Early May Theatre Options on the California Central Coast

As we arrive at the first of May, I trust that you will be wanting to avail yourself of the wide array of live performance and theatre options that are currently available here on the California Central Coast!

Monkeys at typewriters!  Mayflies mating!  A new language!  Philly cheese steaks!  It's Santa Maria Civic Theatre's (www.smct.org) presentation of An Evening with David Ives - 6 of Ives' unique one-act plays, produced by Bob Larsen, running every Friday and Saturday night at 8pm, through May 21st.  Ives' intriguing concepts and distinctive wordplay make for a memorable evening of comedy.  The presentation includes: "Time Flies," directed by Mr. Larsen, "The Philadelphia," directed by Stuart Wenger, "The Universal Language" and "Sure Thing," both directed by Johannes Beals, and "Arabian Nights" and "Words, Words, Words," both directed by Dynia Valdovinos.  Tickets are $14; please call the box office at (805) 922-4442 for reservations.  The theatre is located at 1660 N. McClelland St. in Santa Maria, just north of Donovan Rd. and just "off-Broadway" ... east of it, actually (photo by Richard Giachetto of Sydney Ascencio and Josh Cornell in Time Flies).

The Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (www.pcpa.org), the Central Coast's Resident Professional Theatre Company, located on the Allan Hancock College Campus in Santa Maria, is proud to present the 2011 PCPA graduating class Senior Showcase Conservatory Repertory productions of Hair May 12 & 14 and Twelfth Night May 13 & 14.  Their first summer production, Hairspray, will run June 16 - July 2 at the Marian Theatre in Santa Maria, and July 8-31 at the Solvang Festival Theater.  And be sure to check out their Summer Acting Camp for Young Actors (July 10-16 for ages 7-12, July 23-30 for ages 13-18). 

The Great American Melodrama's (www.americanmelodrama.com) current production, Soup du Jour, will run through June 12, followed by yet another Vaudeville Revue to tickle your musical senses.  And be sure to check out Camp Melodrama for young people ages 7-17 which runs July 18 - August 15.

Ryan Cordero (sorcererproductions@gmail.com) and Sorcerer Productions (check them out on Facebook) have just closed a VERY successful run of the Tony Award winning The Drowsy Chaperone in the Clark Center Studio Theatre.  Next Up?  Little Shop of Horrors is what I'm hearing ... stay tuned for details!

Other upcoming performances at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) include California Theatre Center's The Ugly Duckling on May 9, and Piano for Six Hands on May 13.

Murder In Mind Productions (www.murderinmind.com) will present their interactive murder mystery, The Altos - Blood Is Thicker Than Wine, on Sundays at The Spyglass Inn in Shell Beach through June 5.

The God Is Still Speaking Players (follow them on Facebook) next show will be Nunsense Jamboree in September (auditions early/mid July). 

SLO Little Theatre's (www.slolittletheatre.org) next mainstage production, Spinning Into Butter, opens May 20.  And be sure to check out their children's summer theatre program classes and productions at act@slolittletheatre.org.

Kelrik Productions' (www.kelrikproductions.com) next show, Aladdin, will run May 21 - June 12.  Auditions dates for Seussical The Musical will be announced soon (performances July 16-24 at the Spanos Theatre on the Cal Poly campus).  Also - be sure to check out their acting classes for kids & youth starting the first week of May!

The Cuesta College Performing Arts Department (http://academic.cuesta.edu/performingarts) presents RENT May 6 & 7, and 12-15.

Exit Pursued by a Bear (follow them on Facebook) is proud to announce their upcoming production of As You Like It (performances May 13-15, 19-21) at The SLO Space (3195 McMillan Ave, Unit C).  I understand that the "twist" for this production is that it will be entirely gender reversed with men playing the women's roles and, well ... I think you get the idea.  Contact Tyler Lopez at tylermlopez@gmail.com for more information.

Curt Miner received his degree in theatre from Northern Arizona University and has been involved in theatre, educationally and professionally, for nearly 40 years now. He is currently Pastor of the United Church of Christ in San Luis Obispo, CA (www.sloucc.org), where he founded a theatre outreach ministry known as The God Is Still Speaking Players (check them out on Facebook). Their first production was the West Coast Premiere of a new play by Gordon Greene (one of Curt's former theatre professors from back at NAU) entitled "The Scopes Monkey Trial: What Really Happened" in October of 2008. Curt and his wife of 35 years, Linda, worked together as Director and Music Director on a production of "Godspell" June 2009. The group presented a readers' theatre production of Archibald MacLeish's Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning play "J.B." November 2009, participated in a collaborative effort with Bent Angel Productions in a staged reading of "12 Angry Men" in February 2010, presented "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" the first 2 weekends of September 2010, embarked upon another collaborative effort with Bent Angel Productions of a staged reading of Dylan Thomas' "Under Milk Wood" in November 2010, presented a readers' theatre production of "The Diary of Anne Frank" the first weekend this past March, mounted a production of "Sister Amnesia's Country Western Nunsense Jamboree" the first 2 weekends of September, and presented "Celebration In Song" - a musical variety show to benefit the work of GALA and PFLAG in November. A readers' theatre presentation (possibly "Our Town") or another musical revue will be presented this coming March, with "Snoopy" (sequel to YAGMCB) on the schedule for the first 2 weekends in September. When people ask him "Why a theatre outreach ministry?" Curt tells them "I have found that theatre is sometimes able to touch a person's heart and soul more deeply than the best crafted worship experience ... that's why."

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