Mid-Month Matinees & More on the California Central Coast!

As we come to the middle of June (how time flies when you're havin' fun!), I trust you will be wanting to make your reservations sooner rather than later so that you have good seats for the shows you'll be attending at any number of our live performance and theatre venues here on our idyllic California Central Coast!

The Pewter Plough Playhouse's (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org) next production, Playhouse Creatures, will be presented through July 17 in Cambria.  Playhouse Creatures is written by acclaimed contemporary playwright April De Angelis.  It is a juicy, vibrant and moving comedy drama which explores the backstage and off-stage lives of the first women allowed to perform on the London stage as actresses, given that women were previously forbidden on stage and women's parts were routinely played by men in drag.  A rollicking and robust story, it takes place in the 1670's, focusing on the famous Nell Gwyn and four other pioneering figures, who stepped on stage for the first time as actresses in their own right, facing challenges still common for women, surviving on their resourcefulness in a troublesome time, causing a sensation with audiences and bringing theatre into the modern age - playhouse creatures!  The 17th century has never been so much fun - taut, hilarious and at times adult dialogue.

"A pungently witty portrait of the stage ... and an actress's existence ... you'll come away moved and inspired and with a few more female role models stamped firmly on your heart" - Time Out

The cast features Jill Garcia, Janice Peters, Anita Schwaber, Kristie Siebert and Sharyn Young.  The director is Sandy Bosworth, who previously directed The Mousetrap at the Plough.

The Theatre at the Old Grammar School in Cambria (TOGS) (http://artistsofcambria.com/cambriapac/id4.html) is pleased to announce that Allied Arts Theatre has been revived and will be presenting The Octette Bridge Club July 29 - August 21, and Dearly Departed October 21 - November 20.

The Central Coast Shakespeare Festival (http://centralcoastshakespeare.org) is proud to announce its 2011 summer schedule of The Comedy of Errors and As You Like It, to be presented at the River Oaks Amphitheatre in Paso Robles, July 14 - August 13.

SLO Little Theatre's (www.slolittletheatre.org) current schedule includes children's summer theatre classes and productions (get more information at act@slolittletheatre.org), a production of The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkpr (Abridged) June 24 - July 17, and ACT's summer youth production of Ann of Green Gables July 29 - August 7.

Kelrik Productions' (www.kelrikproductions.com) Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp, following a successful run at Unity, will be presented for ONE performance only at the Spanos Theatre on Cal Poly campus in collaboration with the Pacific Dance Center on June 25 at 3 PM.  Their next production, Seussical the Musical, will be presented July 16-24 at the Spanos Theatre as well.  Also - be sure to check out their acting classes for kids & youth!

The God Is Still Speaking Players (follow them on Facebook) next show will be Nunsense Jamboree, September 2-5 & 9-11, at the SLO United Church of Christ (auditions July 9 & 10). 

Upcoming performances at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) include the California International Choir Festival & Competition June 24-26, and Summer Drama Workshop for Children's King Arthur's Quest July 5-9.

Murder In Mind Productions (www.murderinmind.com) will present The Beverly Hillbillies Murder Mystery, July 3 - September 4 (auditions for the part of Jane Hathaway being held the week of June 13). 

Sorcerer Productions (check them out on Facebook) recently 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 - performances August 12-28 on the Clark Center main stage.

Other upcoming performances at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) include the Gold Coast Chorus' "Songs We All Know" on June 18, and "Live, Breathe, Dance" by Coastal Dance & Music Academy on June 26.

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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