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Family either way...just not through DNA

This is the story of two mothers who came together in a moment of synchronicity to create and validate the true meaning of family. 

RELATED: Adoption Stories for the Stage is a world premiere theatrical event at North Park Vaudeville & Candy Shoppe through this Sunday April 3, 2022 only.

In a way, Samantha Hope Goldstein and Lauren Bergquist adopted each other when they decided a year ago to collaborate. 

A chance mention by Samantha of her adopted daughter from China caught Lauren’s attention during a ZOOM theater class. Lauren and her husband have an adopted young son of their own. She took a leap of faith in approaching her classmate. “She joked that she felt like she was asking me out on a date,” Samantha remembers, “(Lauren) sent me this proposal asking if I would be willing to talk about this.”  

She was referring to the reality of adoption which many people are afraid to talk about as it often carries an unfounded connotation of secrecy. The two ladies met for coffee and ended up talking for six hours.

Goldstein and Bergquist are now the producing team behind RELATED: Adoption Stories for the Stage. The original work is a compilation of stories from diverse perspectives.

The characters are real and the circumstances are actual events that come from more than a dozen local writers who have been touched by adoption. They reveal some difficult conversations, tragedies, along with really funny moments that are part of any family especially those committed to raising their children of choice.

A cast of nine actors brings life to the stories that are performed as a staged reading with podiums and projections of family photos on the back wall. 

Christine McCoy and Melanie Mino play mother and daughter in the opening story. There is clear disagreement between the characters in a conversation about a single woman wanting a baby with no prospects of a husband.

The family of actors and writers have been in process for months having overcome COVID-19 delays. Protections and protocols are in place for audience members who attend the show in the intimate space. 

The stories are formatted as an episodic play much like The Vagina Monologues written in 1996 by Eve Ensler. Bergquist says that play inspired her. 

Tami O'Connell expresses truth responses when telling the story of an adoptive family tree. 

The stories told this weekend help us realize we have all been adopted into a kind of “family of choice” at some point in our lives.  

If you are in need of a good cry, a belly laugh, or just the connection of live theater in a pandemic world...this is a great place to find it all. 

Net proceeds raised during RELATED: Adoption Stories for the Stage will be donated to www.Promises2Kids.org  the award-winning nonprofit organization originally founded 40 years ago as the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation of San Diego County. Since 1981, Promises2Kids has responded to the needs of foster children and provided support to children removed from their home due to abuse and neglect.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at http://www.northparkvaudeville.com/

There are only three more performances:

Saturday, April 2, 2022  8 p.m. and Sunday, April 3, 2022  2 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

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TRANSPORTED: A Latino love story with laughter and loss

The cast of TRANSPORTED by San Diego playwright Lisa Balderston now playing at PowPAC, Poway's Community Theatre through February 20th

There is a World Premiere play now in performance at PowPAC, Poway's Community Theatre. Submitted for the theatre's 40th Season, TRANSPORTED survived the COVID shutdown, found its way to an initial ZOOM room virtual presentation, and now sees the light of a full production.

Playwright Lisa Balderston was born and raised in San Diego. She says this play is personal with inspiration from her own Latino family. But the story goes well beyond her personal experiences and takes on conflicts and controversies that are relevant and ripping apart families today.

TRANSPORTED is the story of two sons in love played by Timothy Benson (Enrique Ramirez) and KaananHesseling (Javier Torres) and the mothers who love them. The mothers, Laura Gracie (Mari Ramirez) and Suzanne Whitman (Sara Torres) are friends excited to celebrate the upcoming wedding of their children. Act 1 is the celebration and discovery that not all the family supports what should be a beautiful event. Rayne Gonzalez, a 16 year old actress plays the younger sister, Gabi Torres. Balderston uses the character as the perfect foil to the bigotry and denial often found in conservative ethnic families. It's the mothers who carry the play through laughter, loss, and ultimately the love we know is there but not shown until the tragedy that unfolds in Act 2.

Timothy Benson, Kanaan Hesseling, and Suzanne Whitman in a picture perfect moment. photo credits Joel Colbourn

TRANSPORTED takes the audience on a journey many families have traveled. The comedy is tempered with truth that often hurts. A few times during the performance there were audible gasps from the audience both in shock and  agreement. This world premiere is rough around the edges and sometimes feels like a work in progress. It is a perfect antidote to the virus pandemic still plaguing us.

Suzanne Whitman and Rayne Gonzalez with Laura Gracie sharing a moment of healing.

In his program Director's Notes, Gil Savage is clear on his commitment to making sure this production happened and that the issues it raises are genuinely portrayed. He said, "We are becoming desensitized. This story allows the audience to ride along with the hearts and minds of people who have had to endure these tragedies in the real world. The more I got to know the characters, the more I appreciated the author's message of what is real, what is courageous, and what is human."

