Only four more performances of ENCHANTED APRIL, auditions for the summer are next week, and THE SOUND OF MUSIC is cruising toward tech. Only at the Little Theatre!

Good afternoon friends of the Little Theatre,

The cast and crew of Enchanted April delighted full houses this last weekend. There are only four more chances to see this wonderful production. Check out what the Tribune had to say about the show by clicking HERE. Grab one of the few remaining tickets for closing weekend by clicking HERE.

The Little Theatre is looking for four funny women to be in our summer fundraising production of Why do Fools Fall in Love? This hilarious show, from the creator of The Marvelous Wonderettes, will hold auditions on May 8 and 9 at the Little Theatre. Check out a video promo of the show by clicking HERE. Click HERE to check out all of the audition details.

How much fun is it to be a part of a Little Theatre show? Look at these rehearsal shots from The Sound of Music. Thanks to Jamie Foster for the great photos. You can get your tickets to The Sound of Music by clicking HERE.

Have a great week, everyone!

-Kevin

ENCHANTED APRIL hits the halfway mark, THE SOUND OF MUSIC beings runthroughs, AFTER THE REVOLUTION arrives in the rehearsal room, and RED jumps into its first readthrough. This week at the Little Theatre!

Good morning friends of the Little Theatre!

What a wonderful weekend at 888 Morro Street. Enchanted April played to sell-out crowds, delighting audiences by being "The kind of play that reminds you of why you love theatre!" There are only 8 more chances to see this hit production (good seats are still available, but they won't be for long!) Get yours by clicking HERE.

The Sound of Music is beginning its first runthroughs this week. Director/Choreographer Zach Johnson and Musical Director Lacey McNamara have been leading the cast through preliminary rehearsals for the last several weeks. The Sound of Music is the final mainstage production of the Little Theatre's 66th anniversary season and performances are already selling out. Get yours by clicking HERE.

After the Revolution, an Ubu's Other Shoes staged reading directed by David Hance, is taking over the rehearsal room at 888 Morro Street. This incredibly play, written by Amy Herzog, has been mesmerizing audiences around the country. Check out this great review from a recent Chicago production by clicking HERE. You can reserve your ticket instantly online by clicking HERE.

The Little Theatre is proud to present an Ubu's Other Shoe staged reading of John Logan's award-winning play, Red. This presentation, starring Michael Siebrass as Marc Rothko and Kevin Harris as his young assistant is directed by John Battalino. Read more about the play HERE. Get your tickets now by clicking HERE.

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

-Kevin

Board to Meet

The regular meeting of the San Luis Obispo Little Theatre Board of Directors will be held at the theatre at 6 PM on April 24th.

Click here to view the Agenda

Taking the Good with the Bad and Other Opinions Behind the Curtain - Redux 2015!

A Note from Patty:  I had barely been on the job for a month two years ago when I wrote the following BLOG post. We'd received a couple of challenging reviews for our latest show and it inspired me to put my thoughts about reviews, and the art of criticism in general, into words. Today we received some mixed reviews about another show, and I thought this might be worth another read. 

Oh, and by the way...you can check out the reviews for our currently running show, TIME STANDS STILL, in the Tribune HERE and New Times HERE. They liked some of it and they didn't like some of it. Me? I loved it. I really did. But I'd like to know what YOU think. Read on, then feel free to comment and let us know. :)

"Badly written... a bore.”

--Arthur Schlesinger, The Atlantic on Gone with the Wind

Reviews are important. From live theatre to classical music, gallery openings, books and film, the art of criticism has played an important role in the ongoing dialogue about great, and not so great, art for centuries.

So, what happens when something you’ve really enjoyed gets panned? That happened to my husband and me with Ishtar.  Yes, Ishtar. That remarkable 1980’s film written by Elaine May and starring Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman. Ishtar the movie was universally panned by absolutely everyone. But we LOVED it. We laughed till our sides hurt and went out of the theater humming the tune to “If you admit that you play the accordion, no one will hire you in a rock ‘n roll band.” I smile just thinking about it. We knew nothing about the film going in and it wasn’t until later that we learned we should have hated it. It’s actually one of my favorite stories to tell. And now, believe it or not, a few folks are coming around to OUR way of thinking!

