THE GOAT takes the stage for 3 shows only, get ready for ORLANDO auditions and SEASON TICKETS are available NOW!

Where did the year go? I know, it's hard to believe, but this weekend we'll present the FINAL SHOW of our 2014/2015 Season, an Ubu's Other Shoe Staged Reading of Edward Albee’s THE GOAT (or Who is Sylvia?) What an amazing show to end a fabulous season!

Winner of the 2002 Tony Award for Best Play, THE GOAT is a tragically comical play with a simple, albeit deeply disturbing premise: a married man falls in love with a goat. Once his wife finds out this sordid truth, all hell (and a lot of vases) breaks loose.

I can't wait to see this play this weekend and not just because it marks the final show of an amazing season here at the Little Theatre, but because it is going to be awesome. You know why? Because THE GOAT is directed by the amazing and very funny Jill Turnbow and features the awesome talents of David Norum, Polly Firestone-Walker, Daniel Freeman and Anthony Hernandez - that's why! You've got three chances to see this stellar cast in action: Friday at 7 pm and Saturday at 2 pm and 7 pm.  Click HERE to choose your performance and purchase your tickets online. Seriously, don't miss our final UBU show of the season, you're going to love it!

"Meet Virginia Woolf's Orlando, your typical Elizabethan Man: a favorite of the Queen, madly in love with a Russian Princess, fleeing an Archduchess, and waking up one fine day in Constantinople to find he has become, of all things, a woman..."

AUDITIONS for our first Ubu's Other Show Staged Reading of the 2015-2016 Season will take place this Sunday, June 21 from 5:30-7:30 PM.  ORLANDO was written by Virginia Woolf and adapted by gifted playwright Sarah Ruhl. The staged reading will be directed Anet Carlin. Actors are asked to come to auditions prepared with two 30 second monologues. You can find out more on our website HERE. Orlando will run for three shows only, August 7-8.

And just in case you didn't get the memo....SEASON TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE!  And trust me, they are flying out the door. We have an incredible season lined up for you beginning in August with the delightful comedy SYLVIA and running through early next July with BYE, BYE BIRDIE!  If you don't want to be left standing in line at a sold-out show, with your name on a waiting list -- as many of you did for THE MUSIC MAN, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE and so many of our shows during the 2014/15 Season -- then buy your tickets now!  Season Ticket holders are guaranteed the Best Seats at the Best Price. Guaranteed.

Click HERE to find out more about our 6 SEASON SHOWS, 7 UBU'S OTHER SHOE STAGED READINGS, 4 AFTER HOURS COMEDIES, 2 ACADEMY OF CREATIVE THEATRE educational shows, 1 SPECIAL HOLIDAY SHOW, 1 BEST OF NO SHAME and of course...CABARET. Then click HERE to download an order form and place your order today via phone, fax or walk-up.  Online sales for season subscriptions, along with all of our "a la carte" shows, will begin on Monday, June 22.

AND finally, watch for a special announcement early next week when we launch our brand new, beautiful, easy-to-navigate website at slolittletheatre.org, courtesy of our friends at SUBPLOT STUDIO.  Don't worry, I'll definitely let you know when it's ready to go - I can hardly wait!

Have a great weekend everyone - see you at THE GOAT!

~Patty

THE MUSIC MAN breaks records, IRAQ sells out, THE GOAT takes the stage, SEASON TICKETS are disappearing, and SAVE THE DATE: our OPEN HOUSE is coming! This week at the Little Theatre!

Good morning friends of the Little Theatre!

WHAT AN AMAZING RUN! The Music Man finished up a completely sold-out, record-breaking 5-week run yesterday, decidedly taking its place as the most financially successful season show in Little Theatre history! Thank you to director/choreographer Zach Johnson, musical director Lacey McNamara, and the wonderful cast and crew who have been working on this beautiful show for nearly 4 months! Audiences loved this retelling of Meredith Willson’s “valentine” of a musical. The Music Man was a great way to finish our mainstage season- thank you to everyone involved!

 The full houses didn't stop there, though! Less than three hours after the final curtain came down on The Music Man, a new capacity audience flooded into the theatre!

Jill Turnbow played to a sold-out house last night for the closing performance of her one-woman show, Between Iraq and a Hard Place. Iraq was the final production of the Little Theatre’s inaugural AFTERHOURS@SLOTheatre season. Thank you to Jill for closing out the year on such a high note! You can check out our next season of AFTERHOURS shows by clicking HERE.

