The Western Stage in Salinas has a series of performances coming
up to celebrate, one-act plays, national women
’s recognition month, African-American life and productions of
Victor Villaseñor’s work.
The Western Stage in Salinas has a series of performances coming up to celebrate, one-act plays, national women’s recognition month, African-American life and productions of Victor Villaseñor’s work.
TWS’s fourth annual One Act Festival will perform ten one-act plays Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m. March 14, 15, 16, 28, 29, 30; April 11, 12, 13, 25, 26, 27; May 2, 3, 4. Donation.
To celebrate the One-Act Festival, some festival actors will give dramatic readings of shows from the first half of the upcoming TWS season: “Prelude To A Kiss”, “Ah Wilderness!”, “Anton in Show Business” and “A Doll’s House”. These readings are open to the public March 22, April 5 an 19, May 3 at 8 p.m. Cost: donation.
Both the One-Act Plays and the readers’ evenings will be performed in the Studio Theater at Hartnell College, 156 Homestead Avenue, Salinas. Details: Melissa Chin Parker (831)755-6987.
In celebration of National Women’s History Month (March), from Feb. 28 – March 9, TWS will offer two special projects featuring local female artists.
• The Belle of Amherst is a one-woman show written by William Luce, based upon the life of Emily Dickinson, America’s most noted female poet. Marlie Avant will play the poet from the bright and hopeful age of 15 to her reclusive death at 56 – and will play her father, teacher and friends as well. This beautiful production, directed by Linda Hancock is rich with autobiographical poems and theatrical moments. Public performances: Friday, March 7 and Saturday, March 8 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, March 9 at 2 p.m.
• A Long Drink of Silence is an original one-woman show written & performed by Jill Jackson. Previously produced at the Carl Cherry Center. This splendid autobiographical show is moving, very personal, and is, indeed, as it is billed, “A Banquet for the Soul.” It is a great, dramatic story of an American from no famous place and with no famous heritage, who lives a remarkable life. It is richly emotional in an inspiring way. Most especially, it is very affirmative of practitioners of art outside the major commercial centers. As such, it holds a special appeal for the local theater artist community and is just the kind of thing TWS is about.
Public performances will be at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28 and Sat March 1, and at 2 p.m. Sun. March 2 in the Studio Theater. Admission to “Belle” and “Silence” are by donation and all donations will go to the Taft Miller Memorial Fund for paying a female directing intern at TWS in the 2003 season.
• Rain of Gold: One of the great American authors of our time has agreed to allow The Western Stage to present a world premiere adaptation of his best-selling masterpiece. This is the epic story of Villaseñor’s own family; a warm, inspiring, magical adventure; the parallel story of two Mexican families and two countries; a timeless romance between a volatile bootlegger and his beautiful wife, people in whose lives the real and the fantastical exist side by side. Villaseñor himself will visit Salinas and the new adaptation will receive its first public reading Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. at the National Steinbeck Center, with whom TWS continues a fruitful partnership. This preview of the upcoming world premiere is part of the NSC’s annual celebration of John Steinbeck’s birthday. It will be followed by a book signing by Mr. Villaseñor and the cutting of Mr. Steinbeck’s birthday cake. As always, these February NSC festivities will all be free to the public. The world premiere itself will coincide with the NSC’s Steinbeck Festival. Developed and directed by Lorenzo Aragon, Rain of Gold will run Aug. 8 – 17 at The Western Stage.
• Seven Guitars: As part of its continuing Outreach program, TWS is again providing a venue for The African American Theater Arts Troupe as a means of representing yet another segment of our multicultural community. For their twelfth season, AATAT will be performing Seven Guitars, the award–winning play written by August Wilson and directed by AATAT Producer/Director Don Williams. August Wilson, himself, is one of the most influential and renowned African American writers of our time. His play takes place in the backyard of a house in Pittsburgh, PA in 1948 just before the start of the Civil Rights movement. A group of friends gather following the untimely death of Floyd “Schoolboy” Barton, a local blues guitarist. They share stories of Floyd’s short life and come to discover the passion and spirit that dwells in each of them. This full-length drama contains adult themes and language. It is filled with historical context, vivid imagery, and is interlaced with the music that inspired a generation of activism.
The African American Theater Arts Troupe serves to enhance the climate of cultural diversity in our community, focusing on the recruitment, recognition, and retention of under-represented students by providing a sense of belonging and by bringing in productions about people of color, encouraging the celebration of American diversity. Their main mission is to continue to raise funds for the UCSC African American Student Life Scholarship Fund.
In past years they have raised and awarded over $50,000 in scholarships to African American students based on merit, financial need, and participation in the theater arts program. If you would like to support their work, reserved seating is available at $10 per person. There is only one performance locally, which will be Saturday March 8, at 8 p.m. on the Main Stage at the Hartnell College Performing Arts Center.
• After this:
Following these spring offerings, TWS will present shows hand-picked by new Artistic Director, Jon Patrick Selover. They include a world preiere adaptation of a best seller by “the new Steinbeck” – Victor Villaseñor, two great classics by theatrical giants Eugene O’Neill and Henrik Ibsen, a comedy showcase for women and a full set of blockbuster musicals.
All this should demonstrate that whatever trials the local theater scene may be enduring, TWS is still at the top of its game.
Reservations for all these events are available at: 831-755-6990.Hartnell College, 156 Homestead Avenue, Salinas. Details: Melissa Chin Parker (831)755-6987.
