SHAKESPEARE SANTA CRUZ'S sudden demise is an important wake-up call

Good morning theatre friends!

On Monday morning, the regents of UC Santa Santa Cruz unexpectedly (and unceremoniously) announced that it was closing down Shakespeare Santa Cruz in December, ending a 32-year run as one of the nation's premiere Shakespeare festivals.

While the festival's financial troubles were well-known to anyone in the theatre world paying attention (the company's debt nearly shut it down in 2008), the abruptness of this announcement sent shockwaves throughout regional theatre circles. You can read more about the closure, including statements from the regents and representatives of SSC, by clicking HERE.

Whatever the reasons for the closure, it is an important reminder to all of us (patrons and artists alike) to never take the Arts for granted. This is an extremely challenging time for our industry, and it's our responsibility to do everything in our power to make sure that- above all else- the show goes on. More on this story as it develops out of Santa Cruz--- there are still many questions to be answered.

Have a great Thursday, everyone!

-Kevin

SHAKESPEARE SHORTS has a great closing weekend, INCORRUPTIBLE begins to take shape in the theatre, MIRACLE ON 34th STREET auditions are right around the corner, and time is running out to buy SEASON TICKETS. This week at the Little Theatre!

Good afternoon friends of the Little Theatre,

Congratulations to the wonderful cast and crew of Shakespeare Shorts, our Academy of Creative Theatre summer production. The show played to a sold-out house on Sunday. Want to become part of the ACT. Check out these great FALL CLASSES the program is offering. Registration is now open. Don't lose your slot!

It's hard to believe that less than 24 hours ago our ACT performers were taking their final bows on this stage. Now, the framing and stonework for our next mainstage play, Incorruptible, is being created. Dave Linfield, our technical director, expects to have a working version of the set ready to go by the time the Incorruptible cast shows up for rehearsal tonight. Our typical turnaround between shows is 18 days (with a weekend of Ubu's Other Shoe and a weekend of technical rehearsals included in that number.) Due to the amount of productions we're putting on this year, Dave only has 11 days to from the closing of Shakespeare Shorts until the opening of Incorruptible. To see the final version of the set (and a hilarious farce) get your ticket by clicking HERE.

Auditions for Miracle on 34th Street are coming up soon! This is a great way to get involved if you were looking for a reason to get back onstage. Director Lisa Woske is looking for many, MANY actors of all ages and skill levels to fill out the cast. Interested? Click HERE for all of the audition information. Click HERE to get your tickets before they're all gone!

You only have a couple of week left to become a full season subscriber to the Little Theatre's 67th anniversary season. Subscriber receive great benefits:

SEATING ▪ Choose your preferred seats and dates before the season even begins. Last season, nearly all of our season shows SOLD-OUT. Subscribe now and you’ll ensure the BEST SEATS in the house all year long! available throughout the season.

FLEXIBILITY ▪ Enjoy maximum flexibility! ONLY Season Subscribers can exchange their tickets at any time, for any reason, at no extra charge. Can’t make a performance? No problem! Our box office staff will help you secure the best possible tickets for another performance (subject to availability.)

SAVINGS ▪ Season subscribers save more than 10% off of regular ticket prices.

SPECIAL EVENTS ▪ Season Subscribers also receive advance notice and priority seating for special events, including our Winter Fundraising Musical running February 14-March 16, 2014.

SUPPORT ▪ When you become a Season Subscriber, you are making an important choice to support theatrical storytelling on the Central Coast and you become a part of the Little Theatre family. There’s no better way to show your support of our organization and the arts on the Central Coast.

Become a subscriber today! Click HERE to order your season ticket instantly online!

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 August 28th .

Click here to view the agenda

ACT $10 Special, NO SHAME, AUDITIONS and INCORRUPTIBLE is on its way!

"SHAKESPEARE SHORTS" FINAL WEEKEND

The cast members are gathering downstairs, warming up their voices, doing their hair and making those exciting pre-show sounds that always make me smile. 14 young actors are ready to put on a great show tonight and every day this weekend and you should be here to see them do it!