CLICK HERE to read a list of Five Famously Terrible Movies (That Actually Don’t Suck.) Ishtar is # 4. And you MUST watch the video of Mike Nichols and Elaine May!

"When you see good actors in a project like this, you wonder if they signed up as an alternative to canyoneering."  

-- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times on Fight Club

There’s no denying the pain of a bad review for the artists involved. Negative reviews can hurt. They can hurt at the box office, they can hurt feelings, damage morale and make people angry.  But the idea that a bad review comes out of malice or cruelty or perhaps some sort of vendetta is usually (if not always) wrong. In the same way, a good review is not generally the result of nepotism or bribery, right? I mean, if you’re going to trust the good reviews, you have to have a few bad ones thrown in, at least occasionally. Otherwise, what’s the point? Lively debate and differences of opinion on art are GOOD things! There was a great “Theater Talkback” in the NY Times awhile back that says it much better than I can. Take this quote:

“I would rather live in a theater culture where discussions about plays can get as contentious (and occasionally rude) as those about politics.”

CLICK HERE to read the entire opinion piece by NY Times freelancer Jason Zinoman.

"Pretentious, abysmally slow, amateurishly acted and, above all, wrong.”

--Stephen Hunter, Washington Post on 2001: A Space Odyssey

The truth is that a review is just one person’s opinion. Truly. Hopefully that person is literate and informed and responsible with their opinions and their choice of words.  And I am happy to say that is usually the case here in the happiest city in America. We are very lucky.

The really sad thing is that the art of criticism is dying.  Large and small newspapers across the US have eliminated reviews entirely. It's hard to blame them given all the financial issues newspapers are dealing with these days. Still, it's sad to see it go. The Tribune recently decided that they will no longer review the SLO Symphony or any other "one-night-only" concerts in the county. The New Times hasn’t reviewed a one-night-only musical event in many years. Local theatres are fortunate in that we have multiple weekends of performances and therefore multiple opportunities to be seen and therefore, we get reviewed. At least for now. But with the popularity of online public opinion forums like Yelp, Trip Advisor, Facebook, twitter and multiple blogs, some people wonder whether critics are even necessary any more.

I think they are. I really appreciate the fact that our local papers continue to write stories and send their writers to review our productions. We appreciate that they care enough to report the good, the bad and the ugly of live theatre and we hope they will continue to do so.

If you'd like to form your own opinion about TIME STANDS STILL (and I encourage you to do so!) you can get your tickets right HERE. And there's a late-night comedy you definitely should NOT miss premiering on Friday night at 9:30 pm. You can read more about THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE HERE and you can get $10 tickets by entering the proThe reviews on that one?  We'll just have to wait until next Thursday.

Have a great weekend everyone.
~Patty

Audiences, cast members and even Facebook mavens are all talking about Enchanted April!

It's okay. You haven't missed it...YET! 

There are still three more weekends left to see this awesome show. But don't wait too long to make your reservations. Only a few seats remain for this weekend's performances and the last two weekends are filling up fast!

Check out what our audiences are saying about Enchanted April:

"A WONDERFUL piece of work!!!!"

"What a wonderful ENSEMBLE and production...well done."

"Opening night of Enchanted April was so much FUN. I could have seen the sequel right there after the show!"

And our actors are having a wonderful time too:

"I can't believe how much FUN I am having with Enchanted April. Audiences have been GREAT! Thanks to everyone involved."

"Post opening weekend blues. By that I mean that I already miss San Salvatore and my LOVELY friends."

"First weekend of Enchanted April - done. I LOVE this cast and crew."

And if you dare to find out what they're saying about this show on Facebook...

CLICK HERE to check out our "Event" page on Facebook. (You can read a description of the show there too!)  Disclaimer: the antics of certain cast members are not necessarily endorsed by the management ;)

Hope to see you this weekend at the Little Theatre. We could all use a little dose of "wisteria and sunshine" after this week in the world. We promise you'll walk out of the theatre feeling a little bit lighter than when you came in. Join us for some laughter and inspiration in Enchanted April.

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS!

