Sunol is home to rolling hills, grazing cows and a little over 900—human—residents, according to the 2022 census. The Sunol Repertory Theater has been performing for the last 43 years with a mix of old-timers who’ve been involved for decades and new members who travel to rehearsals from nearby cities like Livermore and Fremont. This March, the group will perform “Robin Hood and His Merry Men,” a lively comedy.
“It’s fun and meant for everyone to laugh and have a good time,” said co-director Meredith Sarboraria, describing action-packed scenes with forest chases, different entrances and exits, slow motion fights, and a “comically large butterfly net.”
All ticket sales and proceeds will be donated to the Sunol Glen School, after accounting for production costs. So far, the group has donated over $200,000 to the school, according to their website. Members describe a scrappy approach to keep costs low, with volunteers helping with equipment installations and painting sets.
“I went all over and couldn’t find the right fabric for Matilda’s costume,” said Patti Balch, the group’s costume and set-designer who joined 39 years ago and made all 22 costumes this year. “Then one day, I went and got a haircut. The cape that the hair stylist was wearing was perfect. I bought the cape and used it to make her dress.”
The play features plenty of medieval-inspired scenery and outfits. The knights wear chainmail and part of the Sheriff’s costume was ordered from Germany. One backdrop has individually block-printed castle walls, and another has intricate foliage and greenery. Both were a collaboration between Balch and Chris Sehenuk, a local graphic artist.
“The paintings on set this year are mind-blowing. They’re incredibly beautiful,” said co-director Chris Bobertz, a Sunol resident who also serves on the local school board. Bobertz recalls a school official admiring the backdrops so much that she asked whether the sets could be left on display in the school auditorium for a little longer.
The production, March 8 – 29, runs on Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30pm and will also, for the first time in decades, have a 2pm matinee show on Saturday, March 22.
In such a tight-knit community, everyone seems to play a role. The music teacher at Sunol Glen School directs music for the production, with local band students playing in accompaniment.
Even the Sunol Glen school superintendent and principal will appear in one showing: “We wrote her a couple lines,” said Bobertz, who originally joined the repertory theater when his eldest son developed an interest in drama. After being asked on a whim to read some lines, Bobertz was unexpectedly cast for the hero in the very first year he—and his son—got involved.
“We’ve had parents acting in plays along with their children,” said Mary Conant, a co-producer this year. “We make it work for any child. A little one who’s shy might be our sign person.”
At the same time, members of the cast and crew hope the audience won’t be shy during a performance. “Our play is very interactive,” said co-producer Robin Spindler, who encourages viewers to boo and hiss for villains, cheer for heroes and generally participate with lively reactions. “It’s two hours of a whole lot of fun, and a whole lot of laughing.”
With each passing year, the Sunol Repertory Theater manages to maintain a tight-knit community ethic. Conant describes the group as a “small-town love affair” with members and neighbors putting on different hats and playing—literally—multiple roles in each performance.
While many things remain timeless, fresh members and new ideas blend with old-timers who’ve been acting with the troupe since the ’80s.
“We’ve had the sets for 43 years. Every single year, we paint over them,” said Balch, recalling the twinge she felt this season when they had to paint over a forest backdrop that she managed to preserve since 2010.
With how stunning the “Robin Hood” set has turned out, a similar pain may occur again in the future. But Balch accepts the necessity of change. “Nobody wants to paint over the trees—‘We can’t paint over it,’ they say. But you never know what next year is going to be.”
‘Robin Hood and His Merry Men’
Saturday, Mar. 8 – Mar. 29
Sunol Glen School Theatre
11601 Main St., Sunol
Tickets $20