 Our 2014-2015 come to a close with a BANG- Edward Albee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? This Ubu’s Other Shoe staged reading is directed by Jill Turnbow, and is a tragically comical play with a simple albeit deeply disturbing premise: a married man falls in love with a goat. And no, he doesn't just love the goat like a pet; he is emotionally and sexually attracted to the animal. Once his wife finds out this sordid truth, all hell (and a lot of vases) breaks loose. We have assembled an amazing cast for this production: David Norum, Polly Firestone Walker, Daniel Freeman, and Anthony Hernandez. Click HERE to get your tickets- The Goat plays for three performances only: June 19 and 20 at 7:00 PM and June 20 at 2:00. This is going to be a wonderful way to finish out our 68th season. Come see this stellar cast for the last play of 2015-16.

Our 2015-2016 season brochure started arriving in mailboxes around the state last week and season tickets are flying out of the town. This year our subscription package includes 6 wonderful shows! Our average audience this year was at 93% capacity, which means that hundreds of people missed out on our best-selling shows! Don't let that happen to you- become a season subscription for the Little Theatre's 69th season. You can view our brochure HERE and download a season subscription order form HERE. Get your seating request in today!

We're coming to the end of the Little Theatre's most ambitious season in history: 25 plays, 225 performances, on 45 weekends throughout the year. More plays than any other theatre (professional or amateur) in the entire state of California. How does a season like this happen? ONLY because of the Little Theatre's 300+ active volunteers. We couldn't do it without you! So, let us say THANK YOU! On Sunday, July 19 join us for our annual open house and Volunteer Appreciation Party! This is an incredibly fun (free!) event where we can get together and reflect on the amazing season we brought to our community. Please RSVP by clicking HERE. See you there!

Thank you, everyone, for making this season possible. We have so much to share with you in the coming year(s). Don't miss a moment!

-Kevin

The 2015-2016 SEASON BROCHURE will be in the MAIL on Thursday! Buy your SEASON SUBSCRIPTION early to ensure the BEST SEATS!

Here it comes. The news you've all been waiting for! Or at least I've been waiting for it, and I hope you have as well. Your season brochure will be arriving in your mailbox this week!  It's chock full of great shows for your entertainment and edification (or something like that!) We'll also have a big ol' stack of them, complete with season subscription order forms, in the lobby this weekend for your reading pleasure.

WELCOME TO THE 2015/16 SEASON!

For our 69th Season (Can you believe it?! 69 years!!) we're giving you MORE of the theatre you LOVE!

That's right, for ONE low subscription price, you'll enjoy SIX award-winning, awesome season shows. Save up to 15% when you buy all six!

The Ubu’s Other Show Staged Reading series will feature SEVEN plays from all over the world and when you buy all seven, you'll save 16% off the regular price!

The popular After Hours @slotheatre late night comedy series will feature FOUR side-splitting comedies. Buy all four and save 25% off the regular price!

PLUS ~ Enjoy ONE fabulous, one-of-a-kind Gala Musical (Come to the Cabaret, old chum!) ONE very special Holiday Show (You'll shoot your eye out!) ONE unique Best of No Shame evening of original work (plus 10 more live, late-night shows throughout the year) and TWO Academy of Creative Theatre student productions, beginning with the wonderful PIRATES OF PENZANCE opening on July 17th!

We have so much to share with you this year and we can’t wait to get started. Join us as a subscriber this season and don’t miss a moment of the journey!

Click HERE for your sneak preview of the entire season on our website and click HERE to download a season subscription order form.

Did you know that we have averaged 92% capacity houses for the entire 2014-15 Season?  

Not just once or twice, or just the musicals and comedies. Nope. Every single show this year has enjoyed near capacity or completely SOLD-OUT houses for their entire run. THE MUSIC MAN is a great example -- there are only about 10 seats left in the final 10 shows remaining in the next two weeks! Sure, we do pretty well for our wait list (if you don't have tickets yet, give it a shot!) but do you really want to stand outside and wait?

There's a better way. BUY A SEASON SUBSCRIPTION and enjoy these great benefits:

Guaranteed seats for all shows.

Best Seats in the House.

Save 12-25% off the individual show prices.

Easy to exchange.