PowPAC Theatre enforces COVID protocols. Proof of full vaccination is required and checked before patrons are cleared to the box office desk and allowed to be seated.

TRANSPORTED by Lisa Balderston is directed by Gil Salvage and produced by Lyn Wolsey. The production runs the next two weekends with added matinees on Saturday. Tickets and more information can be found at www.PowPAC.org

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Would You Care to Dance?

The moment is here.

North Coast Repertory Theatre has launched its 40th Season with the unconventional love story Dancing Lessons by Mark St. Germain. Opening night happened with a fully vaccinated audience wearing masks. The process is seamless. Show your ticket, ID, and vaccination record. A pink slash on your ticket then gets you seated by an usher and a night at the theater, in-person, begins.

Dancing Lessons tells the story of two offbeat neighbors living in a New York City apartment building. Senga Quinn is a Broadway dancer who lives downstairs from a science professor named Ever Montgomery. From the first knock on the door, it is clear the two have next to nothing in common. The "love" in this story comes to the individuals and not the couple who face physical and emotional challenges. The play is a 90-minute ride of laughter, tragedy, awkward intimacy, and personal triumph. There is no intermission. There is plenty to digest as the two characters start a dance lesson that leads them to an unexpected place.

Leilani Smith plays Senga Quinn who is perturbed by her upstairs neighbor, Ever Montgomery, played by Christopher M. Williams. Photos provided by North Coast Repertory Theatre

North Coast's Artistic DIrector David Ellenstein told Broadwayworld.com, "By design it is a two character play. Our second production (of the season) , Ben Butler by Richard Strand, is a four character play. These two plays were chosen to open the season not only for their merit, but for their smaller cast sizes."

Both characters in Dancing Lessons have secrets. The defiant Senga grapples with a potentially life-threatening injury. In the first moments of the play Leilani Smith makes the audience feel right at home as she delivers a performance that could have taken place in anyone's living room during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown over the past year. We quickly find out why she is at home and it is a heartbreaking story that unravels when her neighbor comes knocking. Christopher M. Williams does a brilliant job of portraying Ever, the science professor, who needs Senga's help. His character is challenged and relatable to so many children and adults who face the same diagnosis. Smith matches Williams in her dynamic portrayal of a woman who thought she knew who she was and discovers something very different.

Dancing Lessons isn't really about dance, although there is some lovely choreography by Cate Caplin that leads to a beautiful and romantic moment before the story ends. See this play and find yourself or someone you love in the unexpected, genuine relationship that blossoms on stage. There are plenty of warm fuzzy moments and painful truths to discuss on the car ride home.

Dancing Lessons by Mark St. Germain is directed by Richard Baird, set design by Marty Burnett, costumes by Elisa Benzoni, light design by Matthew Novotny, and a very creative sound and multimedia design by Aaron Rumley.

Performances now through October 3rd. For tickets go to:

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The Lion King, Jr. Roars with Beauty!

More than 40 Kroc Junior Theatre performers bring live theatre back to the stage. Now playing for three performances only July 16-July 18.

I am whistling a little “Hakuna Matata”, this morning, after experiencing the Salvation Army Kroc Center’s production of Disney’s “The Lion King, Jr.” The 60-minute musical is based on the Broadway production directed by Julie Taymor and the 1994 Disney film. We have all missed sitting in theater seats and watching a live show. The moment is here and it’s everything we hoped for.

Evil Scar manipulates young Simba into losing his way.

Director Sean Paul Boyd, brings the African Savannah alive with musical direction by Michael Anthony and choreography from Ellen Kaz. This show is an explosion of beautiful costumes, scenery, and young talent. The most classic of the musical’s songs are included. A special treat is the Academy Award®-winning “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” featuring a diverse cast of performers representing many ethnicities and physical abilities.

Most of the young cast members who have not been vaccinated wear masks and the Kroc Center requires masks for any adults and teens who have not been vaccinated for the COVID-19 virus. Safety first!

The final dress rehearsal had a little pre-show mask making event for audience members. I’m doing my best monkey impression along side my dear friend, Rosemary Harrison, showing lioness realness.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for seniors/children. To purchase advance tickets click it and ticket here. 👇

Tickets will also be available at the door.

Joan B. Kroc Theatre

6611 University Avenue

San Diego, CA 92115

Friday, July 16, 2021 at 7pm

Saturday, July 17, 2021 at 7pm

Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 2pm

Creating Community because #WeAreBetterTogether

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A Modest Proposal

Jonathan Swift suggested selling children for food during a great Irish famine. He called it his modest proposal.

Here’s a proposal. Let’s stop blaming the media for the mass hysteria going viral over Covid-19. How many more posts or shares of empty store shelves, long lines at Costco and toilet paper jokes are necessary? How about a beer? You know the one. There’s also the very popular “Sh*t is getting real.” 😳 Actually, it’s been very real since early January when people in China started dying from coronavirus.

