Vol. II, No. 28 - February 16, 2012
Zoot Suit: In 1943, Los Angeles exploded in the infamous Zoot Suit Riots, provided by the Los Angeles Sleepy Lagoon murder case that railroaded young Chicano gang members who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Playwright Luis Valdez uses the case to examine Chicano Zoot Suit culture of the’40s, the role of the media in the judicial system and Latino family culture. Kirsten Brandt, former Sledgehammer Theatre Company artistic director, helms.
San Diego Repertory Theatre is looking for 25-30 actors, singers and dancers of all ethnicities and both genders. Rehearsals begin June 18; play runs July 14-August 12. Audition appointments are by invitation only and will be held Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 25 and 26. Please contact casting director Jessica Bird at casting@sdrep.org.
This week’s theater schedule is just as crowded as last week’s (see the references below for proof). We haven’t forgotten the moviegoers, either. Click on ‘How They Did’ for all of it. The asterisk by a theater or movie entry means we like the show. The plays are listed in chronological order.
SCREEN
Local film prices generally run $7.50 to $10. Below is a list of movies for suggested viewing. For further listings, check the San Diego CityBeat movie guide at sdcitybeat.com.
* A Separation: Simin wants to leave Iran for better opportunities for her child, but husband Nader refuses. Rated PG-13. Hillcrest Cinemas, 3965 Fifth Ave. 619-819-0236m landmarktheatres.com
* The Artist: A silent film star fears the talkies will destroy his career; meanwhile, his paramour is just hitting her stride. Rated PG-13. Hillcrest and La Jolla Cinemas, 3965 Fifth Ave. and 8879 Villa La Jolla Drive. 619-819-0236, landmarktheatres.com
The Flowers of War: A dissolute Westerner meets a beautiful Chinese courtesan, who helps him rescue a group of schoolgirls from a terrible fate at the hands of the Japanese. Unrated. Opens Feb. 17 at Hillcrest Cinemas, 3965 Fifth Ave. 619-819-0236, landmarktheatres.com
The Oscar-Nominated Animated Short Films for 2012: All five Academy-nominated movies in the categories of Best Animated Short and others are screened. Ken Cinema, 4061 Adams Ave. in Kensington. 619-819-0236, landmarktheatres.com
STAGE
Opening
In the Wake: Ellen is a cocksure freelance journalist—but no one can seem to persuade her that her politics and personal life are consumed by an enormous blind spot. Produced by San Diego Repertory Theatre, it’s in previews and opens Feb. 17 at The Lyceum Theatre, 79 Horton Plaza Downtown. $32-$51. 619-544-1000, sdrep.org
Last Fall: So how did a born-again Christian and a born loser ever get together, let alone manage to cull a relationship? Opens in previews Feb. 16 at Diversionary Theatre, 4545 Park Blvd. in University Heights. $31-$33, $45 opening night (Feb. 18). 619-220-0097, diversionary.org
Visiting Mr. Green: An 86-year-old widower and the man who nearly ran him down develop a bond as family secrets are revealed and old wounds are opened. In previews, opens Feb. 18 at North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987-D Lomas Santa Fe Drive in Solana Beach. $32-$49, discounts for seniors, students and military. 858-481-1055, northcoastrep.org
Now playing
Blasted: An escalating battle of wills is complicated by the explosive appearance of an armed soldier ravaged by the terrors of an unknown conflict that has suddenly engulfed the combatants. Produced by ion theatre company, it runs through Feb. 18 at BLK BOX @ 6th & Penn, 3704 Sixth Ave. in Hillcrest. $10-$29. 619-600-5020, iontheatre.com (See our review on ‘How They Did’)
A Behanding in Spokane: A man searches for his long-missing hand, promising $500 to the degenerate couple that helps him. Produced by Cygnet Theatre Company, it runs through Feb. 19 at the Old Town Theatre, 4040 Twiggs St. in Old Town. $29-$54. 619-337-1525, cygnettheatre.com
Big Daddy Returns: Jazz and the blues take center stage in this nod to the musicians who played it. Produced by Community Actors Theatre, it runs through Feb. 26 at Community Actors Theatre, 2957 54th St. in Oak Park. $12-$14. 619-264-3391, communityactorstheatre.com
* The Recommendation: An unlikely trio of men discover the world of broken promises as they learn who their friends are. Through Feb. 26 at Old Globe Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park. $29 and up. 619-23-GLOBE, oldglobe.org
Grace and Glorie: A backwoods woman and a hospice worker form an unlikely friendship. Through March 4 at The Broadway Theatre, 340 E. Broadway in Vista. $17.50. 760-806-7905, broadwayvista.com
* An Enemy of the People: One man fights to spread the truth amid social intolerance. Produced by Intrepid Shakespeare Company, it runs through Feb. 19 at the Performing Arts Center on the campus of San Dieguito Academy, 800 Santa Fe Drive in Encinitas. $15-$25. 760-652-5011, intrepidshakespeare.com