I'll see you there too!
Patty

ENCHANTED APRIL brings audiences to their feet, THE SOUND OF MUSIC begins working on the stage, and AFTER THE REVOLUTION approaches opening night. This week at the Little Theatre!

Good afternoon friends of the Little Theatre,

Congratulations to the cast and crew of Enchanted April. What a fantastic opening weekend!

Come join us in the land of wisteria and sunshine. Enchanted April plays for three more weekends- you can get your tickets by clicking HERE.

The Sound of Music is beginning its third week of rehearsals.Now that Enchanted April is off and running, our stage has opened up during the evenings this week, allowing director/choreographer Zach Johnson to begin to bring this classic musical to life. We are thrilled that The Sound of Music is closing out the Little Theatre's 66th anniversary season! You can get tickets by clicking HERE.

Our Ubu's Other Shoe presentation of After the Revolution is entering is second week of rehearsal.Click HERE to check out this New York Times review of the Playwright's Horizon recent production of the play.
Get your tickets to our presentation, directed by David Hance, by clicking HERE.

Have a great week, everyone!

-Kevin

An Inside Look at Opening Week for ENCHANTED APRIL at the Little Theatre

Happy Friday everyone! Patty Thayer here. 

You know, the new girl. 

I have now been sitting at my desk upstairs at the Little Theatre since March 18th - four full weeks. Well, not 24 hours a day, obviously, but you get the idea. I've been on the job for one month now and I love it. I've been a theatre "junkie" all of  my life and a big fan of the Little Theatre for many years now, but I had no idea how much activity could be crammed into this one little building until this month. So, as we get ready to open Enchanted April tonight, I thought it might be fun to share an insider's view of opening week at the Little Theatre, Are you ready? 

Sunday - Dress Parade and Tech Rehearsal

Not your usual lazy Sunday. Production week begins on Sunday afternoon at the Little Theatre with a dress parade and a full tech rehearsal. A dress parade is when the actors try on different costumes for the director, just making sure everything looks good individually and collectively. Sharon Woodside does a great job with the costumes, don't you think? Following the dress parade was the first full tech rehearsal:  partial costumes, partial set, lights and sound. We have a show ladies and gentlemen!

Monday - Office Work, Teen Mommalogues and Rehearsal

Currently, we are in the midst of "the collision of the seasons" here at SLOLT. That's when we're still working very hard on the current season - promotions, rehearsal, production, etc. - but we're also working very hard planning the next season! Choosing shows, securing the rights, planning the budget, confirming sponsorships... all of it. Would you like to know the shows for next season? Sorry. Can't tell you yet. But soon, I promise!

But it's not just office work around here. This place is filled with theatrical activities every day of the week. Every Monday and Wednesday afternoon, a group of teens come together with director John Battalino to work on Teen Mommalogues, a program of the Community Action Partnership of SLO. It's a great program and a great partnership. You can read more about it HERE.

And of course on Monday evening, musical rehearsals for The Sound of Music started at 6 pm in the rehearsal room while at the same time, the first real dress rehearsal for Enchanted April began in the theatre. Let me tell you, if you're working upstairs when all this going on, it's pretty awesome.

Tuesday and Wednesday - Kids, Classes and Rehearsals

Mornings at my little upstairs desk are pretty quiet. A good time to get things like writing this blog done! But afternoons at the Little Theatre are quite a different matter. Afternoons currently belong to the Academy of Creative Theatre's after school classes. ACT Coordinator Kerry DiMaggio has created an amazing program, utilizing the talents of local theatre artists to provide our students with fun, educational and creative theatre training. You can read more about our ACT program HERE.

At the same time classes are going in the theatre, Technical Director and set designer Dave Linfield is using the patio area to create and paint set pieces and prop master Charlene Premer is backstage arranging props for the evening rehearsal and costumer Sharon Woodside is putting finishing touches on the 1920's style wardrobe for Enchanted April and Sound of Music director Zach Johnson is working with the set model and staging in the green room. Around 5 o'clock, stage manager Pam Hester gets here to set up for the final tech rehearsal. Like I said, it's a busy place! 

Thursday - Benefit Night!