Every time I “like”, comment, create or share coronavirus content that is not from a medical expert, elected authority, vetted spokesperson/source, the Centers for Diseas Control or the World Health Organization, chances are great that I am perpetuating the problem and not the solution. I.E. part of the hysteria.

The term social media is a compound word that includes media. That means you, me, and anyone else with a cell phone, tablet, computer, and account that starts with @-something. In other words, when I point a finger and blame it on the ‘media’ there are three fingers pointing back at me. Say it—post it—own it. In the immortal words of Oprah, what I know for sure...

1. I am responsible for my actions and opinions. I am not responsible for anyone else or their choices, opinions, and decisions.

2. In one of the many communities I belong we have a Big Book that suggests I should “pause when agitated”. I offer that suggestion. It is not an order.

3. I do not bark at people to “calm down”...“breathe”...or belittle their feelings. Everyone has the right to explode, suffocate, and hate or love me and my opinions.

4. If I care enough about someone and what they have posted, I take it off line. Cell phones also have the capacity to make phone calls.

5. I am a human being. I make mistakes. I am capable of correcting my mistakes. I have a wealth of life experience and professional credentials that allow me to speak on certain topics with credability. I am not a doctor, lawyer, elected official or epidemiologist....and finally...

#WeAreBetterTogether not ripping each other apart

Sincerely,

M.G.

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Poets Underground Goes Above and Beyond

On Tuesday nights, nestled beneath an East Village pub, there are true creative juices flowing. Amplified Ale Works at Island Avenue and 14th Street is known for its beer and brick-oven pizzas. What you won’t find on the menu is the extra serving of original poetry, articulate sounds in a piece of spoken word, or maybe some pages read aloud from a still-to-be-published novel. Once a week, Poets Underground is housed down a long flight of steps that lead to a modest performance space known as the Amplified Acid Vault. It’s a safe space to be who you are and express yourself. “We are all about creating an inclusive community, where creatives of all levels can come be connected and supported,” says Sunny Rey, a published poet herself and the founder of Poets Underground. The setting is casual, and the cost is free to experience an evening of headliners and those ambitious writers who sign up for the open mic opportunity to be seen and heard.

Sunny Rey hosts the only local open mic night with no limit or set style of expression. All are welcome.

On the Tuesday just after Valentine’s Day, love was still in the air at the Acid Vault. Love from a bleeding-heart romantic and the tough love that often leads to a broken one. The headliners were Jacquelyn Phillips who helped Rey co-create the event and negotiated logistics and permissions for the partnership with Amplified East Village. She read from her manuscript that included some pointed accounts of a cheating boyfriend and the consequences. The audience sometimes winced at the nitty gritty truth and applauded and supported the author with audible praises because they related to her words so well. There is no competition and prize to win. Rey points out, “we are not limited to a set style of expression which sets us apart from other writing events and groups in San Diego. All voices and styles have a home with us here.”

The juxtapose headliner on this night was new poet and lesbian writer Stephanie Roche who was also celebrating her 21st birthday. Roche is a native San Diegan who used her words vividly describing a true love girlfriend. Because of the intimate space, the audience is just a few feet away from each performer allowing a more impactful performance. Roche creatively writes and does spoken word with work that expresses acceptance, motivation, and her life experiences with mental health issues

Jacquelyn Phillips 

Stephanie Roche

Any taboo is treated with truth at the microphone. That includes issues of sexual assault and harassment. The open mic opportunity that follows the headliners could include many more voices considering the recent #MeToo movement conviction of Harvey Weinstein. Rey is a survivor of homelessness and assault. She is clear on her mission.

“Poets Underground offers a space of retreat, rest, venting and safe support. Our guests refer to our Tuesday night events as “church” or ‘therapy group’. Whatever we are to each person I can promise safe expression and genuine care.”

An extension of Poets Underground includes a homeless outreach team called Poets for the People. Volunteers meet monthly to collect hygiene supplies, water and socks for people living outside on the streets of downtown. The bag of supplies always includes a poem, too. The “underground” movement is partnered with San Diego Writers, Ink, a nonprofit writer’s organization. Together, they provide monthly writing workshops known as “Poets in a Pub”. A $40 fee includes a beer and writing supplies along with mentorship for aspiring creatives ages 21 and up. The Poets Underground’s most ambitious plans include a publishing company, a hub for new writers, a yearly anthology memorializing the work of Acid Vault headliners, and a scholarship program for at-risk youth/young adults.

 Doors open each Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. for open mic sign up. Headliner performances begin at 7 p.m. Underground Poets at the Acid Vault located downstairs at Amplified East Village, 1429 Island Avenue, 92101.

Featured poem about Poets Underground:

By Hayli Nicole

This is my church.