So we're offering YOU a SPECIAL discount to guarantee these talented, young actors a sell-out crowd!
$10 Tickets for ALL! 
Friday, 8/23 at 7pm
Saturday, 8/24 at 2pm & 7pm
Sunday, 8/25 at 2pm.

To get your discount, just come on down to the box office on the day of the show, and tell them that you'd like the "ACT $10 Special" and your price will be just $10 per seat! You'll save up to $20 on a family of four and our ACT students will have a full house. It's a win-win! We think a GREAT show deserves a FABULOUS final weekend, so come on down and join us for SHAKESPEARE SHORTS!

CLICK HERE FOR SHOW INFORMATION

"I gotta feeling... that tonight's gonna be a good night. That tonight's gonna be a good night. That tonight's gonna be a good, good night!"

Get that coffee brewing if you need it. It's the best night of the month - NO SHAME!

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23rd
Doors/Bar Opens at 9:30 pm
Submissions Begin at 10 pm

Must be 5 minutes...Must be completely original...Don't break anything. The most exciting, unpredictable night of original theatre on the Central Coast.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE NO SHAME INFORMATION

Got plans for the holiday? Looking for something to make it extra special? Why not flex your acting chops by performing in a holiday classic? Come on down to the Little Theatre on September 4th and 5th and you might just find yourself with a part in our holiday production of Miracle on 34th Street! Director Lisa Woske says there are multiple roles available for actors of all ages. So, get up out of that easy chair in front of the TV and get yourself onstage! You know you want to, so go for it.

CLICK HERE FOR AUDITION INFORMATION

Welcome to Priseaux, France, c.1250 A.D. The river flooded again last week. The chandler's shop just burned to the ground. Nobody's heard of the wheelbarrow yet. And St. Foy, the patron of the local monastery, hasn't worked a miracle in 13 years. In Priseaux, the Dark Ages still look pretty dark, but this comedy will have you rolling in the aisles! Nothing is sacred or spared from playwright Michael Hollinger's humor as he skewers religion, celebrity worship and material worship in INCORRUPTIBLE.

The show is directed by Jill Turnbow and features stellar local actors Tom Ammon, John Geever, Bob Peterson, Tabatha Skanes, Rosh Wright, Clayton Greiman, Anita Schwaber and Matthew Hansen.

Get your tickets early for this side-splitting comedy! Or better yet, you can buy season tickets for all five season shows between now and next May for as little as $99! You'll be guaranteed five great nights (or matinees!) of unforgettable characters and extraordinary stories at your San Luis Obispo Little Theatre. The best seats in the house belong to season subscribers, so get yours today!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TICKETS

Thanks to our generous show sponsors:
Gina Kirk & Jim Solomon
Concettina & Allyn Arnold
Phyllis & Robert Frank

There you have it. Your cute puppy photo of the week. Hope you all have an amazing weekend. Happy "almost" end of summer everyone! School has started and next weekend is Labor Day - can you believe it?! Life just keeps rolling along on our beautiful Central Coast.

We'll see you back here at the Little Theatre very soon.

Cheers!
~Patty

SHAKESPEARE SHORTS has a great opening weekend, INCORRUPTIBLE moves into the theatre, INDEPENDENCE begins rehearsals, and AUDITIONS for 34TH STREET are right around the corner. This week at the Little Theatre!

Good morning friends of the Little Theatre,

Our Academy of Creative Theatre's production of Shakespeare Shorts opened to standing ovations this last weekend. Congratulations to Shelagh Garren (director) and the wonderful cast and crew of this delightful show. There are only 4 more chances to see the summer ACT production: August 23-25. You can read more about the show by clicking HERE. Get your tickets by clicking HERE.

