Heady times for Estancia’s Pauline Maranian

Tom Titus

On my living room wall is a montage of photos from my daughter

Mindy’s graduation day at Estancia High School in 1997. Among the

pictures is one of Mindy hugging a favorite teacher.

That teacher, Pauline Maranian, has been on the receiving end of

quite a few hugs in the past week. The drama and English instructor

was one of five Orange County high school faculty to share a Golden

Apple “teacher of the year” honor.

She hasn’t had much time to rest on her laurels, since her

production of the musical comedy “Sugar” opens tonight in the Robert

B. Wentz Auditorium at Newport Harbor High School. If the title

doesn’t ring a bell, think of the classic movie comedy “Some Like It

Hot,” of which “Sugar” is the stage musical version.

Maranian had a tough act to follow when she took over as

Estancia’s drama teacher and production director six years ago. Her

predecessor, Barbara Van Holt, had been so successful in student play

competitions that when she retired, the school’s theater was named

after her.

Nevertheless, Maranian plunged in like the 27-year-old pro she was

-- and her production of “Carnival” won the highest honor in that

year’s Music & Art Commendation for Youth awards. (Mindy, as a snake

charmer interacting with a live python, earned a Bright Spot trophy.)

In six years, Maranian has led her students to a cluster of MACY

awards, and has won the admiration of hundreds of aspiring thespians,

including my daughter, whose lone regret was that she only had

Maranian’s guidance for a single term, since her senior year was

Maranian’s first at Estancia.

“I am completely overwhelmed and humbled by the award,” Maranian

said. “It was such a beautiful surprise made even more beautiful by

the response from my kids. They were so happy for me, and that truly

warmed my heart.

“It is also an honor which I find validating because I do spend so

much time and energy teaching and directing,” she added. “It really

is an all-consuming profession, and so this recognition is a real

boost.

“My vice principal asked me what I was going to do that night to

celebrate, and I told him I was going to rehearsal, of course,” she

said. “I love what I do, where I work and with whom I work. I feel

extremely blessed.”

Estancia High is blessed to have Maranian guiding its theater

program. Her work will be on display tonight through Saturday at 7:30

p.m. in the form of the musical comedy “Sugar” at Harbor High.

Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. They may be ordered

at (949) 515-6537.

*

For those who’ve wondered whatever happened to Damian Lorton,

former artistic director at the Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse (and this

column’s man of the year in theater for 2000), he’s teamed up with

Newport’s Nicole Cassesso, a Harbor High graduate, to put together a

musical benefit show for Saddleback College.

Lorton and Cassesso are producing “Steve Anthony Tonight,” a

one-man show by the Broadway veteran, a member of the original cast

of “A Chorus Line.” Anthony will sing, dance and regale the audience

with stories of his 30-year career.

The program is scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday at the college’s

McKinney Theater, 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo. Tickets,

which are $25 and are tax-deductible, may be ordered by calling (949)

582-4656.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews

appear Thursdays and Saturdays.