These are my people.

A sermon of the soul

through the pouring of words

finding worlds so similar to ours.

A world we thought

we were left alone to fight against

but turns out

we’re not alone at all.

Since discovering the only church

I’ve felt crazy enough to belong to.

I’ve witnessed wounds and traumas

and well articulated worlds

beyond my wildest imagination

I’ve seen creativity

in waves

that reminds me

of diving naked into currents

without a care in the world

I’ve caught tears

in my outstretched hand

and the chance to mend

broken hearts

shattered

in the same ways as mine.

There was a time

I wondered how

such magic could exist

It exists because of us.

I’ve invited strangers

and lovers and ghosters

and people questioning

the meaning of their lives.

I’ve survived my hardest days

and arrived here

to feel complete.

Whole.

Seen.

Understood.

I go so far to say Loved.

I love church.

It’s taught me

We are all worthy.

We are all writers.

We are all poets.

We are all beautifully broken

pieces of a shattered mirror

finding the edges

perfectly matching ours

to hold a clear reflection

of the perfection

of our unity.

Our community.

Tuesdays are for church.

And these pews

are the only place

I feel I truly belong.

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PowPAC proves it’s possible to be NUTS and brilliant, too.

When in the course of human events there comes a play so powerful it leaves you stunned and questioning your own sanity, the verdict is obvious. Guilty...or is it?

What’s not so obvious in Tom Topor’s courtroom drama NUTS is the search for justice and the answer to the question of who is really the crazy one in this play. Director Brent Stringfield has created a vibrant environment with a cast of actors who are at their best playing on the PowPAC stage now through February 23rd. 

photos by Daren Scott

According to the Director Notes, “Tom Topor created this moving drama in the late 1970s based on his knowledge of law and trial procedure and the real-life experiences of his beloved wife.” In this production, Steve Murdock, plays the confident prosecutor determined to get the defendant Claudia Draper committed for a murder. It’s actually a manslaughter charge in a twisted sexcapade. Andrea Acuna is riveting from the moment she enters the stage. Watch her calculating looks and freakish demeanor as witnesses testify and her defense attorney portrayed by PowPAC newcomer, Pete Zanko, does his legal dance to prove her sane enough to stand trial. The trio of witnesses includes David Dartt as the bombastic Dr. Rosenthal. He is perfectly cast as the supposed expert psychiatrist who knows who is “crazy” and who is not. He gets tripped up on the stand making the story unfold with some unexpected twists. The biggest surprise unravels from Claudia’s stepfather played by Dennis Floyd. Floyd plays him as both potent and pathetic groveling for sympathy and forgiveness. Linda Snyder brings her strongest performance yet as the betrayed wife and hopeless mother. Her tears are real from start to finish. She seathes with so much hurt she erupts in the final scene leaving the audience pelted with her pain. Acuna is mesmerizing, as well, as she takes the stand and gives us her truth with rigorous honesty and brilliant acting. Brava!

The cast also includes Denise Griffin in the pivotal role of the Judge and real-life husband and wife Bart and Ariel Schilawski as the Court Officer and Recorder.

San Diego Theatre Connection has partnered with PowPAC and the San Diego Brain Injury Foundation to raise awareness and donation during the run of this show. Find out more at www.sdbif.org

NUTS plays weekends through February 23rd. For tickets and more information go to www.powpac.org

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Power In Unity 2020 Women’s March San Diego

Among the thousands of women and their allies, Saturday afternoon, 18-year-old Kathryn Weaver marched with her mother Dawn. Like many of the others carrying signs and shouting slogans of protest and support, the mother and daughter from Alpine have been here before. It is their fourth San Diego Women’s March down Pacific Coast Highway. “We were moving in the right direction, and then the country hit the brakes,” Dawn says about the 2016 election that ushered in the Trump administration and prompted the first international explosion of women’s marches on inauguration day in 2017. “We had to march,” adds Kathryn who identifies as lesbian and was so motivated she pre-registered to vote at the age of 16, so she would automatically be registered to vote this November.

Kathryn Weaver and her mother, Dawn, march together for the fourth time.

Power in Unity was the theme of this year’s event. According to Monica Boyle, president of Women’s March San Diego, “when women unify, we can enact change. So much progress has been made in the past three years, and there’s still so much work to be done.” In fact, the mission of the March has expanded to include a range of issues from support of civil rights, immigrant rights, ending police and school violence, LGBTQIA rights, and recognizing the rights of those living with disabilities.

PLNU student Tatum Tricarico advocates for women living with disabilities.

Tatum Tricarico spoke at the rally podium prior to the March. She is a student, author, and president of the Disability Honors Society at Point Loma Nazarene University. She also lives with partial blindness and uses a white cane for mobility. “One day I want to live in a world where my body is not considered ‘less than’,” she said, “among women I want you all to shout our words, share with us in your ribbons, and most importantly listen to our stories, too.”

