JULY THEATRE OPENINGS ON THE CALIFORNIA CENTRAL COAST

BroadwayWorld.com brings you theater recommendations from San Luis Obispo's own Curt Miner.

As the smoke has cleared and crowds have dispersed from the 4^th of July 3-day weekend's worth of festivities, a number of our California Central Coast theatres and live performance venues have some new entertainment choices for you that you will NOT want to miss!

The Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation (http://pryaf.org) is putting the finishing touches on its production of Twelfth Night, directed by Tabatha Skanes, assistant directed by Ayrton Parham, and stage managed by Danielle Lyons.

Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is the story of twin brother and sister that get separated, and comedy ensues ... mistaken identities and more - fun for the whole family!

This Shakespearean Classic is being brought, not to the stage, but to the floor - presented in a theatre-in-the-round style, featuring a cast of EXTREMELY talented children and young adults from around San Luis Obispo County, ages 8 to 20 years, including new actors and PRYAF alumni.

Twelfth Night is Tabatha Skanes' third directorial undertaking.  Last winter, Skanes directed Babes in Toyland, also shown at Youth Arts, and last summer she made her directorial debut with Secret Garden (Pioneer Players).

Show times are as follows:
Friday, July 9th @ 7pm
Saturday, July 10th @ 2pm
Sunday, July 11th @ 4pm

Friday, July 16th @ 7pm
Saturday, July 17th @ 2pm
Sunday, July 18th @ 4pm

Performances are held in the Berg Auditorium at the Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation (3201 Spring Street Paso Robles, CA 93446).

Tickets for adults are $8 and kids (11 and under) are $5 (pre-sold tickets will be given up 5 minutes before the performance if you are not there - thank you).

Actors will be pre-selling tickets - tickets will be held at will call.  You can also buy tickets at the Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation or by phone at (805) 238-5825

The Central Coast Shakespeare Festival (www.centralcoastshakespeare.org) is proud to present its summer productions of Twelfth Night and The Gamester through August 14 at the Outside Amphitheatre at the River Oaks Hot Springs in Paso Robles.

Also up Paso Robles way, the Pioneer Players (www.pioneerplayers.org) finished a successful run of Oliver at the Templeton Performing Arts Center in January.  Next up was supposed to be a summer musical production of Fiddler on the Roof, but performance rights were unavailable.  Then the plan was a production of The Unsinkable Molly Brown.  Now, I'm told they are working on a "special project" that has taken them in a different direction at this point, and they will hopefully be making an announcement soon ... stay tuned!

The Theatre at the Old Grammar School (TOGS) in Cambria presents The Belle of Amherst through August 1.  Contact Emma Duncan at (805) 574-0073, or eduncan@gm.slc.edu for more information.

The Pewter Plough Playhouse (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org), also located in Cambria, closed their production of Finishing Touches on February 28.  The theatre will now be closed for a time while it installs a new fire sprinkler system - stay tuned for details on its reopening and next show!

The Houselights Theatre (www.houselightstheatre.org) completed a successful remount run of their popular summer musical Always ... Patsy Cline at the Spanos Theatre On the Cal Poly campus this past August.  Stay tuned for details concerning their next show (and where it will be held - they are looking for a new place to call home ... got any suggestions?).

The Brickyard Theatre (www.brickyardhteatre.com) is currently working on a production of Quilters, which will be presented September 2-25 in Atascadero.  Contact Bobbi Stoffel at stoffelfam@charter.net for reservations or more information.

The San Luis Obispo Little Theatre (www.slolittletheatre.org) presents Suzy Miller's summer theatre dance spectacular Shimmy Shake Shine! through July 31 [NOTE: attended the Saturday matinee opening weekend of this show and this group of 30 singers/dancers/actors, ranging in age from 15 to 54, ROCK the house!].  Auditions for Leading Ladies (performances October 8-31) will be July 12 & 13.  The Fantasticks will be presented August 7 - September 9.   

Kelrik Productions (www.kelrikproductions.com) will present Into the Woods July 16-18 at the Spanos Theatre on the Cal Poly campus for 3 performances only.  This will be the farewell production for Kelrik here on the Central Coast as co-founder Erik Austin leaves the area.  He will definitely leave a void in the local theatre community.  THANK YOU Erik for a WONDERFUL run here in San Luis Obispo!   

Other upcoming performances at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) include the Festival Mozaic Grand Finale on July 25, American Dance of SLO's Just Imagine August 1 (2 performances - 2 & 6 PM), Pacific Coast Dance Convergence's JUMPBRUSH, August 12-14, and (for those who REALLY like to plan ahead!) comedienne Paula Poundstone on October 7.  

The God Is Still Speaking Players (follow them on Facebook or at www.sloucc.org) will hold auditions for their next production, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, July 19 & 20, with performances scheduled for the first 2 weekends in September.

Murder in Mind Productions (http://murderinmind.com) presents Bewitched: De-Witched, a parody by John Logue and directed by Ron Kewish, at the Spyglass Inn, located at 2703 Spyglass Dr in Shell Beach, through September 5.  Reservations are required.

Ryan Cordero (rccor385@gmail.com) and Sorcerer Productions (check them out on Facebook) recently closed a successful run of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Clark Center Studio Theatre.  What's next on the drawing board for what some are calling the most exciting and creative theatre company on the Central Coast?  A production of The Drowsy Chaperone will be presented September 17 - October 2 as part of their inaugural season of 4 shows.  In addition to Chaperone, Forever Plaid is scheduled for November, Urinetown is tentatively scheduled for production in Feb/March of 2011, and Crazy for You in August 2011.   

Upcoming performances at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) in Arroyo Grande, include Jim Messina of Loggins & Messina in concert on August 10, and the 9^th Annual Paul Wolff Accessibility Advocacy Awards with a benefit performance by comedian Josh Blue on August 28.

The Great American Melodrama (www.americanmelodrama.com) has kicked off its summer season with The Crock of Gold, written by Silas S. Steele and directed by Eric Hoit, that will run through September 18, along with "The Great Outdoors Vaudeville Review" following each performance (beginning July 15, this show will alternate with the Melodrama's second summer show, The Tavern).

The Santa Maria Civic Theatre (www.smct.org) presents this year's Summer Fairy Tale Doc, Doc ... Goose! through July 18.  Auditions for their next production, The White Liars and Black Comedy, will be held at 7 PM on July 19 & 20 (performances September 10 - October 2).

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, presents Sylvia through July 25 at the Solvang Festival Theater [NOTE: Saw a Saturday matinee of this production during its Marian Theatre run in Santa Maria and it is absolutely WONDERFUL!].  And then the classic 50s musical West Side Story will be presented at the Marian Theatre through July 25 (July 30 - August 22 at the Solvang Festival Theater).

So ... whether you're looking for something from the classics, or straight drama, or a musical, or comedy - the theatres of the California Central Coast have something to offer to slake your summertime thirst for quality live theatre entertainment!

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

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