2nd Annual California International Theatre Festival Runs 7/17-25

California InterNational Theatre Festival 2010 season is presented by the City of Calabasas with Linda Purl as Festival Director, M. Edgar Rosenblum as Executive Director and Tammy Taylor as Festival Producer. The Festival will take place in several Calabasas locations and will include distinguished international productions. The 2010 season will feature the American premiere of Stones by the Orto-Da Theatre Group from Israel; The American premiere of Tempting Providence by Robert Chafe, Theatre Newfoundland Labrador from Canada; Around the World in 80 Minutes an apprentice performance; Essence of China: Beijing Opera De-Mystified, a Ghaffar Pourazar Demonstration; Cabaret: Catch the Light, performed by Michele Lee, Musical Director is Ron Abel; The American Premiere of The Ring Road by Raymond Zhou from China; The End by Samuel Beckett, the Gare St Lazare Players from Ireland, directed by Judy Hegarty Lovett and performed by Conor Lovett; the documentary film Working with Pinter: An Intimate and Revealing Portrait from the UK, directed by Harry Burton; Business Bistro, a series of four casual dinners where show business professionals share strategic tools and personal experience of negotiating different aspects of the industry; Across the Borders - Mexico and Beyond: A Festival Wrap Party with Santa Maria style BBQ and the music of Conjuto Hueypan. Tickets range from $30 - $45 and can be purchased on the Festival's website at www.citfestival.org  or by calling 800-351-2766. VIP Festival Passports can be purchased for $150, which includes premium seating at all festival performances. Purl is an award winning stage and television actress probably best known as Helene Beasley on The Office, Charlene Matlock from the series Matlock and as Ashley Pfister, Fonzie's fiancée, from Happy Days. Rosenblum was the Executive Director of Long Wharf Theatre from 1970-1996 and under his leadership, was the recipient of many awards. Taylor Taylor has had an extensive career as a stage manager and producer both on and off Broadway and in film and television.

Festival Director, Purl explains "Born of a passion to stimulate cross cultural communication, like minds of theatre professionals, artists, business professionals, civic leaders and entrepreneurs have come together to create an annual event now in its third season, that builds bridges of understanding between ourselves and all nations of an increasingly inter-connected planet...The California InterNational Theatre Festival."

"Our mission is to produce an annual theatre festival in California, offering a distinguished array of international presentations and committed to broadening cultural understanding by means of community outreach, student training and cultural exchange through the performing arts." Says Purl.

CALIFORNIA INTERNational Theatre FESTIVAL 2010 SEASON:

The American premiere of Stones by Orto-Da Theatre Group of Israel is created and directed by Yinon Tzafrir, Daniel Zafrani and Avi Gibson Bar-El. Splendid Labrador granite stones, intended for a sculpted monument for the victory of Hitler in Europe, surprisingly found themselves after World War II as a carved monument crafted by Nathan Rapaport for the Jewish warriors in the Warsaw ghetto. Stones brings this sculpture to life as six mime artists create a musical, surrealistic, fantastic, comic living statue which deals with the myth of victory and the human spirit whilst time travelling through the last decades of Israel and Europe. The Orto-Da Theatre Group specializes in plays with a social orientation, inspired by the complex context of the Middle East but with universal implications and using a variety of theatre styles of pantomime, Commedia dell'Arte, clowning, dance, circus and Pop-Art. Stones will perform at The Carlson Family Theatre at Viewpoint School, 23620 Mulholland Highway, Calabasas on Saturday, July 17 at 8:00 pm and Sunday, July 18 at 5:00 pm. The cost is $30-$45 per person. Tickets can be purchased on the Festival's website at www.citfestival.org <http://www.citfestival.org> or by calling 800-351-2766