More than 30 local organizations participated in the pre-march rally with information booths. Among them, the 2020 Census Bureau which will activate 4-thousand workers across San Diego County this April through September. The count will be used to determine the distribution of billions of dollars in federal funding. 

Dr. Kyra Greene, Executive Director, Center for Policy Initiatives.

The League of Women Voters San Diego also did a push to register marchers and to promote their pre-registration outreach program to young people in high school. That kind of motivation led Kathryn Weaver to the first 2017 March. She is now a student at Grossmont College taking general education classes. “They are the future and they will have to cope with the consequences,” reflects her mother.

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HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Celebrating 3 Years of Creating Community. #WeAreBetterTogether

Three years ago today, San Diego Theatre Connection was born.

I have shared publicly that it began from a heartbreaking betrayal that has blossomed into a beautiful celebration of Community and Theatre; two words that are sacred to me. “On stage, online, on-the-air and Everywhere” the mission remains the same. We promote quality entertainment across San Diego County and raise awareness, donations, and volunteerism for charities. SDTC connects people with purpose. Our contributing theater companies have raised thousands of dollars and collected numerous donations to help those people who need it most.

When you make the Connection, you experience some of the highest quality performances, direction, design and passion in our theatre community. My vision for the New Year and decade is to continue to increase our impact and nurture collaborations that make much more of a difference than any one theater alone can.

Stay Connected to join us in our mission and plans.

•upcoming Community forums on current issues including representation of marginalized performers, sexual harassment and assault, and theater for children with special needs.

•connection with more local media outlets including the new LGBTQ San Diego County News

•follow, like, and share our social media platforms.

Facebook/Instagram @sdtheatreconnection Twitter @TheSDTC

I am always looking for content I can support and people who I can trust.

Happy Anniversary and Thank You to everywhere who has been a part of this success story.

...and We are just getting started.

M.G. Perez Founder San Diego Theatre Connection

connect with me at mgperez@sdtconnection.com

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The Line Has Been Drawn.

Thanksgiving is on the horizon. 

I am thankful for people who speak Truth. I am also thankful to be a member of a flourishing San Diego Theatre community. From educational to Broadway professional, we are creating theatre that matters.

Integrity matters, too. 

This week, documented details and allegations were made public surrounding the current Off Broadway Theatre Company’s production of A CHORUS LINE closing this weekend at the Lyceum Theatre in Horton Plaza. The circumstance is devastating and the evidence of verbal abuse against young performers unconscionable. The parents of the teenage cast members have taken over the management of the show and done what is right to provide their children with a safe environment to continue their well deserved moment to perform despite the violation of trust and decency. 

The Truth does not stop there.

 As Founder of the San Diego Theatre Connection, I consider the words COMMUNITY and THEATRE sacred, especially when they are side-by-side. In the past three years, I have committed to promote and protect my community. I will let my work speak for itself. I have shared publicly that S.D.T.C. was born from betrayal and a violation of trust. That said, our mission continues to be the antithesis of that.

This January, San Diego Theatre Connection will host a Community Forum on the topic of sexual assault, harassment and other abuse in our theater community. Trusted friends have come to me with their stories. It’s an ugly secret no more. To turn a blind eye or dismiss inappropriate and, in some cases, illegal behavior is to enable it and become complicit. 

In full disclosure, I am a survivor of both childhood molestation and sexual assault as a young adult. I am also a mandatory reporter of abuse as a teacher with the San Diego Unified School District.  

If you would join me in exposing the problem and working together on solutions, please contact me directly at mgperez@sdtconnection.com. I am happy to collaborate with anyone interested in helping with the format and content of the planned January forum.

The Line has been drawn. 

What side of it are you on? 

M.G. Perez

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‘REARDON’ Delicious, Disturbing, Dynamite Theatre!

Skip the gym and get a solid cardio workout with the extreme dark comedy now reeling across the stage at Lamplighters in La Mesa. AND MISS REARDON DRINKS A LITTLE by Paul Zindel is more than a stiff cocktail or two. From the moment Rhiannon McAfee (Catherine) steps on stage and serves her first glass of wine, the roller coaster has left the station. She drinks (food coloring and water disguised as wine) enough for all of us and lights the fuse for the story with her veteran acting strength and dynamic stage presence.

All production still pics by Adriana Zuniga-Williams

Family gathering is putting it mildly. Three sisters spend an evening together hashing out the past following the death of their mother seven months earlier. This vegetarian dinner “party” becomes a meat-slinging, fur-flying, reality check into the depths of dysfunction. (You read that right.) It is fascinating to watch. Director O.P. Hadlock has assembled a powerhouse cast of actors who deliver expression, delusion, and performances that revive the sacred connation of “community theatre” and prove its potency and relevance to our community.

