ON SUCH A WINTER'S DAY to Open Long Beach Shakespeare Company's 2025 New Works Festival
Events will run from May 16 and 17.
Long Beach Shakespeare Company will open its 2025 New Works Festival with the world premiere of On Such a Winter's Day by acclaimed author-playwright Deanne Stillman. Under the direction of Dana Schwartz, this "poignant mosaic" weaves together nine monologues into a single evening of theatre. The fully-staged production - taking place at the Helen Borgers Theatre on May 16 and 17 - features an ensemble cast of five women: Stephanie Keefer (Tamzene & Evelyn), Abigail Corrigan (Marilyn), Leyla Perales (Mandi), Anne Gundry (Aunt Helen & Daughter), and Nicole Delorme (Exercise Instructor). From the gilded mystique of Hollywood icons to the dusty trails of pioneer history, the show promises a lively, heartfelt exploration of California and the American Dream.
Beneath its vivid characters, On Such a Winter's Day probes deeper themes of myth and memory. The play's title itself nods to the Mamas & the Papas song "California Dreamin'," which famously says "California dreamin' on such a winter's day." That lyric - explicitly invoked by the title - underscores the play's emotional coreLike the song, the play is about yearning for warmth and fulfillment in California amid colder realities. Stillman's writing often treats place as a character, and California is no exception here. As she explains of her work, "I brake for the sand" - whether desert or beach - and the landscape shapes her characters' storiesThe setting is California, but the themes - reinvention, regret, hope - are universal.
Each monologue in On Such a Winter's Day plays with the line between reality and imagination. Historical figures mingle with modern archetypes, and ordinary scenes gain a touch of magic. For example, Aunt Helen's "Jolene"-esque country ballad fantasy contrasts sharply with the stark story of Tamzene Donner's pioneer ordeal. Through these contrasts, Stillman comments on the California Dream itself: a seductive myth that offers endless possibilities in the "land of magic and beauty," yet also risks leaving people stranded in longing. As the Long Beach Shakespeare notes, all these women are "hoping to reinvent themselves" - and the play invites us to ask whether today really is "the first day of the rest of your life," or simply part of a never-ending cycle of dreams
Deanne Stillman's voice is firmly rooted in the American West. Across her work - from essays to plays - she often explores Western landscapes and misunderstood characters, blending history and folklore. In On Such a Winter's Day, she continues this approach, treating California's coastline and high deserts as both setting and symbol. The monologues are full of local color and metaphor: mountain lions and freeway pilgrimages rub shoulders with campfire ghosts and skylit promises. By drawing on mythic icons (like Monroe) and lesser-known souls (like Donner), Stillman foregrounds the idea that each Californian - famous or humble - carries a story of hope.
On Such a Winter's Day, part of Long Beach Shakespeare's 2025 New Works Festival, thus delivers both a spirited showcase of acting and a thoughtful meditation. With sharp humor and lyrical grace, it balances playful fantasy against the hard realities of history and desire. Theatregoers who love California lore and heart-wrenching monologue theatre will find much to savor: the production promises to leave audiences thinking about what it really means to chase the American Dream on the Western horizon. Don't miss this evocative new piece, in which "California dreamin' on such a winter's day" becomes a haunting invitation to reflect on home, identity, and longing at the Helen Borgers Theatre, 4250 ½ Atlantic, Long Beach, in Bixby Knolls.
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