* Golden Child: A traditional Chinese family bitterly resists the efforts of a younger man to introduce them to Occidental life. Produced by Chinese Pirate Productions, it runs through Feb. 25 at The 10th Avenue Theatre, 930 10th Ave. Downtown. chinesepirateproductions.com
* American Night: The Ballad of Juan José: Juan José takes a whirlwind journey through American history as he studies for his citizenship test. Through Feb. 26 at La Jolla Playhouse’s Potiker Theatre, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive. $35 and up. 858-550-1010, lajollaplayhouse.org
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying: Frump swears revenge against J. Pierpont Finch in this musical send-up of corporate America. Through Feb. 26 at Welk Resorts Theatre in Escondido. $36-$63. welktheatresandiego.com
Squawk: The elders of a bird community decide to foster community spirit and find it’s not as easy as it seems. Produced by the SDSU School of Theatre, Television and Film, it runs through Feb. 26 at The Experimental Theatre, 5500 Campanile Road on campus. $14-$16. 619-594-6884, theatre.sdsu.edu
* The Marvelous Wonderettes: Four female high school seniors in 1958 America have hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts. Produced by San Diego Musical Theatre, it runs through Feb. 26 at Stephen and Mary Birch North Park Theatre, 3891 University Ave. in North Park. $26-$52. 858-560-5740, sdmt.org (See our review on ‘How they Did’)
42nd Street: A chorus girl gets her shot at stardom as Julian Marsh mounts a musical extravaganza during the Depression. Through March 2 at Coronado Playhouse, 1835 Strand Blvd. in Coronado. $18-$25. coronadoplayhouse.com
The Blood Countess: Three American college students travel to Transylvania and Castle Bathory to bring the Blood Countess the same kind of fame that Bram Stoker brought to Dracula—but the Blood Countess has other plans. Produced by DangerHouse Productions, it runs through March 3 at the Victory Theatre, 2558 Imperial Ave. in Golden Hill. $10-$15. 619-663-5652, dangerhouse13.com
* A Raisin in the Sun: Racial prejudice hobbles the Younger family as its disparate dreams collide. Through March 4 at MOXIE Theatre, 6333 El Cajon Blvd. in the College Area. $20-$27, $40 opening night. 858-598-7620, moxietheatre.com
Comedy of Errors: A case of mistaken identity leads to a serious beating, a near-seduction and all kinds of wild stuff. Through March 4 at New Village Arts, 2787 State St. in Carlsbad. $26-$36. 760-433-3245, newvillagearts.org
* miXtape: Generation X was torn between disillusionment and hope in this cavalcade of music from the 1980s. Produced by Lamb’s Players Theatre, it runs through March 31 at the Horton Grand Theatre, 444 Fourth Ave. Downtown. $28-$58. 619-437-0600, lambsplayers.org
* Guys & Dolls: A New York gambler is challenged to take a cold female missionary to Havana, but they fall for each other, with a crap game at stake. Produced by Lamb’s Players Theatre, it runs through April 1 at the Ione and Paul Harter Stage, 1142 Orange Ave. in Coronado. $26-$64. 619-437-6000, lambsplayers.org (See our review on ‘How They Did’)
Shotgun Wedding Anniversary: How else can a miserable 25-year marriage end but in murder? Presented by Mystery Café, it’s ongoing at Imperial House restaurant, 505 Kalmia St. in Bankers Hill. $59.50, including dinner. 619-460-2200, mysterycafe.net
E D I T O R I A L
Spread the wealth
How about a more even keel
on the opening-night calendar?
BY MARTIN JONES WESTLIN
I’ve reviewed or edited reviews of 10 plays in the last two weekends—and while that’s not a personal best, it’s damn close. I wrote 12 stories over a similar period many years ago, but that’s when I was working for three publications. This is the only one for which I do theater work anymore, so in a way, the load is greater than before (the deadlines aren’t spread out, like they used to be).
The quality of the shows lately has pretty much run the gamut, although on a scale of 1 to 10, MOXIE Theatre’s A Raisin in the Sun rates about a 64. A once-in-a-lifetime entry like that makes the prospect of every other piece worthwhile, and I gladly hop to each one accordingly, hoping I can keep it up for a reasonable number of years.
But it’s not me I’m worried about. I’m worried about the theaters themselves, which slave to put on the best pieces they can, most often under arduous fiscal constraints and a 24-hour clock that can’t seem to allow an extra 12 seconds for the paint on a set to dry. The art is an exceptionally hard taskmaster, harder than most laymen would dare to dream.
Yet the venues continue to fan the flames of difficulty, even as a simple (if partial) solution seems to lie at their doors.
