Late July Theatre Opportunities on the California Central Coast

As we move into the latter portion of July, I trust you will want to include one or more of the several productions that are currently running at one of the many live performance and theatre venues here on the beautiful California Central Coast on your list of things to do and see!

Santa Maria Civic Theatre's (www.smct.org) current production, The Frog Prince of Spamalot, will be presented through July 24.

An enchanted world of knights, princesses and magical spells comes to life with Santa Maria Civic Theatre's (SMCT) zany and warmly-rendered production of The Frog Prince of Spamalot.  A seasoned cast of local thespians, led by Weston Scott as an amphibious hero with a heart of gold, spins a tale of wonder for theater-goers of all ages during the production's eight-show run.  The performances are free, and doors open 30 minutes before show time.

The Frog Prince of Spamalot, written by Edith Weiss and directed by local theater veteran Richard Dresp, invites the audience to hop into a mystical bog, home of a once-handsome prince who has been turned into a frog by the spell of an evil witch.  The play's web-footed protagonist, Hyronomous (Scott), must bravely venture into the kingdom of Spamalot in order to secure a kiss from his one true love.

Mistaken identities, sword fights and dinner table dances ensue as Hyronomous crosses paths with a wacky cast of characters, including pompous, poetry-spouting Sir Lancelot (Taylor Landry), SPAM- loving Spamalot matriarch Queen Bea (Clare Terrill), and Angela Hutt-Chamberlin as the scheming, swooning and tantrum-throwing Princess Gladiola.  Hyronomous' story teaches a heart-felt lesson about love, loyalty, and the importance of looking past appearances to a person's true character.

"I'm thrilled to be a part of the ongoing tradition of the SMCT's free summer fairy tale production of The Frog Prince of Spamalot," said Dresp.  "Come and enjoy live theater at its best - it's a must see for young and old.  Oh yes, and did I mention it's free?"

The SMCT's Fairy Tale Theater Program has been a tradition in Santa Maria since 1993.  "It's more fun and more fulfilling than any production that I had ever been involved in," said Hutt-Chamberlin, secretary of the SMCT board and a staple of fairy tale productions since 2008.  "It is so magical to see children and adult's alike lining up down the block to see these free shows."

Hutt-Chamberlin said the summer shows provide the first taste many Santa Maria youngsters - and in some cases the adults in the audience as well, will have of live theater.  "It is amazing to see how many children fall in love with the theater because of these productions," said Hutt-Chamberlin, noting that hundreds of kids and community members attend the productions each year, gaining invaluable exposure to the arts.

The production is made possible by support from community volunteers, the Santa Maria Breakfast Rotary, the Santa Maria Arts Council, and Altrusa International. Contact the SMCT box office at 922-4442 for more information.

SMCT's next production, Blithe Spirit, will run September 16 - October 8.

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 its first summer production, Hairspray, through July 31 at the Solvang Festival Theater [NOTE: Saw the official opening night of this show on Saturday, June 18, and it was AMAZING ... I don't remember the last time the ENTIRE audience erupted into an IMMEDIATE standing ovation as curtain call began - but that's exactly what happened at this production, and it was WELL deserved!].   

In addition, Shakespeare's The Two Gentleman of Verona is playing in Santa Maria through July 30 (August 5-21 in Solvang) [NOTE: An EXCEPTIONAL production and performance ... in a word - GO!].  And be sure to check out PCPA's Summer Acting Camp for Young Actors (July 23-30 for ages 13-18).  [NOTE: Housing needed for summer theatre interns.   Contact PCPA's Company Manager, Amy Barrick at (805) 928-7731 ext. 3153 for more information].

The Lompoc Civic Theatre (www.facebook.com/LompocCivicTheatre) will present And ... Action! and Purgatory Life July 22-24 at Stone Pine Hall on South H Street. 

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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