Stan Jenson

Palm Canyon Theatre (PCT) is preparing their 27th Annual Kids Camp which will be held June 13 through July 21.  More than a dozen theatre professionals will mentor youth in performing and stagecraft.  The camp includes instruction in acting, singing, dancing, makeup, set design, props, costuming, stage combat, improv and more.  Campers will learn skills that will help them prepare for auditions and performances as well as improving their confidence and self-esteem for school presentations.

It seems like only a few weeks ago that Palm Canyon Theatre (PCT) began their 26th Season with the magnificent Titanic.  Now that season is coming to an end with a delightful little jewel box called She Loves Me. Canyon Theatre?

The brand-new production company, Bus-Stop Productions, invited me to a sneak preview a couple of months ago.  I loved the show and especially the performers who had been cast in Hollywood and seemed to outshine many in our local talent pool.  The show ran for several very successful months, sometimes selling out two performances per evening.  They recently decided to add more performances for the month of May but two of the original performers were not available so the producers reached out to some local actors and my fears arose. My fears were proven wrong in a big, big way!

This female-centric classic is a delight for all audiences as staged by Palm Canyon Theatre.

April 19, Palm Canyon Theatre will host one of the most anticipated cabaret performances of the season when Michael Pacas presents Big ‘n’ Easy.  Michael arrived in the Valley about six years ago, and he hit the ground running. 

WPalm Canyon Theatre (PCT) and Del Shores have a long, strong bond with each other. His sidewalk star is even strategically placed in front of the theatre. It seems that every year PCT produces one of his plays, frequently Sordid Lives. This year they are presenting Daddy’s Dyin’, Who’s Got the Will?, his second play which was first produced in 1990.  I’ve known the title for years – it’s the sort of title you don’t soon forget – but this is the first time I have seen it produced.  I personally think it is a better structured play than the more popular Sordid Lives, and the opening night audience at PCT howled with laughter from the very first entrance.hat did our critic think of DADDY'S DYIN', WHO'S GOT THE WILL? at Palm Canyon Theatre?

What did our critic think of GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM at The Bent? The Bent, Palm Springs' new LGBTQ theatre company, is alive and well, and I couldn't be happier. Our previous gay theatre company drifted away from gay-centric pieces in its last seasons, and I didn't realize how much I missed seeing such shows. As I watched The Bent's recent production of Martin Sherman's Gently Down the Stream, exploring an older gay man's memories, I found myself saying 'These are my people. I know their story.' Not only is The Bent telling gay stories - they are consistently telling them damned well!

What did our critic think of THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL at Palm Canyon Theatre? Palm Canyon Theatre has taken some risks this season by offering a season of lesser-known shows, but their decision seems to be paying off. I know that my first-ever viewing of Titanic will last with me a long time, and their current production, The Scarlet Pimpernel, stacks up very close. It is definitely worth seeing - and especially hearing. The voices of the three leads would be comfortable in any concert hall in the world, and hearing them in PCT's relatively small auditorium is a rare treat.

Palm Springs Getaway keeps getting better as it presents Version 2.1 Local playwright Cara Van Dijk is a busy lady. Well, make that playwright, author, journalist, publicist, producer, actress, wife and mother. Her recent musical Palm Springs Getaway is currently in its second production at Palm Canyon Theatre (PCT), the Valley's longest-operating theatre company, and even though audiences are proclaiming the show to be 'A joy' and 'a pure delight,' every time she sees a rehearsal or performance she thinks, 'Next time we'll try....' It's certainly the happy sort of show you can sit through multiple times, and I know I enjoyed seeing what was kept from last year's production and what was new.

The Bent Theatre is coming to Palm Springs and their preview production was a knock-out!

What did our critic think of PALM SPRINGS GETAWAY at Palm Canyon Theatre? Palm Canyon Theatre has revived a new, streamlined version of Palm Springs Getaway, their original 'musical romp' which they premiered last season. I'll start right out by confessing that I was in the original production so I know it well, though I never actually 'saw' it. I'm delighted to report that playwright Cara Van Dijk, aided by Eric Stein-Steele and Se Layne, has kept the best of the first production and replaced a few of the previously weak moments with some very strong scenes. The result is a tuneful, educational, nostalgic and totally enjoyable couple of hours.

COD's production of THE FANTASTICKS is a simple joy -- something we can all use more of!

What did our critic think of BAREFOOT IN THE PARK at Desert Theatreworks?

What did our critic think of NUNSENSATIONS, THE NUNSENSE MUSICAL REVUE at Palm Canyon Theatre?

What did our critic think of DON'T VOTE FOR ME at Scrips2Stage2Screen?

How can eight murders onstage bring an audience to laughter that almost raises the roof? I suggest you get to Desert Theatreworks' production of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder to find out for yourself! Great music, acting, directing and sets - this show has it all.

It's hard to believe that the death of over 1,500 people could provide an amazing night in the theatre, but that's just what Palm Canyon Theatre's production of Titanic the Musical has done.

What did our critic think of BILOXI BLUES at Palm Canyon Theatre?

What did our critic think of GODSPELL at Palm Canyon Theatre? Stephen Schwartz's 1971 musical Godspell was part of a movement during the late 60's and 70's of the reinvention of theatre norms. The movement paralleled the hippies, free love, rock bands with classical orchestras, artists such as Andy Warhol, and a host of writers. It was a period of re-examination and re-thinking of our ways of doing things, especially in the arts. Godspell is one of the most enduring works of this period, presenting Jesus as a dude in a tee shirt, addressing modern day folks in a playground.