The problem is that most of the companies open their shows the exact same weekend or collection of weekends, as if in a frenzy for their patrons’ disposable income. I say “as if” because it’s not intentional—the producers and artistic directors have boards to which they must report on their season plans, and traditional allowances for show preparations result in specific timelines to which they supposedly must adhere. But that argument holds less water when you consider its flip-side—many of the better shows get extended by popular demand, and surely, that requires a certain flexibility on the companies’ behalves.
Meanwhile, potential patrons (at least those who aren’t season ticketholders or who otherwise simply want to see a play) are faced with the compounded decision on where to spend. They may opt for a particular venue amid its proximity or its lesser cost when something they’d really prefer to see the same weekend commands a bigger admission price and happens to be out of the way. Their disposable income depleted, they wait for the following week in hopes that things will better themselves.
That turns into a pretty big inconvenience for people whose only sin involves taking part in their own life stories. And as the theater is a public service (accent on “service”) before it’s anything else, it would be ideal if the venues could play a bigger role in staggering their opening dates to accommodate their potential supporters.
That’s what’s so great about ion theater company’s so-called Off-the-Radar series, whose latest installment is Sarah Kane’s Blasted (see our review on ‘How They Did’). The Old Globe Theatre and La Jolla Playhouse are no strangers to odd-day openings; they’ve routinely unveiled pieces on Wednesdays and Thursdays for as long as I can remember. The majority of companies, however, fairly descend on the public’s resources at roughly the same time, however unwittingly shaving a portion of their orientation to the public good.
In the last two weeks, three local shows have mounted at “new” venues, in Encinitas, Downtown and Golden Hill. One of those companies held on until Tuesday, Feb. 14, for its opening night—and while I don’t know the reasoning behind that move, I welcomed it as a step in the right direction. Tuesday is a horrible time for local theater, but the fact that it was made available at all strikes me as a decent PR move. I do wish there were a way for every company to spread its wealth accordingly—but until some enterprising producer comes up with a solution, we’re likely stuck in a feast-or-famine scenario, beholden to a calendar that speaks to patron services in barely audible undertones.
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A Room with a View: Sheltered English girl Lucy Honeychurch must decide whether to stay in her cocoon or risk everything for the man she loves. In previews March 2, opens March 8 at the Old Globe Theater mainstage, 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park. oldglobe.org Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead: Reality and illusion mix as two minor characters from Hamlet meet a tragic but inevitable end. Opens March 2 at OnStage Playhouse, 291 Third Ave. in Chula Vista. onstageplayhouse.com Parade: Love grows between Leo Frank and his wife Lucille as they fight for his freedom following his murder conviction. In previews March 8-16, opens March 17 at the Old Town Theatre, 4040 Twiggs St. in Old Town. cygnettheatre.com ‘Bye-‘Bye, Birdie: A rock singer travels to a small Ohio town to make his farewell television performance and kiss his biggest fan before he is drafted. Produced by Pickwick Players, it opens March 9 at MOXIE Theatre, 6663 El Cajon Blvd. in the College Area. pickwickplayers.net |
Anna Christie: When Anna reveals to her father and her fiancé the shameful secret she has been harboring, they come to understand the harsh reality of her past and show her compassion, love and forgiveness. In previews March 10, opens March 15 at the Old Globe Theatre’s Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park. oldglobe.org Tortilla Curtain: Three disparate people cling to their vision of the American Dream until a car accident changes the lives of two men and their families. Produced by San Diego Repertory Theatre, it opens March 17 at The Lyceum, 79 Horton Plaza Downtown. sdrep.org My Soldiers: A young woman received the Medal of Honor for her heroic actions but is haunted by the consequences. Staged reading by Vantage Theatre March 18 at St. Paul’s Villas, 2340 Fourth Ave. in Bankers Hill. 858-454-2659 |
Playwrights Project sets
free Tuesday performances
Playwrights Project, which seeks to empower individuals through playwriting programs and theater productions, is launching a series of free performances set for the third Tuesday of each month (donations welcome).
The first installment, Telling Stories: Giving Voice to Foster Youth, is set for Feb. 21 at MOXIE Theatre at 7 p.m. The reading of scripts about the lives of foster youth—centering on a mother’s failures and a daughter’s fairytale, a boy who risks everything to cut ties with his past and other stories of challenge and survival—will be followed March 20 by selections from the project’s Lifestages: Reflections program, featuring plays written by those 55 and over. The location for this program has yet to be announced.
The series will be dark in April, when the project’s New Plays Festival is scheduled at the Lyceum Theatre. May and June will feature selections from the project’s program Play by Play: Cultivating New Playwrights.
MOXIE Theatre is located at 6663 El Cajon Blvd. in the College Area. Playwrights Project’s number is 619-239-8222. For more, visit playwrightsproject.org.