Susan Stratton (Ceil) the eldest brooding sister both disgusts and delights as she is confronted with truth she is not ready to hear. Brilliant acting is often done with the eyes. Watch her facial expressions that erupt to her final exit that left me stunned and exhausted with appreciation. Heather Warren (Anna) is unrecognizable as the disturbed sister accused of a heinous crime. She delivers some of the most effective unsettling moments of truth and mesmerizing acting of the evening. Heather is one to watch in her ascending San Diego theatre career. Brava.

Amy Dell and James Steinberg (Fleur and Bob Stein) and Shannon Wolff (Mrs. Pentrano) pose as nosy neighbors who get sucked into the web of the Reardon drama. Each of these actors supports the story with their own “arc” and confidence that contributes to the professional quality of this production. Right down to the brief and poinient appearance of Andrea Roebuck as the goth delivery girl who Catherine Reardon chews up and spits out in the first minutes of the play. You will remember them all and, as one audience member quipped in the lobby after the show, “...run home and hug your own dysfunctional family members and appreciate them that much more.”

WARNING: There are gunshots in this performance and some limited graphic dialogue about violence

As always, San Diego Theatre Connection is Creating Community to raise awareness, donations and volunteerism for charity. Donate in the lobby to support the Alzheimer’s Association of San Diego/Imperial Chapter. Click here for more information on how to help 👉 http://www.alzsd.org

AND MISS REARDON DRINKS A LITTLE now running through September 22nd at Lamplighters Community Theatre in La Mesa. Click it and ticket now 👉 www.lamplighterslamesa.com

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A riveting ride to Boise—OnStage Playhouse goes there with a brilliant piece of theatre.

Chula Vista-OnStage Playhouse opens its new season with Samuel D. Hunter’s Obie Award-winning play A BRIGHT NEW BOISE. The Off-Broadway Theatre honor was given for Best Playwriting. What starts as a quiet comedy quickly builds to an engaging story where the “funny” erupts into fear, fradulent religious faith, and the reunion of an unexpected family.

All production pics by Daren Scott

(Devin Wade as the conflicted Alex in A BRIGHT NEW BOISE playing through Sept. 1st)

All of this happening in the break room of a Boise, Idaho Hobby Lobby store. Yes, that Hobby Lobby complete with art supplies and a corporate video on the break room television that occasionally loses signal and shows disturbing medical procedures.

To be clear, I have only experienced the first act of this production during Wednesday night’s dress rehearsal. I will be in the opening night audience for the full effect. The 45 minutes leading to intermission are so compelling I felt moved to sound the alarm and let you know that this show is something unexpected and special. You should also know that opening night is already sold out and there is no performance this Sunday August 4th because of Chula Vista’s Annual Lemon Festival along Third Avenue. The all-star cast also includes Holly Stephenson, Salomon Maya, Carla Navarro, and Markuz Rodriguez.

(James P. Darvas is both Artistic Director of OnStage Playhouse and Director of A BRIGHT NEW BOISE leading his cast and the theatre company with a new look and new intention for both actors and South Bay audiences.)

August 2-September 1, 2019

Click it and ticket here 👉www.onstageplayhouse.org before the SOLD OUT sign gets posted again. As the OSP motto goes, this is “theatre worth talking about.”

I’ll be back with the rest of the story.

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https://sarahandbrentphotography.pixieset.com

Chris and Keri Miller are Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett now in a limited run through July 28th at Star Theatre Company.

Full disclosure: I saw the original production of SWEENEY TODD with Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou at the Uris Theatre on Broadway. I was only 12 years old on a Thanksgiving trip to NYC with my theater school. I sat in the cavernous Uris not sure what I was experiencing and I was mesmerized.

Sweeney Todd is a Stephen Sondheim masterpiece. At Friday night’s opening in Oceanside I was reminded why. David Schulz directs the Tony Award-winning Best Musical as it is meant to be done. A detailed set on a large stage with a house of more than 440 seats and a cast of 40 performers.

All production photos by Sarah and Brent Photography

There is a wall of beautiful sound that reverberates through the historic theater as the singing ensemble hits notes that soar and gives a texture that adds depth to the story. In case you didn’t know, this story is deep and dark. There is no happy ending, except the satisfaction of knowing you have experienced true musical theatre by the end of the performance.

As an audience member, I like to feel confident that vocalists have the “pipes” to carry Sondheim’s challenging music and lyrics. Otherwise, I am a nervous nelly worrying for them. #MissionAccomplished.

Chris and Keri Miller are brilliant as the self-made demon barber of Fleet Street and his accomplice. The fact that they are a real life married couple takes this production to a much higher level. The looks they give each other, their commitment to storytelling and the power of their voices amplify this production. It makes me wonder what their process of “running lines” and rehearsing looks like at home. Whatever the process, it works!

