8798 or visit www.pytnet.org.

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