Mid-August 2012 Theatre Offerings on the California Central Coast

As we make our way into the second week of August and beyond, I trust you will want to be planning to take in some of the productions showing at any number of the theatre and live performance establishments here on the idyllic California Central Coast!

The Lompoc Civic Theatre's (www.lompoccivictheatre.com) summer production of tick, tock … BOOM! will run through August 19.

For the first time since 2008, LCT is producing a musical comedy, Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM! August 3-19, in the intimate 55-seat Stone Pine Hall at 210 So. H St., Lompoc.  Todd Harper is Directing with Musical Direction by Rachel Mello and Musical Staging by LompocHigh School senior, Riley Ranjo.

In early 1990 SoHo New York City, a promising young composer finds himself with mounting anxiety just a week from his thirtieth birthday, as he has yet to write the next great American musical.  As he struggles with his career, his roommate and best friend finds success, while his girlfriend of two years threatens to leave him for a simpler and more traditional life by the sea.

Director Todd Harper says, "After the incredibly successful Broadway run of Jonathan Larson's RENT, followed by an equally successful major motion picture, most people in our culture today are at least aware of, if not deeply affected by that story and its themes.  However, people seem to be unaware of his earlier work.  tick, tick... BOOM!reveals many of Larson's struggles in his early career and opens our eyes more widely to the bohemian lifestyle he spent in his post-college years.  Waiting tables for minimum wage on the weekends and writing music with no promise of income the rest of the week, he is often faced with the choice of eating a meal, heating his apartment in the harsh New York winters, or taking a cab to see his girlfriend.  Working in theatre with a low income over the last year since graduating from a university, I relate to Jon in many ways, so the story really hits home for me. It is my hope that this story will warm the hearts of Lompoc residents as well as the greater CentralCoast."

Richard Lonsbury (seen previously in LCT’s Almost, Maine and Twelfth Night) stars as Jon.  Lompoc High Drama teacher Sarah A. M. Barthel will play Jon's girlfriend, Susan, and Connor Galvin (seen recently in Almost, Maine and Not on This Night) will play Jon's roommate, Michael.  Also appearing are Blake Brundy and Kaitlin Griffith [photo by Jennifer Hair of (L-R) Sarah A. M. Barthel, Richard Lonsbury, and Connor Galvin.

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

The Theatre at the CambriaCenter for the Arts’ (http://artistsofcambria.com/cambriapac/index.html) Rumors, by Neil Simon, will run August 10 - September 2. 

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

Kelrik Productions (www.kelrikproductions.com) has just 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) Academy of Creative Arts’ Anne of Avonlea runs through August 12, and The Marvelous Wonderettes August 31 – September 23.

Upcoming performances at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) include the Joe Goode Performance Group on August 9, Jumpbrush in Concert on August 11, The Academy of Dance's DANCIN' 2012 on August 12, the US Air Force Band of the Golden West on August 14, and CORE Dance Company’s Confessions of a Love Junkie August 17 & 18.  

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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