Other stand out performances include Luis Sherlinee whose rich voice is the perfect casting for Tobias, the loyal and troubled simpleton. Olivia Pence brings a new meaning to insanity while belting solid song in the pivotal role of the Beggar Woman.

...and then there are the remaining couples in the sordid tale. Ali Rohrbough and Steven Eddy Pepper play Anthony and Johanna, the youngsters who seem to be the only people with hope for true love. Jacob Hatch and Matt Sayre are the conniving Judge Turpin and Beadle Bamford. So convincing in their roles, we are happy to see them suffer at the hands of Sweeney Todd with the “closest shave ever”. Hatch gives a particularly disturbing interpretation of the song JOHANNA (Mea Culpa) that is on point for his character. An audience member was clearly heard saying “eeuu” with disgust as he exited the stage. Bravo.

Part of the San Diego Theatre Connection mission is to return the sacred meaning of Community and Theatre. This production does that. During the limited engagement, we are also supporting and celebrating the work of UNICORN HOMES offering shelter for homeless youth through the North County LGBTQ Resource Center. You can help and donate here 👉 bit.ly/HelpLGBTQYouthNow

Quick click to get tickets for SWEENEY TODD now playing through July 28th only 👇

Opening Night standing ovation for the cast of SWEENEY TODD

[communityomg]

Opening Night standing ovation for the cast of SWEENEY TODD

Chris and Keri Miller are Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett now in a limited run through July 28th at Star Theatre Company.

Full disclosure: I saw the original production of SWEENEY TODD with Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou at the Uris Theatre on Broadway. I was only 12 years old on a Thanksgiving trip to NYC with my theater school. I sat in the cavernous Uris not sure what I was experiencing and I was mesmerized.

Sweeney Todd is a Stephen Sondheim masterpiece. At Friday night’s opening in Oceanside I was reminded why. David Schulz directs the Tony Award-winning Best Musical as it is meant to be done. A detailed set on a large stage with a house of more than 440 seats and a cast of 40 performers.

All production photos by Sarah and Brent Photography

There is a wall of beautiful sound that reverberates through the historic theater as the singing ensemble hits notes that soar and gives a texture that adds depth to the story. In case you didn’t know, this story is deep and dark. There is no happy ending, except the satisfaction of knowing you have experienced true musical theatre by the end of the performance.

As an audience member, I like to feel confident that vocalists have the “pipes” to carry Sondheim’s challenging music and lyrics. Otherwise, I am a nervous nelly worrying for them. #MissionAccomplished.

Chris and Keri Miller are brilliant as the self-made demon barber of Fleet Street and his accomplice. The fact that they are a real life married couple takes this production to a much higher level. The looks they give each other, their commitment to storytelling and the power of their voices amplify this production. It makes me wonder what their process of “running lines” and rehearsing looks like at home. Whatever the process, it works!

Other stand out performances include Luis Sherlinee whose rich voice is the perfect casting for Tobias, the loyal and troubled simpleton. Olivia Pence brings a new meaning to insanity while belting solid song in the pivotal role of the Beggar Woman.

...and then there are the remaining couples in the sordid tale. Ali Rohrbough and Steven Eddy Pepper play Anthony and Johanna, the youngsters who seem to be the only people with hope for true love. Jacob Hatch and Matt Sayre are the conniving Judge Turpin and Beadle Bamford. So convincing in their roles, we are happy to see them suffer at the hands of Sweeney Todd with the “closest shave ever”. Hatch gives a particularly disturbing interpretation of the song JOHANNA (Mea Culpa) that is right on point for his character.

Part of the San Diego Theatre Connection mission is to return the sacred meaning of Community and Theatre. This production does that. During the limited engagement, we are also supporting and celebrating the work of UNICORN HOMES offering shelter for homeless youth through the North County LGBTQ Resource Center. You can help and donate here 👉 bit.ly/HelpLGBTQYouthNow

Quick click to get tickets for SWEENEY TODD now playing through July 28th 👉 www.startheatreco.com

[communityomg]

Chris and Keri Miller are Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett now in a limited run through July 28th at Star Theatre Company.

Full disclosure: I saw the original production of SWEENEY TODD with Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou at the Uris Theatre on Broadway. I was only 12 years old on a Thanksgiving trip to NYC with my theater school. I sat in the cavernous Uris not sure what I was experiencing and I was mesmerized.

Sweeney Todd is a Stephen Sondheim masterpiece. At Friday night’s opening in Oceanside I was reminded why. David Schulz directs the Tony Award-winning Best Musical as it is meant to be done. A detailed set on a large stage with a house of more than 440 seats and a cast of 40 performers.