Priority Seating every single time.

Check out our new season brochure and fall in love (like I have!) with the 2015-2016 Season! If you don't get your brochure by Monday, shoot me an email and I'll make sure to send you one.

Happy Wednesday everyone!
~Patty

MUSIC MAN is rolling into the station, IRAQ has audiences leaping to their feet, THE GOAT waits in the wings, and SEASON TICKETS are piling up! This week at the Little Theatre!

Good afternoon friends of the Little Theatre,

What a fantastic weekend of LIVE THEATRE we had: 5 performances The Music Man, 3 performances of Between Iraq and a Hard Place, and auditions for our season 2015-2016 season opener, Sylvia. From Thursday-Sunday we had nearly 800 patrons walk through the lobby doors at 888 Morro Street- thank you for making the end of our 68th season so successful!

Congratulations to the wonderful cast and crew of The Music Man! They’ve just finished their third weekend of sold-out performances and the production is on track to be the most financially successful season show in Little Theatre history (knocking A Chorus Line off of the mountain.) Congratulations to everyone involved in the show; thank you so much for sharing your talent and passion with our community! At this time, there are less than 40 seats available for the remaining 10 performances, so CLICK HERE to reserve your space today.

Don't have tickets and want to see the show? Come on down to the box office an hour before showtime and put your name on the waiting list. While we cannot guarantee entry, we can generally seat 7-10 wait-listed patron at each performance. Don't miss this classic American musical!

Have you heard what audiences are saying about Jill Turnbow's one woman show, Between Iraq and a Hard Place? I'll let audiences from this weekend describe their experience on the show's FACEBOOK PAGE:

“Well-deserved standing ovation tonight for Jill Turnbow at San Luis Little Theatre for her one woman show "Between Iraq and a Hard Place." Jill commanded the stage for an hour with a humorous, yet poignant, recounting of her days as a comedian entertaining the troops in the Persian Gulf in 1991. Tonight's show was sold out, but get your tickets for the weekend of June 12-14. This should be a movie!

Dave Congalton, SUNDAY NIGHT

“Jill, I just got back from your show and just wanted to say how awesome and entertaining it was - great stories, funny and moving. I'm so glad I went!”

-Mark Wilberg, FRIDAY NIGHT

“Brava!!!! Really outstanding, Jill. Excellent work, friend. Lucky us to see it.”

-Bettina Swigger, FRIDAY NIGHT

There are only 3 more chances to see this nationally-recognized show close out the inaugural AFTERHOURS@SLOTheatre season. Click HERE to reserve your tickets and experience this incredible performance live!

We are so excited to close our 68th anniversary season with the Pulitzer Prize-winning Edward Albee play: The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? The Ubu's Other Shoe staged reading will complete the most successful Ubu season in Little Theatre history. You will not want to miss this tragi-comedic reading of one of the most controversial plays of the last 20 years. Click HERE to get your tickets.

Our 69th season has been ANNOUNCED and season ticket orders are already flying in. In 2014-2015 we enjoyed an average 92% capacity attendance. What does that mean? It means that our season subscribers were the only patrons who had guaranteed seats for our most popular plays! Don't miss a moment of what we have planned for our 69th season. Check out our lineup by clicking HERE. Download a season ticket order form HERE. Last season we almost had to cut off season ticket sales in July! Don't be left out- secure the best seats in the house TODAY.

Thank you, as always, for your support of the Little Theatre. Have a wonderful week, everyone!

-Kevin

An opening weekend special for BETWEEN IRAQ AND A HARD PLACE, AUDITIONS on Sunday and the 15/16 Season Brochure will arrive soon!

Join us for opening weekend of Jill Turnbow's critically acclaimed one-woman show BETWEEN IRAQ AND A HARD PLACE and get a special opening weekend discount. We need your help to spread the word about our final After Hours show of the season so we're offering $10 tickets to build the buzz. Just click HERE for tickets, enter promo code: iraq and you're in at half the price. Take advantage of this early bird discount THIS WEEKEND ONLY and come see this show!

THE CRITICS AGREE
BETWEEN IRAQ AND A HARD PLACE is based on Jill's real-life experiences entertaining the troops during the Persian Gulf War in 1991. She relates this personal story with dry humor, hilarious details and all the skill of a seasoned stand-up comic. Jill has performed this show to rave reviews in Los Angeles, New York, Montreal and even here at the Little Theatre for a limited run three years ago. This is comedy worth staying up late for, and a theatrical experience you don't want to miss!

