Theatre on the California Central Coast ... Paradise Found!

Warm sunny days ... cool evenings ... picturesque beaches ... a veritable cornucopia of award winning wineries, fine dining, and unique shopping opportunities (check out www.kwirkworld.com) ... a diverse selection of theatre offerings to satisfy a wide variety of viewing tastes and desires ... this MUST be Paradise - or the California Central Coast!

In the beautiful seaside community of Cambria, the Houselights Theatre (www.houselightstheatre.org) has just announced a return engagement of their recent popular production of Always ... Patsy Cline, which will be staged at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center Spanos Theatre (www.pacslo.org) August 29 & 30.  The Pewter Plough Playhouse (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org) is currently presenting Bernard Slade's acclaimed romantic comedy Same Time, Next Year - a touching story of love, romance, and ultimately friendship, trust and insight into our evolving culture.  The show runs through August 15.  They have also just completed auditions for Agatha Christie's legendary murder mystery The Mousetrap, which will open at The Playhouse on September 11    

The Central Coast Shakespeare Festival (www.centralcoastshakespeare.org) is performing A Midsummer Night's Dream and Treasure Island (pictured above with Alan Benson as Long John Silver) through August 15th at the River Oaks Hot Springs Outside Amphitheatre located at 800 Clubhouse Dr in Paso Robles.  This group, according to their website, "is committed to providing professional, entertaining productions of Shakespeare's work as well as other timeless and classical stories."  They also profess to operate on the following 8 beliefs:

We believe in nurturing future theatre going audiences by presenting live theatre in a beautiful outdoor setting.

We believe in providing local artists the opportunity to work alongside visiting professionals.

We believe in the power of theatre to change lives. Artist's and Audience's alike.

We believe in adding to the rich and varied cultural community that the central coast already enjoys.

We believe watching Shakespeare outdoors, with a delicious picnic dinner and a fine, fine bottle of syrah is just about as good as it gets.

We believe you should come see our shows this season. Both of them.

We believe that work is love made visible.

We believe in spit takes. Oh, yes we do.

Pioneer Players (www.pioneerplayers.org), also located in Paso Robles, have just finished their production of The Secret Garden and are currently gearing up for their Cirque Du Pioneer children's theatre camp (ages 8-15) that runs August 3-15, under the direction of Tabatha Skanes.

In San Luis Obispo, Vegas, Baby! - written and choreographed by Emmy Award winner Suzy Miller, is currently playing at the San Luis Obispo Little Theatre (www.slolittletheatre.org) through August 2.  They will also be presenting a readers' theatre production of The Year of Magical Thinking on August 14, starring Susan Merson.

In addition to hosting the Houselights Theatre's production of Always ... Patsy Cline in late August, the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) will also present the Festival Mozaic Grand Finale Concert on July 26, the National Youth Choir of Great Britain on August 3, Lyle Lovett And His Large Band on August 8, Summer Comedy Jam on August 15, and Karla Bonoff on August 22.

The Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) in the Village of Arroyo Grande will present Mel Brooks' rollicking hilarious musical The Producers - the story of 2 would be producers, Max Bialystock (played by Dana Shaheen) and Leo Bloom (played by Jeff Salsbury) who are successful ... in spite of themselves!  This show is produced by Sorcerer Productions (check them out on Facebook) and runs August 21 - September 6.

In Oceano, not too far from the Oceano Dunes State Park Beach - the last beach in California that allows cars to drive on the beach (it's really cool ... you oughta' give it a try!), The Great American Melodrama & Vaudeville (www.americanmelodrama.com) has 2 shows running in an alternating schedule through September 20: Gold Fever at the Rough and Ready and Rip van Winkle, along with their always VERY entertaining Vaudeville performance that follows each production. 

And then down in Santa Maria and Solvang, the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (www.pcpa.org) continues its summer of theatre fun with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (through August 2, Solvang Festival Theater), The Music Man (through August 1 at the Marian Theatre in Santa Maria; August 7-23 in Solvang), The Spitfire Grill (August 7-23 in Santa Maria; August 28 - September 13 in Solvang), and Distracted (August 28 - September 20, Severson Theatre in Santa Maria).

The Santa Maria Civic Theatre (www.smct.org) will be holding auditions on July 21 & 22 for Love, Sex, and the I.R.S - which will be the first production of their 50th Anniversary Season.

From Cambria by the sea, to the quaint Danish themed Solvang, and so many points in between - there is SO much to see and do here on the beautiful California Central Coast.  But don't take my word for it - come see for yourself ... I guarantee you'll be glad you did!

Curt Miner - your BroadwayWorld.com guy on the ground with the California Central Coast theatre "news and views"