All production photos by Sarah and Brent Photography

There is a wall of beautiful sound that reverberates through the historic theater as the singing ensemble hits notes that soar and gives a texture that adds depth to the story. In case you didn’t know, this story is deep and dark. There is no happy ending, except the satisfaction of knowing you have experienced true musical theatre by the end of the performance.

As an audience member, I like to feel confident that vocalists have the “pipes” to carry Sondheim’s challenging music and lyrics. Otherwise, I am a nervous nelly worrying for them. #MissionAccomplished.

Chris and Keri Miller are brilliant as the self-made demon barber of Fleet Street and his accomplice. The fact that they are a real life married couple takes this production to a much higher level. The looks they give each other, their commitment to storytelling and the power of their voices amplify this production. It makes me wonder what their process of “running lines” and rehearsing looks like at home. Whatever the process, it works!

Other stand out performances include Luis Sherlinee whose rich voice is the perfect casting for Tobias, the loyal and troubled simpleton. Olivia Pence brings a new meaning to insanity while belting solid song in the pivotal role of the Beggar Woman.

...and then there are the remaining couples in the sordid tale. Ali Rohrbough and Steven Eddy Pepper play Anthony and Johanna, the youngsters who seem to be the only people with hope for true love. Jacob Hatch and Matt Sayre are the conniving Judge Turpin and Beadle Bamford. So convincing in their roles, we are happy to see them suffer at the hands of Sweeney Todd with the “closest shave ever”. Hatch gives a particularly disturbing interpretation of the song JOHANNA (Mea Culpa) that is on point for his character. An audience member was clearly heard saying “eeuu” with disgust as he exited the stage. Bravo.

Part of the San Diego Theatre Connection mission is to return the sacred meaning of Community and Theatre. This production does that. During the limited engagement, we are also supporting and celebrating the work of UNICORN HOMES offering shelter for homeless youth through the North County LGBTQ Resource Center. You can help and donate here 👉 bit.ly/HelpLGBTQYouthNow

Quick click to get tickets for SWEENEY TODD now playing through July 28th only 👇

Opening Night standing ovation for the cast of SWEENEY TODD

[communityomg]

With Nicole Murray-Ramirez of the Imperial Court de San Diego and one of the Legendary Drag Queens honored in the San Diego History Center Exhibit.

50 years ago next week, drag queens led the riots at the Stonewall Inn in New York City launching the Gay Rights movement. The art of drag has been ridiculed, repressed and responsible for raising money, awareness and compassion for the LGBTQ community when we needed it most.

Behind the makeup and couture are the hearts of true heroes. They lip-sync, not for their lives, but for the lives of so many others who lay dying from AIDS, thrown away by families who rejected them. Let’s be honest, they are also brilliant entertainers who bring life and Hope with every costume change, fabulous song interpretation and strike of a pose. Bravas!

San Diego Theatre Connection joins the San Diego History Center in celebrating the Legendary Drag Queens of San Diego during the groundbreaking LGBTQ+SAN DIEGO Stories of Struggles + Triumphs Exhibit now open through September 8, 2019 in Balboa Park. Quick click on the link below for more information.

Until next time,

🌈 Happy PRIDE,

M.G.

[communityomg]

OSP Brings Meaningful Connotation to the Term Community Theatre with

VENUS IN FUR

It’s happened again.

“Theatre worth talking about” until it leaves me practically speechless.

I have promoted this production through San Diego Theatre Connection and so I sat in the Saturday night house with expectation. I was joined by my friend and local playwright and director George Bailey. George recently closed the production of NINE The musical at Lamplighters which I believe set the new standard for what a community musical can be. Now there is another standard set. This time for a play that is so many things at the same time. It is a sophisticated comedy twisted into a kind of distorted love story mixed with moments of seduction and satire.

Tom Steward and Sandra Ruiz

The titilating title and premise could easily be mistaken for ‘that play about sado masochism and a dominatrix’. There is a flavor of that, for sure, and the real arousal for the audience is experiencing true acting that is mesmerizing. Tom Steward is the conflicted stage director, Thomas, and Sandra Ruiz is Vanda the gritty New York City actress simply looking for a job. So she says. These actors are the real deal. I was riveted by how quickly they switched from fantasy to reality, sensual to sadistic, goddess to slave to actor and director. The curtain call is evidence of the affect this play has on the audience. The applause and appreciation are undeniable.

Tom told me after the performance, that he and Sandra met for the first time at the beginning of their short month-long rehearsal process. They pack their powerhouse talent and create chemistry and theatre gold with this show.

Director James P. Darvas shows his brilliance with staging that flows beautifully with the script and is so unexpected at times. Laugh, get turned on, feel uncomfortable and remember this is theatre created in our community. In other words, community theatre. A new logo at OSP brands the beginning of a new day at the South Bay theatre. See this show and get a taste of what is to come. Click to ticket ⤵️

pics by Daren Scott