Theatermania.com:
"Every three days, 950 military personnel came aboard to be entertained; they were nearly all men, some of whom had been stationed in the desert for up to a year. After much of the boat's female staff quit, Turnbow was left with only 20 other women, outnumbered 50 to one, sharing sole responsibility with one other (male) comic for standing before the rowdies to make them laugh." (Click HERE for complete review.)

Backstage.com:
"...an affecting show, starting out in the mood of standup comedy and becoming a heartfelt recollection...[Turnbow] avoids any political assessment of that battle, but paints an engrossing picture of the toll of war on ordinary soldiers, ending up as a salute to their courage and patriotism." (Click HERE for complete story.)

Yep. We're talking the real deal here. Click HERE to pick up your half price tickets for this weekend only, Friday and Saturday at 9:45 pm (note the change in time!) and Sunday at 7 pm immediately following THE MUSIC MAN. 

Our first main stage season show of the 2015-2016 Season will be SYLVIA: a modern romantic comedy about a dog, the couple who adopts her, and the comedy that results. Auditions for this wonderful show by A.R. Gurney will be held this Sunday, May 31st, beginning at 4:30 pm.  The director is David Carey Foster, who directed our production of GOOD PEOPLE last season. You can find out more about the show, the characters and download sides for the auditions HERE. Don't miss your chance to be a part of our season opening comedy!

Coming soon to a mailbox near you: the 2015-2016 Season brochure!  If all goes well, all the news that's fit to print about our upcoming 69th Season will land in your mailbox this weekend (or early next week at the latest!) We're giving you MORE of the theatre you LOVE with SIX season shows, SEVEN Ubu's Other Shoe Staged Readings, FOUR After Hours comedies, TWO Academy of Creative Theatre student productions and ONE fabulous Gala Musical, namely CABARET, celebrating 50 years of performances in 2016. You can take a sneak peek at all the shows AND download a season subscription order form right HERE. Season Subscriptions are only available for mail, phone or walk-up purchase (using the form provided) right now. SLOLT staff will fill subscriptions in the order they are received, giving priority seating to renewing subscribers and donors until June 22nd, when online sales will begin. Your season tickets will be sent to you in late June/early July.

Don't get stuck in line waiting for tickets on a sold-out show next year, SUBSCRIBE NOW to ensure your first choice of dates and seats!

The nearly sold-out run of THE MUSIC MAN continues this weekend with shows on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. You can click HERE to check availability and buy your tickets online. If we're sold-out, don't despair!  Arrive one hour before show time and place your name on our waiting list. We'll do our best to get you in to see this heartwarming, classic musical!

Thanks for your support of the Little Theatre. It's been an amazing season and we look forward to sharing more great theatre with you next year and an exciting future ahead!

Have a wonderful weekend!
~Patty

THE MUSIC MAN's a HIT, our mid-week UBU show rocked, NO SHAME this Friday and BETWEEN IRAQ AND A HARD PLACE is up next!

The cast and crew of THE MUSIC MAN will go in to their second weekend of performances with two great reviews in their pockets! You can read the entire NEW TIMES review, by Andrea Catanzarite, HERE and Debby Nicklas's TRIBUNE review is not posted as of 10 am this morning, but you can either pick up a print copy, or keep checking the website HERE. Take my word for it, they're both wonderful!

Photos by Danielle Dutro McNamara Photography

The show is breaking records for ticket sales, but I promise, we can still get you in to see this show! Click HERE to purchase your seats online, and if it's sold-out, just come on down to the theatre anyway. We'll have a waiting list at the door beginning one hour before show time, and we're always able to squeeze in  more than a  handful of those patient enough to wait. Whatever you do, don't miss our fabulous season finale musical!

Photos by Danielle Dutro McNamara Photography

Our eighth UBU'S OTHER SHOE STAGED READING for the 2014-15 Season was an absolutely hilarious look at "feminism's foibles." Gina Gionfriddo's 2012 comedy RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN was directed by Jenny Shaheen and featured the talented cast seen in the photos above. Congratulations to cast and crew on a wonderful show and a very successful two-night run. Mark your calendars now for our final UBU staged reading of the season, Edward Albee's THE GOAT (or Who is Sylvia?) on June 19 and 20.