Incorruptible, the first mainstage season production of the Little Theatre's 67th anniversary season, moves into the theatre for rehearsals tonight. Jill Turnbow has assembled a fantastic cast for this "dark comedy about the dark ages." Incorruptible opens on Friday, September 6, which means that you only have a few weeks to purchase your season tickets and reserve the best possible seats in advance for the entire year. Click HERE to find out more about Incorruptible. Click HERE to discover all of the benefits of being a season subscriber.

Independence, directed by Suzy Newman, had a wonderful first read-through last night after the Little Theatre's annual open house/volunteer appreciation party. This is going to be such a powerful show! You can read more about the play by clicking HERE. 

We're looking for a couple dozen actors to bring Miracle on 34th Street to life on our stage! This is a great way to get involved and become a part of the Little Theatre family.Want to learn more about auditions? Click HERE.

Thank you, as always, for your support of our organization! Hope everyone has had a great summer- see you at the theatre!

Have a great week!

-Kevin

SHAKESPEARE SHORTS begins dress rehearsals, AUDITIONS GALORE in the next few weeks, and time is running out to get SEASON TICKETS. This week at the Little Theatre!

Good morning friends of the Little Theatre!

Our Academy of Creative Theatre production of Shakespeare Shorts had a wonderful weekend of technical rehearsals and begins dress rehearsal this evening. These amazing young actors are doing such great work this summer- you wont want to miss these re-imagined versions of Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Find out more about the show HERE. Get your tickets by clicking HERE.

Are you looking for a way to get involved? We have SEVERAL audition opportunities coming up in the near future. The following productions/staged reading are looking for actors: Third, a staged reading directed by Kerry Mayling, and A Miracle on 34th Street, a holiday classic directed by Lisa Woske. Click HERE to get all of the audition information.

Our first mainstage show, Incorruptible,  is set to open on September 6; now is the time to become a season subscriber at the Little Theatre! There are so many great reasons to become a subscriber:

SEATING ▪ Choose your preferred seats and dates before the season even begins. Last season, nearly all of our season shows SOLD-OUT. Subscribe now and you’ll ensure the BEST SEATS in the house all year long! available throughout the season.

FLEXIBILITY ▪ Enjoy maximum flexibility! ONLY Season Subscribers can exchange their tickets at any time, for any reason, at no extra charge. Can’t make a performance? No problem! Our box office staff will help you secure the best possible tickets for another performance (subject to availability.)

SAVINGS ▪ Season subscribers save more than 10% off of regular ticket prices.

NEW! ADD ON UBU ▪ When you purchase Season Tickets, you become eligible to add on a Season Pass for Ubu’s Other Shoe for only $40. This offer is only available to Season Subscribers. See all eight Ubu presentations throughout the year for only $5/each! Click HERE to view a schedule for the 10th Anniversary Season of Ubu's Other Shoe.

SPECIAL EVENTS ▪ Season Subscribers also receive advance notice and priority seating for special events, including our Winter Fundraising Musical running February 14-March 16, 2014.

SUPPORT ▪ When you become a Season Subscriber, you are making an important choice to support theatrical storytelling on the Central Coast and you become a part of the Little Theatre family. There’s no better way to show your support of our organization and the arts on the Central Coast.

You’re the final character in the story! Don’t miss a moment of our 67th anniversary season. See all five of our incredible 2013-2014 mainstage productions for only $115 ($99 for seniors, 62+)!

Click HERE to purchase your season tickets today!

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

-Kevin

Check out these AUDITION OPPORTUNITIES coming up at the Little Theatre!

Looking for a way to get back onstage? Here are two great shows coming up:

September 4 and 5 at 7:00 PM at the San Luis Obispo Little Theatre. 

Auditions for THIRD, an Ubu's Other Shoe staged reading directed by Kerry Mayling will be held on August 12 from 6:00-8:00 PM at the Little Theatre. Callbacks will be held the following evening, if necessary.

Actors will be asked to read from sides at the auditions.

