Curtain Set to Descend on Long Career of Beloved Alhambra High Drama Teacher

"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" will cap Gerard Wiener's 33 years at the helm of high school's drama club; highlights from Mayor's State of City address

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By David Scholz

A small play, "The Time of Your Life," by William Saroyan began Gerard (Gerry) Wiener’s run with Alhambra High School, and that production’s title encapsulated the joy he garnered over the past 33 years at the helm of the school’s drama club.

“We did not have a theater in the beginning, so we converted the library into a theater, with a maximum of 100 seats,” Wiener recalled.

Directing the musical production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” is the exclamation mark to his illustrious career at AHS that will conclude with the close of the 2024-25 school year.

And with it comes still more challenges. But he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“The biggest challenge of our current musical is that every song is a group number, and the entire show is sung,” Wiener said. “The actors have a lot of music and choreography to learn in a short time.”

Gerard Wiener directs a rehearsal of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

Over the past three-plus decades, he has had the privilege of the old adage “I knew them when” as far as working with students who went on to bigger and better things in the arts.

“One recently won a Grammy; one has appeared on several TV shows. Many have kept in contact to share the interesting things they continue to pursue in the theater,” Wiener said.

As he reflects on his time at Alhambra, he cited the wonderful and dedicated students that he had the pleasure of teaching.

“I have taught a few generations of students in my time in Martinez,” Wiener said.

Furthermore, he expressed his gratitude for the support of the administration and Martinez Unified School District that the school’s drama department has received, including building of the dedicated performing space, art gallery, and drama and music rooms.

If he had one last wish for the AHS drama department, it would be that the school, district and town continue to support and appreciate “our hard work and talents and help us to continue to grow and produce wonderful shows for many years to come.

“It has been a very exciting place to work and create. It has been a blast.”

Tickets are now sale for “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” which debuts Wednesday, April 30, at 7 p.m.in the AHS Performing Arts Building at 150 E St. in Martinez. Additional performances will be held Thursday, May 1 and Friday, May 2 at 7 p.m., with a final matinee Saturday, May 3, at 2 p.m. Tickets are available now on GoFan.

Students rehearse for “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

Senior Dahlia Guidos stars as the Narrator who sings the audience through the story in the style of a pop vaudevillian showcase backed by a colorfully clad chorus and live orchestra.

Joseph’s devious but bumbling brothers are played by Charlotte Allen, Maliyah Aranzamendez, Waylen Dodds, Megan Kelley, Mars Kersey, Kenneth Ko, Mariano Kozera, Calina Montero, Soph Pogorzelski, Emma Scott and Samantha Yasaki. Supporting roles feature Brody Moran as Pharaoh, Aidan Rose as Jacob, Ben Scott as Potiphar, Tesslynn Ferra as Mrs. Potiphar, Ben Williams as the Butler, and Annabella Boyce as the Baker.

Rounding out the cast and Joseph’s large extended family are the wives played by Soraya Chavez-Monteiro, Livi DeShasier, Chloe Lamm, Valeria Gonzalez-Sandoval, Lillian Padilla and Daylana Shorter, with Derek Dyken, Hydi Hamilton, Mya Moore, Lev Narducci, Eliot Olson, Jillian Richards, Sebastian Rincon, Salem Simpson and Eliza Ugot as members of the ensemble chorus. Angelina Harris is the production’s dance captain and appears as a featured dancer.

Sara Stafford is technical director and musical director, with choreography by Brittany Watson and costume design by Sara Bragg. Performing the instrumental music under the direction of Stafford are student musicians Isabel Bour, Danny Dominguez, Liam Evans, Vi Harrington, Austin Loker, Maruel Millena, Myron Millena, Tatiana Orellana, Naomi Rivera, Gauri Sagar, Chloe Stovall, Aimee Truong, Sam Weldon and Kaiya Yasaki with AHS alumnus Conor Topasna. Technical crew includes students Mikayla Kite, Jasmine Nicolas, Ivy Oh, Erin O’Hara, Landon Poston and Daphne Yasaki.

Productions of the AHS Drama Club are made possible in part by the nonprofit Alhambra High School Arts Foundation. Lead sponsors at the time of publishing are C&J Fencing, Martinez Early Childhood Center, Martinez Music Mafia, Sara & Michael Bragg, the Bubna-Coombs Family, the Kelley Family, and Laura & Jose Yasul.

The foundation encourages local businesses and individuals to sponsor or donate to support production costs for this and future shows at Alhambra High School at givebutter.com/sponsorahsdrama or contact alhambradramaboosters@gmail.com

A recent rehearsal for “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

The following items were produced by Craig Lazzeretti.

In other MUSD news…

• The Martinez Unified School District Board of Trustees is seeking community feedback as it searches for a superintendent to replace Helen Rossi, who is planning to retire at the end of the school year. Residents are invited to fill out an online survey on the qualities and characteristics they desire in the next superintendent at the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MartinezBoard

• By a 3-1 vote March 24, the board approved a side letter with the Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council (BTC) extending the current project labor agreement for construction projects to include those funded by Measure O, which voters passed in November. The side letter had become a subject of heated debate and public comment at a previous meeting because the local carpenters union split from the BTC and wanted to be included in the side litter as a third party. When the matter first came up at a January board meeting, the board deadlocked 2-2, but board President Tania Brugger changed her position on March 24 and voted to approve the side letter as crafted, expressing hope that the BTC and carpenters union could still work out their differences. Board member Logan Campbell was the lone no vote, saying he believed the carpenters should be included as a separate entity in the amended agreement.