Our final After Hours @slotheatre late night comedy show of the 2014/15 Season will hit the Little Theatre stage on May 29th. We are thrilled to present actress and comedienne Jill Turnbow in her one-woman show BETWEEN IRAQ AND A HARD PLACE. In hilarious and heartwarming detail, the show details Jill’s experiences as a stand-up comic entertaining the troops during the Persian Gulf War of 1991. Imagine a huge cruise ship moored in the Persian Gulf, brought there to offer “R&R” for troops in the region. Then imagine a young, female, stand-up comic, 27,000 men and an open bar. The result? In Jill's own words: "I had a pretty good time."  We promise you will too.

You can read more about the show in an article at Theatermania right HERE. There's also a review in the LA Times right HERE. And a great piece on the Backstage website HERE.  Yep. We're talking the real deal here. Jill performed a limited run of this show on the Little Theatre stage a few years ago and if you missed that one, do NOT miss this one. Even if you saw that one... see it AGAIN.
There will be six shows only running Fridays and Saturdays at 9:45 pm (note the change in time!) and Sundays at 7 pm immediately following THE MUSIC MAN. I'd recommend you get your tickets NOW to ensure your seats. And you can do that right HERE.

NO SHAME May hits the stage this Friday night after The Music Man. The lobby opens at 9:30 pm, submissions start at 10 pm and get ready for FREE, LIVE, LOCAL, ORIGINAL, late-night theatre beginning at 10:30 pm. I'll be there!

Brochure design by SUBPLOT STUDIO

Coming soon to a mailbox near you....the 2015-2016 SEASON!  To ensure that you receive our fabulous season brochure containing everything you need to know about purchasing season tickets (don't get stranded in the waiting list line next season!) along with detailed information about all the great shows, education programs and more, give us a call at (805) 786-2440 or send us an EMAIL with your mailing address TODAY!  This little gem will be hitting the streets by the end of next week and you don't want to miss out on your copy! You can take a sneak peek at next season's schedule on our website HERE and you can even download a subscription ticket order form, so you can get your order in early and ensure that you get the best seats in the house!

Best wishes for a wonderful holiday weekend to everyone. Be sure to add some live theatre to your weekend plans, along with the traditional BBQ and beach!

~Patty

THE MUSIC MAN has a sold-out opening, RAPTURE opens tomorrow night, and JILL TURNBOW returns with her nationally-recognized one-woman show. Only at the LITTLE THEATRE!

Good morning friends of the Little Theatre,

What an amazing SOLD-OUT opening weekend for The Music Man! The classic musical is the final mainstage production of the Little Theatre's 68th anniversary season. Director/choreographer Zach Johnson and Musical Director Lacey McNamara have created a "valentine" of a production, featuring 28 incredibly talented local actors making up the resident of River City, Iowa! There are only a handful of tickets left for the next four weeks--- if you'd like to see it, click HERE to reserve your tickets today!

The 11th season of Ubu's Other Shoe (the staged reading series at the Little Theatre) only has two productions remaining- don't miss Rapture, Blister, Burn, a hilarious comedy directed by Jenny Shaheen. Rapture plays for TWO NIGHTS ONLY, Tuesday and Wednesday, May 19 and 20 at 7:00 PM at the Little Theatre. There will be a talkbalk with the cast and director after the Tuesday night show. To read more about the play and to reserve tickets, please click HERE.

Our inaugural AFTERHOURS@SLO Theatre late night comedy series wraps up with Jill Turnbow's critically-acclaimed Between Iraq and a Hard Place. This hilarious one-woman show first played to sold-out houses at the Little Theatre in 2012- we couldn't be happier to bring it back for a second run! Between Iraq and a Hard Place plays for 6 performances only beginning May 29 at 9:45 PM (directly following The Music Man.) To read more about the show or to get your tickets instantly online, please click HERE.

We're just about done with our most ambitious season ever- 25 plays, 225 performances on 45 out of 52 weekends throughout the year. We couldn't have done it without the support of our 300+ active volunteers- thank you for making this season possible!

2015-210 season tickets are available soon! Click HERE to see what we have in store for the Central Coast next year- you won't want to miss a moment.

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

-Kevin

New Times "BEST OF", the Wells Fargo Wagon is a-comin', RAPTURE BLISTER, BURN next Tuesday and JILL TURNBOW!

