Late August Theatre Opportunities on the Central Coast of California

As we move toward the latter portion of August and the end of summer (sigh ... some schools are already back at it!), I hope you are making plans to attend a few of the wonderful shows currently (or soon to be) running at any of the numerous live performance and theatre venues so readily found here on the Central Coast of California!

The Theatre at the Cambria Center for the Arts’ (http://artistsofcambria.com/cambriapac/index.html) Rumors, by Neil Simon, will run through September 2.

What some consider to be Simon’s funniest play!  Four couples meet to celebrate their friends’ wedding anniversary.  But the hostess is gone, the servants have disappeared and the host has shot himself!  What follows is a rollicking romp as the guests try to fool each other and the police as to what really happened. But who knows the truth?  Rumors abound! 

The Pewter Plough Playhouse (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org) in Cambria will present A.R. Gurney’s The Grand Manner August 31 – September 30.

The REC Foundation in Paso Robles is sponsoring a production of Man of La Mancha, directed by Cynthia Anthony and Jacob Shearer, at Centennial Park, performances September 21 & 22.  Call Jacob at 805-975-5023 for more information.

Kelrik Productions (www.kelrikproductions.com) has recently closed their Summer Camp/Performance Class production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr – stay tuned for what their new season theme and lineup with be starting in the fall!

SLO Little Theatre’s (www.slolittletheatre.org) will present The Marvelous Wonderettes August 31 – September 23.

Upcoming performances at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) include Ohana Dance Company’s Aloha: Today, Tomorrow, Always on September 15, The Foundation for the Performing Arts Center and Opera SLO’s When Stars Align on September 23, the National Circus of the People’s Republic of China on September 25, The Capitol Steps on September 26, Cal Poly Faculty Recital Featuring Jacalyn Kreitzer: “Celebrated Classics” on September 29 (Spanos Theatre), and Elvis Costello on September 29 (Cohan Center).  

Murder In Mind Productions (www.murderinmind.com) will present Pirates of Pirates Cove through September 2 at the Spyglass Inn in Shell Beach (reservations required).  

The Spot (https://www.facebook.com/#!/hit.the.spot) will present an Original Works Festival September 21-30.  Each accepted piece will receive a minimum of 3 opportunities to be performed.

Upcoming performances at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) include Central Coast Celebration Chorus’ Alice in Barbershop Land on September 8, Grammy Award winning Rodney Crowell on September 21, and the Central Coast Follies’ That’s Entertainment October 6-14.

The Great American Melodrama (www.americanmelodrama.com) in Oceano is proud to present Gunsmokin’, or All Riot’s on the Western Front, written by Ben Millet and adapted by JorDan Richardson, through September 15, followed at each performance by the TGAM Wide World of Sports Vaudeville Revue, directed by Jake McGuire, with musical direction and accompaniment by Mark Pietri.  Gunsmokin’ will run alternate performances with the Melodrama’s second summer show, From Rags to Riches, or I Will Not Pay the Price You Ask.

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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