This amazing week of work culminated with our Benefit Night dress rehearsal last night. Did you know that in the last 10 years, the Little Theatre has raised over $50,000 for local non-profits by opening our dress rehearsals to local groups as a fundraising opportunity? Last night, as the Friends of the Atascadero Library made their way into the theatre for the final dress rehearsal of Enchanted April, I could hear the hubbub of a happy audience mingling with the sounds of Kerry DiMaggio's clear soprano voice singing "The Sound of Music" in the rehearsal room. I LOVE my upstairs office.

OPENING NIGHT!

And tonight's the night. I'll be here. How about you? It's an uplifting, hilarious and heartwarming play, brilliantly directed by Teresa Thuman and performed beautifully by a cast you're gonna love. Can't wait.

Okay, so not all of you can enjoy the action around here the way I can in my little upstairs office. But you CAN enjoy some wonderful LIVE theatre this weekend, and next, and the week after that, right here at the San Luis Obispo Little Theatre. Read more about all of our wonderful performances and programs HERE, then be sure to buy your tickets early for both Enchanted April and The Sound of Music HERE. You'll be glad you did.

And hey, do me a favor and take a little side trip over to our Facebook page. There's always lots of fun stuff happening over in Facebookland and you can join the conversation. We've currently got 1,188 "likes" and I'm hoping we'll make it over the 1,200 mark this weekend. If you haven't "liked" our page yet, do it now! And share it with friends. Thanks.

Have a great weekend everyone. Thanks for listening. And I hope to see you all at the Little Theatre very soon!

All the best from the new girl,

Patty

For those who appreciate wisteria and sunshine...have we got a show for you!

Wisteria...? Check.

Sunshine...? Check.

Great Director...? Check.

Awesome Cast...? Check.

Drama... Delight... Laughter... Inspiration...? 

Check, Check, Check and Check.

Now all we need is YOU.

Enchanted April by Matthew Barber

Directed by Teresa Thuman

Opens Friday Night at 7 pm!

Runs: April 12 - May 5

Fridays and Saturdays at 7 pm

Saturdays and Sundays at 2 pm

"The kind of play that reminds you
of why you love theatre!" ~ Variety

CLICK HERE for more information

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

ENCHANTED APRIL has a great tech weekend, THE SOUND OF MUSIC begins staging, and AFTER THE REVOLUTION starts rehearsing. This week at the Little Theatre!

Good morning friends of the Little Theatre,

Enchanted April had a wonderful tech weekend! Thank you to John Battlino (light design), Dave Linfield (scenic design), Pam Hester (stage manager), Sharon Woodside (costume design), Charlene Premer (prop design), Jo Jackson (assistant stage manager), and Teresa Thuman (director) for all of your great work on this beautiful play.

Tech rehearsals are full of flowers and darkness

Enchanted April is going to be a beautiful play- the kind of play "that reminds you why you love theatre!" It opens this Friday and you can get your tickets by clicking HERE.

The Sound of Music begins staging rehearsal tonight at the Little Theatre. After a great meeting two months of meetings with Dave Linfield, director/choreographer Zach Johnson is ready to bring his complicated modular staircase concept to life for his actors. Zach brought Oklahoma! to Little Theatre audiences last year- we can't wait to see his take on another classic american musical. Get your tickets to The Sound of Music by clicking HERE.

After the Revolution an Ubu's Other Show staged reading directed by David Hance, plays for two nights only on May 10 and 11 at 7:00 PM. Check out this review of Amy Herzog's latest play, Belleville by clicking HERE. Read more about After the Revolution by clicking HERE.

Thank you for your support of our organization. Have a great week, everyone!

-Kevin

Enchanted April in Tech Rehearsal, Sound of Music in Planning Stages and "Nixon" is Busking. It's a "Dark" Weekend at the Little Theatre!

JUST ONE MORE WEEK UNTIL
ENCHANTED APRIL TAKES THE STAGE!

The marquee has been updated and Enchanted April will open next Friday. The cast is awesome, the costumes are nearly done and just wait till you see the set. Technical Director David Linfield has been busy sawing, hammering and painting all week and our  beautiful San Salvatore is nearly there.

Okay, so we still need a little wisteria and that 1970's Watergate floor has got to go, but you get the idea, right? Another awesome set is underway and will be ready to transport us to Italy for an "Enchanted April" next weekend. You can read more about the show HERE and don't forget to buy your tickets early HERE.

