A brand new LIGHTING SYSTEM, AUDITIONS on Sunday, SPELLING BEEs are fun, AND Happy HALLOWEEN!

CFSLOCO's Janice Fong Wolf, Kevin Harris and Board President
Bryce Engstrom in the booth with our new light board.

Thanks to two generous grants from The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County, we are looking pretty spiffy these days, both onstage and off, here at the Little Theatre. In October, we received a very generous grant of $5,000 to fund the purchase of a new state-of-the-art computerized lighting console replacing our 23 year old “antique” light board. The new system is able to be programmed with multiple lighting designs for multiple shows and will greatly enhance the experience of both audiences and technicians alike during our ambitious 2014-15 Season.

Intern extraordinaire Ellis Beardsley displaying our new tickets and color print materials.

In addition to our gorgeous new light board, we also have new printers! Almost a year ago now, we received a grant of $2,850 through the Foundation to purchase a new thermal ticket printer and a new color printer/scanner. It took awhile to find the perfect ticket printer AND to program it to work with our ticketing system, but now, you can actually read the seat numbers on your tickets and our publicity materials really stand out in full color!  Many thanks to our Community Foundation for their generous support!

Every time we turn around lately, it seems like it's time for more auditions. I love it! Our next Ubu's Other Shoe staged reading to hit the rehearsal room will be MISS WITHERSPOON by Christopher Durang. Director Kelly Fidopiastis needs five or six talented actors and actresses to bring this deliciously offbeat comedy to life. Auditions are this Sunday at 4 pm and Monday at 6 pm. Hope to see you here. Click HERE for all the details.

If musicals are more to your talents and taste, be sure to dust off your tap shoes and come on down on November 23 and 24 for SINGIN' IN THE RAIN auditions. This is going to be our biggest musical of the year, so warm up those vocal chords and stretch those dancing muscles. You can check out audition requirements and the roles available HERE, then come on down and "make 'em laugh...make 'em laugh...make 'em laugh!"

When the trick or treating (in the rain or under moonlight!) is done, the party is definitely NOT over! If you like LIVE, ORIGINAL, FREE late-night theatre, come on down for a one-of-a-kind Halloween party at NO SHAME THEATRE. Because when NO SHAME and HALLOWEEN collide, you never know what might happen. The doors open at 9:30 pm, we'll accept your original five minute scripts at 10 pm and the show starts at 10:30 pm.

Saw a rehearsal for THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM VALLEY SPELLING BEE last night and we are in for a real treat! This Tony Award winning musical comedy opens next Friday, November 7th. Directed by Dana Shaheen, the laughs and songs come fast and funny and don't be surprised if YOU wind up on stage joining the BEE! Click HERE for more info and tickets.

And finally....THRILLER!  It's an oldie, but it's also a goodie. So, in honor of Halloween, here's a little zombie action just to get you in the mood.  Have a fun Halloween weekend! ~ Patty

ART INSPIRES! The Community Foundation SLO County Funds Scholarships for ACT Students

Janice Fong Wolf of The Community Foundation presenting the check to Education Director Kerry DiMaggio and Managing Artistic Director Kevin Harris with Little Theatre Board members Bryce Engstrom, Wilda Rosene, Michael Simkins and Matthew Cottle. 

Last week, the Little Theatre was thrilled to receive a generous $7,000 grant to fund tuition scholarships for students participating in our Academy of Creative Theatre (ACT) educational programs throughout the 2014-2015 Season. The grant was provided through Art Inspires!, a program of The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County, funded by the Holser Educational Fund for the Performing Arts.

This generous grant will underwrite need-based tuition scholarships for students participating in our extensive ACT education program, including four summer theatre camps, after-school theatre classes in the spring and fall, a spring break camp and two production classes which offer students the opportunity to participate in professionally-directed full length theatrical productions.

Kerry DiMaggio, Education Director (Photo by Jamie Foster)

All of these programs are managed under the very capable hands of Education Director Kerry DiMaggio. Kerry has been running our ACT programs since 2008. Not only is she a very talented singer and actress herself (She played Maria in The Sound of Music in 2013) but she manages an amazing program. In addition to four summer camps being offered in June and July (sign up HERE!) ACT students will also be spending June, July and part of August rehearsing the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Cinderella as part of our summer ACT production class.The show is directed by Shelagh Garren, with musical direction by Lacey McNamara and choreography by Kelly Fidopiastis. The show runs August 8-24 and we recommend getting your tickets early for this one! (Tickets go on sale June 22.)

ACT Teachers, Directors & Choreographers 2014/15 Season: (L to R) Danielle Dutro McNamara, Lacey McNamara, Kelly Fidopiastis, Shelagh Garren, Kerry DiMaggio, Zach Johnson and Taylor Peters (Not pictured: Lester Wilson; photo by Jamie Foster)

“Participating in theatre encourages creativity and builds self-confidence” says Kerry. “ACT provides a creative, artistic, educational and FUN outlet for children who might not otherwise be engaged with their peers or other important adult role models. This generous grant from the Community Foundation will allow us to expand our programs and our reach in the community. We will be able to offer any child with a desire to participate in our programs the chance to do so, without regard to our costs.”

Many thanks to the Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County for this generous gift to our ACT program and to the talented young actors of the Central Coast!

AUGUST 8-24

TICKETS ON SALE JUNE 22