The annual New Times Best Of poll results are in and you've done it again! Thank YOU for voting us the BEST LOCAL THEATER GROUP for six years running!  In the words of New Times outgoing Arts Editor Jessica Pena:

"SLO Little Theatre isn't just a place to see plays in San Luis Obispo. It's an institution. Since 1947, it's been a consistent source of quality theatre, running more shows than any other theater group on the Central Coast. 'The staff and board of the Little Theatre feel that it's our responsibility to produce the widest variety of theatre possible,' said Kevin Harris, Managing Artistic Director. And that's no lie. This year alone, the Little Theatre has produced a beloved musical, a contemporary drama, and a daring one-woman show. It may be 'little' in name, but not in ambition."

Thank you New Times readers and Little Theatre fans! We promise we'll keep doing our best to bring the magic of live theatre to downtown San Luis Obispo this year, and for many years to come. Speaking of which...

Here it comes. The season finale musical for our 2014-2015 Season. THE MUSIC MAN! Director Zach Johnson, Music Director Lacey McNamara, an incredible production staff and crew and this talented cast of 28 local actors have been working hard for almost two months putting this fabulous show together and it's almost here. This Tony Award winning musical (five Tonys, including Best Musical!) opens this Friday night and you'll kick yourself if you miss it! But if you're going to see it, you'd better hurry, there are less than 200 seats remaining for sale in the entire five-week run! So, what are you waiting for? Click HERE to get your tickets today!  (Hint: Thursday nights are probably your best bet for the best seats and you can also try our waiting lists at the door!)

Tuesday and Wednesday nights may not seem like the usual time to consider going to see a play, but when you've got an amazing staged reading like RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN playing, it's not only a good idea, it's absolutely the best idea I've heard in a long time. Number 8 in our 2014/15 Season of Ubu's Other Shoe Staged Readings is a contemporary comedy by Gina Gionfriddo.  RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN tackles feminism’s foibles in what The New York Times called an, "intensely smart and immensely funny," new play. Director Jenny Shaheen and her talented cast of five local actors will bring Gionfriddo's comedy to life in a staged reading Tuesday, May 19 and Wednesday, May 20 at 7 pm. The price is just $10 and there will be an audience talk-back after Tuesday night's performance. Click HERE for your tickets!

Our final After Hours @slotheatre late night comedy show of the 2014/15 Season will hit the Little Theatre stage on May 29th. We are thrilled to present actress and comedienne Jill Turnbow in her one-woman show BETWEEN IRAQ AND A HARD PLACE. In hilarious and heartwarming detail, the show details Jill’s experiences as a stand-up comic entertaining the troops during the Persian Gulf War of 1991. Imagine a huge cruise ship moored in the Persian Gulf, brought there to offer “R&R” for troops in the region. Then imagine a young, female, stand-up comic, 27,000 men and an open bar. The result? In Jill's own words: "I had a pretty good time."  We promise you will too. There will be six shows only running Fridays and Saturdays at 9:30 pm and Sundays at 7 pm. I'd recommend you get your tickets NOW to ensure your seats. And you can do that right HERE.

Photos by Danielle Dutro McNamara Photography

We're heading into an exciting opening weekend!  Hope to see you at THE MUSIC MAN!

~Patty

THE MUSIC MAN: Under Construction. RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN: In Rehearsal. CANCELING CABLE: In Los Osos Friday. 2015-2016 SEASON: On the Way!

We are definitely UNDER CONSTRUCTION this weekend at the Little Theatre. The sounds of a tablesaw, electric drills and hammering mingle with the smell of paint and the voices of volunteer set builders. At the same time, the lobby is full of young voices chattering away as the Academy of Creative Theatre holds auditions in the rehearsal room for THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE; and then, if you hang around until about 6 pm, you can catch a Barbershop quartet warming up out front for Music Man rehearsals. I know, you've heard it before and you'll hear it again: it gets pretty busy around here during the week, even when there's no show scheduled for the weekend!

These are the happy faces of the children featured in The Music Man. Winthrop, Amaryllis, Gracie and Zaneeta posed with their young friends and neighbors during a break from rehearsals. In a little over a week, they'll be dancing across the (completed) stage set, in costume, singing The Wells Fargo Wagon!   Under the skillful hands of director Zach Johnson, the show is coming together bit by bit and will open next Friday night, May 15th. Seats are filling up fast, so I'd recommend making your reservations sooner, rather than later. Not kidding! You can do it right HERE, right NOW.