SOUND OF MUSIC PLANNING MEETINGS

Meanwhile, heaven forbid that our technical and design wizard Dave Linfield should only work on one thing at a time! The design process for The Sound of Music set has shifted into high gear. Director Zach Johnson has been working on the details with Dave all week. Once the multiple staircase configurations are decided upon, Zach can start blocking and choreographing this classic musical set to open on May 24th. Read more about the show and check out the cast list HERE and as always, buy your tickets early HERE!

WATERGATE'S "NIXON" NOW BUSKING AT FARMER'S

Just couldn't resist posting this one. While strolling Farmer's Market in SLO last night, the sound of "Mr. Bojangles" drew us in a little closer to the band playing the Morro Street intersection. Turns out SLOLT veterans Seth Blackburn (aka Richard Nixon in Watergate) and Jim Wilmore (From This is Rock 'n Roll) have taken up busking at Farmer's in their spare time (and they were fabulous!) We're looking forward to seeing these guys onstage again soon.

So, that's the latest on our "dark" weekend here at the Little Theatre. We may not have a show running at the moment, but this place is always busy and buzzing. Drop by and see us when you have a minute and while you're here -- get your tickets for Enchanted April! 

Until then, have a great weekend!

The COPIER has landed! Thanks to Jill Turnbow and HOUSELIGHTS THEATRE.

Isn't it gorgeous?! 

(And the two kids in the bottom photo aren't bad either.)

Last summer, Jill Turnbow and HOUSELIGHTS THEATRE presented a generous check to SLO Little Theatre's Kevin Harris. The north coast theatre company had decided it was time to close their doors and they graciously donated their remaining funds to us... with just one little caveat. We HAD to buy a new copier with the money!

A familiar face to SLOLT audiences, actress and director Jill had often struggled with the little copier in our office. It seems the little hamster who made the thing run didn't like Jill very much and always gave her grief. But no more! This thing not only copies, it collates, faxes, scans, slices, dices...it'll even learn your lines for you. It's THAT good!

Thank you, Jill, and thank you HOUSELIGHTS THEATRE for making our new copier possible. Can't wait to start churning out the pages!

P.S. You don't need a copier to buy your tickets for Enchanted April. It opens next week, you know. And the actors have already learned their lines and everything. Rumor has it that it's going to be absolutely awesome. CLICK HERE to buy your tickets for Opening Night!

THE GIVER was a great success, ENCHANTED APRIL heads into tech, THE SOUND OF MUSIC begins staging, and AFTER THE REVOLUTION infiltrates the building. This week at the Little Theatre!

Good morning friends of the Little Theatre!

Our Academy of Creative Theatre presented its very first staged reading last weekend. The Giver, directed by Kerry DiMaggio, played to great houses on Friday and Saturday; the production raised over $1,000.00 for the ACT Scholarship Fund. Thank you to everyone who came out to support this new venture for ACT. To find out more about the Academy of Creative Theatre, click HERE.

Enchanted April, directed by Teresa Thuman, is less than two weeks away from opening night! The cast is moving into runthroughs this week before heading into technical rehearsals this weekend. Scenic Designer Dave Linfield is creating an incredibly creative set which will transport our characters (and our audience) from cold, dreary London to a vibrant, sunny Italian villa. Come see how Dave and these wonderful actors are transforming out stage! Get your tickets by clicking HERE.

The Sound of Music is two weeks into rehearsal and the show is coming along beautifully. Director Zach Johnson and Musical Director Lacey McNamara have assembled a great cast. Have you seen this picture (below) bouncing around the internet...it's incredible that they are all still with us after 45 years! Get you tickets to the Little Theatre production of The Sound of Music by clicking HERE.

Ubu's Other Shoe begins rehearsals for After the Revolution this week. We are thrilled to be able to present this brilliant play on our stage. Playwright Amy Herzog is one of the hottest artists in the country right now- find out more about Amy (and hear her talk about After the Revolution) by clicking HERE. Get your tickets to the staged reading, directed by David Hance, by clicking HERE.

Thank you for your support of our organization! Have a great week, everyone!

-Kevin