ABOUT THE PLAY:
His name is Woodson Bull III, but you can call him "Third." And Professor Laurie Jameson is disinclined to like his jockish, jingoistic attitude. He is, as she puts it, "a walking red state." Believing that Third's sophisticated essay on King Lear could not possibly have been written by such a specimen, Professor Jameson reports his plagiarism to the college's Committee of Academic Standards. But is Jameson's accusation justified? Or is she casting Third as the villain in her own struggle with her relationships, her age and the increasingly polarized political environment?

CHARACTERS:
Laurie: Female dominant, Intellectual, college professor, attractive, dynamic
Jack: Sweet, lovable Grandpa with dementia, Laurie's Father

Emily: Daughter of Laurie, college student type
Woodson Bull, lll: Laurie's student, athletic, boyish jock type
Nancy: Laurie's best friend, college professor, has cancer

THIRD plays for two nights only: 10/4 and 10/5 at 7:00 PM.

Questions? Email Kevin Harris by clicking HERE.

The Little Theatre will be holding open auditions for Miracle on 34th Street on September 4 and 5 from 6:00-9:00 PM. No appointment necessary. Actors will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis.

All roles are open. 

There are several lead, featured, and supporting roles for M/W ages 25-60.

We are seeking a lead girl who can play 7-8 years old.

We are seeking several children who can play 7-10 years old to play supporting roles and sing in a children’s chorus.

Actors need not prepare anything for the auditions. Actors will be asked to read from sections of the script (provided at auditions.)

ABOUT THE SHOW:

When Kris Kringle, a nice, old man from a retirement home, gets a job working as a Christmas Santa at Macy's, his honest and generous spirit winds up unleashing waves of good will throughout New York City, along with a hint of magic in the heart of a very practical little girl. Seen as deluded and dangerous by Macy's vocational counselor, Kris ends up in a court competency hearing where his freedom, and the joys of childhood fantasy are at stake. This is a tale we want to believe in, where love and decency and generosity of spirit are their own rewards. Share this perennial holiday favorite with the entire family this year!

SHOW DATES: November 22-December 22, 2103

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday evenings at 7:00 PM

Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 2:00 PM

NO SHOW on Thanksgiving, 11/28

Any questions? Please contact Lisa Woske at lwoske@calpoly.edu.

Thanks, everyone! See you at the Little Theatre!

-Kevin

THE YOUNG MAN packs the house, SHAKESPEARE takes the stage, and INCORRUPTIBLE comes to life! This week at the Little Theatre!

Good afternoon friends of the Little Theatre!

The 10th anniversary season of Ubu's Other Shoe (the staged reading series at the Little Theatre) began with two nearly sold-out performances of Horton Foote's The Young Man From Atlanta. If you missed this Pulitzer Prize-winning play (and subsequent talkback) you missed out on a remarkable evening of theatre. You have nine more chances to experience Ubu during our 2013-2014 season. Check out the incredible lineup for it's 10th anniversary by clicking HERE. Get an Ubu's Season Pass for only $40 (that's $5.00/play!) Interested? Email Kevin Harris by clicking HERE.

Our Academy of Creative Theatre's production of Shakespeare Shorts is in its final week of rehearsal before tech. You won't want to miss this delightful retelling of Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Check out our Romeo, Benvolio, and Mercutio taking a break during rehearsal:

You can find out more about the show HERE.Get your tickets today by clicking HERE.

Incorruptible, the first mainstage show of our 67th anniversary season opens in a month! Get your tickets now for this hilarious farce directed by Jill Turnbow (director of The House of Blue Leaves in the Little Theatre's 2011-2012 season.) Read more about the play HERE. 

At the Little Theatre, we present live theatre to the community on 44 out of 52 weekends; we have very little downtime. This evening, for example, there are 4 different productions in the building rehearsing. Technical Director David Linfield has his hands full keeping ahead of the production schedule. Check out this great white model Dave created for Incorruptible.

White models are extremely important tools for the director, designers, and stage manager of each production. We can't wait to see this set go up for Incorruptible!

Thank you, as always, for your support! Have a great week everyone!

-Kevin