And no sooner do we open THE MUSIC MAN, but our 8th Ubu's Other Shoe Staged Reading of the season will take the stage mid-week for two shows only, May 19 & 20 at 7 pm. Director Jenny Shaheen has assembled a cast of real pros for Gina Gionfriddo's RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN, including Marilyn Blake, David Norum, Robin Kirk Wolf, Joan Pederson and Ashley Moses. This fast-paced, witty comedy explores the continuing fallout and evolution of the feminist movement. You can read an interview with the playwright about the play HERE. 

You don't have to wait for the weekend to enjoy some live theatre, you know! Join us for a mid-week dose of UBU and enjoy a staged reading of RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN. You can get your tickets for just $10 right HERE. 

If you missed it before, don't miss it again! On Friday, May 8 at the South Bay Community Center in Los Osos, We're Canceling Cable (And Other Empty Threats) will be resurrected as a benefit for the Monarch Grove PTA. This hilarious look at parenthood is directed by Jill Turnbow and features the talents of Gregory Gorrindo, Alicia Klein, Katie Gucik and Nathan Emmons, with piano accompaniment by Mark Pietri. Original sketches, monologues, and songs explore the hilarious, sometimes cringe-worthy moments that take place on sidelines of soccer fields, behind closed doors of parent-teacher conferences, and within our own living rooms. Get your tickets HERE! (This show features adult language and situations; not exactly appropriate for children.  But why would you bring them? This is your time.)

Are you ready? Are you set?... Then GO!  Plans for the exciting 2015-2016 Season are moving forward rapidly and you are going to LOVE what we have planned for our 69th Season here at the San Luis Obispo Little Theatre!  Season Subscriptions will be available for purchase beginning May 22, but YOU can take a sneak peek at the entire season schedule right HERE. If all goes well, our season brochure will hit your mailbox right around May 27th. What's that? You're not on our mailing list?!  Well, we can't have that. Click HERE to email me and I'll make sure that you get all the news that's fit to print about next season. You won't want to miss a minute!

Like I told you before, it's a DARK weekend here at the Little Theatre, except of course for major rehearsals, set construction, lighting and sound design. But starting next weekend.... you'll be in major TROUBLE if you don't get your tickets for THE MUSIC MAN soon!

Have a great weekend!

~Patty

One more shout-out for COPENHAGEN and have you ever been BETWEEN IRAQ AND A HARD PLACE?

Tonight and tomorrow night only, you can experience a staged reading of the 2000 Tony Award winner for Best Play: COPENHAGEN. What happened when Werner Heisenberg and Niels Bohr met in Copenhagen in 1941? The two physicists had been friends, but were now on opposite sides of a World War. Playwright Michel Frayn (Noises Off) imagines what may have happened in the mysterious wartime meeting between Bohr, Heisenberg, and Bohr's wife and muse, Margrethe.

Directed by John Battalino and featuring Michael Siebrass, Debora Schwartz and Nathan Emmons. Get your tickets HERE.

In my blog post on Wednesday, I neglected to mention our very last AFTER HOURS show of the 2014-2015 Season. Shame on me! Back by popular demand, actress and comedian Jill Turnbow will reprise her one-woman-show about entertaining the troops during the Persian Gulf War of 1991. You do NOT want to miss this one. You can read more about the show in an article at Theatermania right HERE. There's also a review in the LA Times right HERE. And a great piece on the Backstage website HERE.  Yep. We're talking the real deal here. Jill performed a limited run of this show on the Little Theatre stage a few years ago and if you missed that one, do NOT miss this one. Even if you saw that one... see it AGAIN.

Between Iraq and a Hard Place runs May 29-31 and June 12-14. You can get your tickets right HERE.

Hope to see you at Copenhagen this weekend. Have a good one!

~Patty

P.S. NO SHAME TONIGHT AT 10:30 PM!  BE THERE!

Boom! Ubu's COPENHAGEN hits the stage this weekend PLUS 7 more news items that inquiring minds want to know!

Recently seen posted on Facebook:

"There's nothing more exciting than a theatre buzzing with creativity. Tonight at SLO Little Theatre there were dancers in the lobby, singers on the patio, a reader's theatre in the rehearsal room, auditions upstairs, and Music Man principals on the main stage. It's energizing."