• Also at the March 24 meeting, the board approved a 1% annual pay increase for district staff.

• At the April 14 board meeting, trustee Courtney Masella-O’Brien suggested that the board re-establish an ad hoc committee to address refinery-related concerns in light of recent fires and community alerts at PBF Energy’s Martinez refinery. Brugger supported the idea. Most of MUSD’s campuses are located a short distance from the refinery.

• At its Monday, April 28 board meeting, the board is expected to vote on expanding facility use of Knowles Field at Alhambra High School on Sundays until 6 p.m., to accommodate increased demand by a local youth flag football program. Use of the field is currently allowed from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. The board initially was presented with a proposal to change the hours to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but trustees gave staff direction at the April 14 board meeting to make the new hours 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. out of sensitivity to nearby neighbors who may want noise limited on Sunday mornings.

• Also on Monday, the board will consider increasing the superintendent’s base salary to $270,537 annually, with a 1% raise retroactive to July 1. The board will also be asked to approve resolutions laying off or reducing the work schedule of one certificated employee and eight classified employees because of budget reductions. Only one of the affected positions is full time.

• With a pending June 17 mail-in election to fill the vacant Area 3 seat, the school board will remain at only four members through the end of the school year, meaning that if at least two members dissent on any vote, it will fail, and no more than one member can be absent to maintain a meeting quorum. The highly unusual special election is occurring after a petition terminated the appointment of Brittany Ayala to fill the vacancy in January. According to district records, none of the previous six appointments to fill board vacancies since 2000 resulted in a special election. With the exception of a special election that was apparently called in 1977 in response to an appointment, Superintendent Rossi said she knew of no other special elections challenging school board appointments based on the district records at her immediate disposal. Ballots in the contest between Ayala and Brenda Leal are expected to go out to voters in Area 3 the week of May 19. For more on the turmoil that has engulfed the district over the special election, see last month’s post, which has become one of the most widely read in the history of this newsletter.
  

Mayor’s State of the City Address

Martinez Mayor Brianne Zorn highlighted several accomplishments over the past year during her annual State of the City Address to the Chamber of Commerce on April 17 while acknowledging that repeated incidents at PBF Energy’s Martinez refinery — including a major fire in February — continue to negatively impact city pride and Martinez’s reputation. (While Martinez News and Views wasn’t able to attend the talk, Zorn provided a slideshow that summarized her presentation.)

Among the highlights that Zorn trumpeted:

• The hiring of a new marina manager and start of work to renovate the fishing pier

• Staff recruitment and retention that has led to the lowest City Hall vacancy rate in five years, enhancing public safety and city services

• Several new public amenities, including the opening of the Alhambra Hills open space and Hidden Valley pickleball parks to the public; the start of construction for the new Pine Meadow Park; and major renovations/repairs to the Rankin Aquatic Center

• New housing initiatives including density bonus regulations and city development incentives; “overlay districts” designed to facilitate construction; and the release of pre-approved Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) plans that are available on the city website

• Facilitating city service requests for water, streets, parks, code enforcement and parking meter issues through online request forms

• Continued paving work funded by the Measure D sales tax to improve the condition of city roads, as well as a new traffic safety website

• The launch of a new Police Department Strategic Enforcement Team to respond to high-impact public safety issue in the city

Among the challenges that Zorn said the city is facing:

• An economic slowdown that has reduced sales tax and cannabis revenues

• A 44% increase in pension liabilities over the next five years

• Rising insurance costs

• Limited development interest and activity in Martinez stemming from high construction costs and the current economic climate

• Addressing aging infrastructure at the marina with limited sources of revenue

• Ongoing issues surrounding the unhoused and services to meet their needs

Speaking to ongoing community concerns about the Martinez Refining Co. in light of two fires so far this year, Zorn said the city continues to work with Contra Costa County, which has oversight over the facility, to enforce additional components of the county’s Industrial Safety Ordinance to improve the refinery’s safety. The city is also following up with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) about a community air monitoring station, and she emphasized the need for meaningful investment by the the refinery into the city, given that the taxes it pays flow to the county.

Looking ahead, Zorn discussed a public-private partnership strategy designed to revitalize the marina and waterfront; expanding commercial services at the marina and creating better connectivity to downtown; attracting national and regional retailers; traffic safety improvements, including around schools; and the recently approved discounted annual parking pass program for downtown business owners and their employees.

Finally, next year will mark Martinez’s 150th birthday, and Zorn said an ad hoc subcommittee has begun planning events to mark the milestone.

Social media post of the week

To finish this newsletter where it began, this Instagram post from the Alhambra Drama Club announces a special toast to Gerard Wiener following the Saturday, May 3 matinee performance of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”