California Central Coast Springtime Theatre Openings & Closings

As spring arrives like a lion here on the California Central Coast, I hope that you are planning to grab your umbrella and head on out to attend some of the many theatrical offerings that are available (or soon will be) at the several live performance and theatre venues that we have in the area!

Auditions for a readers' theatre production of Too Much Memory, a retelling of the classic Greek story of Antigone set firmly in the present, were held on March 21 (performance on May 6) [NOTE: still looking for a few good men to fill out the cast at the time of this posting]. 

Teen Monologues will be presented on April 1 (call 805-544-2484 or email teenmonologues@capslo.org to reserve tickets), and then the next SLOLT mainstage production, The Gin Game, will run April 8 - May 1.

The SLO High School Iambic Pentameter Club presents The Taming of the Shrew (check it out on Facebook) through March 26.

The Great American Railroad Show (www.americanrailroadshow.com) will be presented at Unity (1490 Southwood Dr in SLO) through March 27.

Kelrik Productions' (www.kelrikproductions.com) next production, Pinkalicious, will run April 2-17.  Auditions for Aladdin will be held on April 6 (performances May 21 - June 12).

The God Is Still Speaking Players' (follow them on Facebook) next show will be Nunsense Jamboree in September (auditions early/mid July).  They are hosting a production of The Fourth Wall in collaboration with the RadioActive Players on April 30 & May 1 at 2 PM.  Contact director Gene Strohl (genestrohl@aol.com) for more information.

Upcoming performances at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) include CORE Rhythms A New Beginning (presented by CORE Dance Company) on March 26 & 27, A Midsummer Night's Dream on March 31, and The Barber of Seville on April 1 & 3.

The Houselights Theatre (www.houselightstheatre.org) is looking for a new place to call home ... got any suggestions?  Details concerning their next show are TBD (and where it will be held).

The Pioneer Players (www.pioneerplayers.org) presented a "special project,"  Always ... Patsy Cline, at Centennial Park in Paso Robles for 2 performances this past September.  Stay tuned for what they'll be doing next!

The Central Coast Shakespeare Festival (http://centralcoastshakespeare.org) will hold auditions on April 9 & 10 (appointment required) for their upcoming summer season, which will include As You Like It and The Comedy of Errors. 

The Pewter Plough Playhouse's (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org) next production, Becky's New Car, will run March 25 - May 8.

The Theatre at the Old Grammar School (TOGS) (http://artistsofcambria.com/cambriapac/id4.html) is pleased to announce that Allied Arts Theatre has been revived and will be presenting the first of a 4 play season, starting with An Evening of Comedy - Creme de la Femme, April 7-10, followed by The Octette Bridge Club July 29 - August 21, and Dearly Departed October 21 - November 20.

Murder In Mind Productions (www.murderinmind.com) is currently looking for actors to fill out the cast of their interactive murder mystery The Altos - Blood Is Thicker Than Wine, which will run on Sundays at The Spyglass Inn in Shell Beach May 1 - June 5.

Exit Pursued by a Bear (follow them on Facebook) is proud to announce their upcoming production of As You Like It (performances May 13-15, 19-21).  I understand that the "twist" for this production is that it will be entirely gender reversed with men playing the women's roles and, well ... I think you get the idea.  Contact Tyler Lopez at tylermlopez@gmail.com for more information.    

Upcoming performances at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) include Nipomo High School's Pirates of Penzance March 24-26, Arroyo Grande High School's Merchant of Venice March 24-27 in the Studio Theater, Cody Bryant & The Riders of the Purple Sage on April 2, and Lisa Haley & the Zydekats on April 9.

Ryan Cordero (rccor385@gmail.com) and Sorcerer Productions (check them out on Facebook) will present Drowsy Chaperone, with performances scheduled for April 1-24, at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) in Arroyo Grande as part of their inaugural season of shows.

The Great American Melodrama's (www.americanmelodrama.com) current production, The Medicine Man, runs through April 24.

The Santa Maria Civic Theatre's (www.smct.org) next production, An Evening with David Ives, will run April 29 - May 21 (rumor has it they're still looking for a couple of actors to round out the casts of this series of one act plays).

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 Pride and Prejudice, April 14 - May 8.

So, whatever else your springtime calendar may have on it - I trust you will want to include attending a show (or 2 ... maybe even 3?) and support our California Central Coast performing arts community that is eagerly awaiting the opportunity to entertain you!

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