It is rare to have a student actor play a lead role in a SBCC Theatre Group production, let alone two.

Pacomio Sun

Pacomio Sun’s lack of experience and absence at the audition did not prevent him from landing the role of Bo Decker, the boisterous cowboy, in City College’s latest production of William Inge’s “Bus Stop.”

“A lot of people are nothing like the characters they’re playing,” said Sun. “I feel like I’ve kinda cheated because I can look back at my life about three years ago and see that I am almost exactly like Bo.”

Sun was raised in a small town outside Bakersfield, and like his character, he’s been riding horses, working with real cowboys and herding cattle for most of his life.

Friends had pushed Sun to apply for the cowboy role, but four days before auditions his friend unexpectedly passed away.

“I told them I could not do this now,” he said. “I am not in the right mindset.”

Two weeks later, Sun received a call from director and former teacher, Michael Gross, who knew about his background and asked him to do a reading.

He performed the reading with another student actor, Shannon Sullivan. Their chemistry clicked and they both got the parts.

This is Sun’s second time on stage, save for a few dinner shows and some stand-up comedy. He plans on continuing the theatre program at City College.

Shannon Sullivan

What started out as an attempt by her kindergarten teacher to help her learn to read, Shannon Sullivan started reading scripts and memorizing lines. She has been doing it ever since.

Sullivan, a communication major, said she has been in over a hundred productions. She started off doing children’s theatre and continued her passion throughout high school and into college.

“It has become what I need to do,” said Sullivan. “It is what makes life worth living.”

In the 19-year-old’s Santa Barbara debut, she plays Cherie, the sexy nightclub singer who has trouble shaking off Bo after a one-night-stand.

“I am just doing Cherie as I see her, putting as much of myself as I see we have in common,” said Sullivan

Despite her familiarity with the stage she said she still gets nervous before each show.

“I can’t avoid it, but then I go on stage and it all washes away. You’re just in that world. The stage is a pretty magical thing.”