Yep. It's true. There's nothing like being at the Little Theatre when it's alive with activity... which is most of the time. You might call us the Little Theatre that could...or the theatre that never sleeps or... well, you get the idea.  So, if this blog post is just a tad long listing everything we've got coming up, I hope you'll understand.

#7 out of 9 Ubu's Other Shoe Staged Readings this season will hit the stage this Friday and Saturday for 3 shows only. Make sure you're at one of them. COPENHAGEN is a Tony Award-winning play that soars at the intersection of science and art. Michael Frayn's engrossing drama is an explosive re-imagining of the mysterious wartime meeting between two Nobel laureates to discuss the atomic bomb. Directed by John Battalino and featuring Michael Siebrass, Nathan Emmons and Debora Schwartz, this one's gonna make you think. Tickets are only $10 and you can get them HERE. 

And right after Friday night's performance of COPENHAGEN, stick around for NO SHAME APRIL! (in May.)  It's live, it's original, it's FREE and it's not your ordinary, run of the mill evening out. Doors open at 9:30 pm, submit your scripts or whatever you've got at 10 pm and the show starts at 10:30 pm. If you've never "No Shamed" it on a Friday night, I highly recommend giving it a try.

The Academy of Creative Theatre will be having auditions for a fabulous, kid-sized version of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE on May 5 & May 7. Auditions are open to young actors ages 7-18 by appointment only. So, if you know a talented young actor, bring 'em on down! You can find out more about audition requirements HERE. The popular Gilbert & Sullivan operetta will run July 17-August 2. Tickets will go on sale in late May.

If you missed the premiere of this hilarious Michael Kaplan comedy on our stage back in January, you’ve got one more chance to see it live onstage with the original cast! On Friday, May 8 at the South Bay Community Center in Los Osos, We're Canceling Cable (And Other Empty Threats) will be resurrected as a benefit for the Monarch Grove PTA. This hilarious look at parenthood is directed by Jill Turnbow and will feature the talents of Gregory Gorrindo, Alicia Klein, Katie Gucik and Nathan Emmons with piano accompaniment by Mark Pietri. Original sketches, monologues, and songs explore the hilarious, sometimes cringe-worthy moments that take place on sidelines of soccer fields, behind closed doors of parent-teacher conferences, and within our own living rooms. Get your tickets HERE! (This show features adult language and situations; not exactly appropriate for children.  But why would you bring them? This is your time.)

We're hiring!  We are in need of a part-time Assistant Technical Director to manage all the technical needs associated with next year's After Hours, ACT and Ubu's Other Shoe shows. Interested? Or know someone who is? You can get all the details on the job right HERE. Interviews will take place the week of May 18th. Come on... trust me, it's a fun place to work. You'll love it!

Back to Ubu's Other Shoe for one quick second: we've got a cast for our final UBU of the season! Directed by Jill Turnbow, THE GOAT will feature the formidable talents of David Norum, Polly Firestone-Walker, Daniel Freeman and Anthony Hernandez. Get your tickets early, folks. That's going to be quite a show. Show runs June 19-20 and tickets are available right NOW, right HERE.

Do you love the the Little Theatre? Would you like to step up your involvement and help to create an exciting future for your community theatre? The Little Theatre is governed by a volunteer board of directors who meet monthly. The Nominating Committee is currently seeking interested members of the community who wish to become more involved in serving this dynamic and successful organization. For more information, please contact boardofdirectors@slolittletheatre.org. 

And last, but certainly not least, there are two more shows on the way! So, mark your calendars and get your tickets NOW as we race toward the finish line of our jam-packed 68th Anniversary Season! THE MUSIC MAN will march into the theatre on May 15th with all 76 trombones (kind of...) and you can get your tickets HERE.  The Ubu's Other Shoe comedy, RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN runs two nights only and you can get tickets HERE. 

Phew!  I know that was a lot for one blog post, but as our friend on Facebook said: "There's nothing more exciting than a theatre buzzing with creativity!" Come on down and join the fun. Whether you're onstage or off, there's nothing like live, local theatre.

Cheers!

~Patty

P.S. The 2015-2016 is coming soon! We'll be publicly announcing the entire line-up in the next week and tickets will be on sale in late May. Can't wait to share the excitement with you!