2nd Week of August Brings 1st Rate Performances to the California Central Coast!

As we come to the second week of August (is it just me - or is this summer FLYING by?!), the live theatre and performance venues here on the beautiful California Central Coast continue to offer a wide variety of quality entertainment options!

The San Luis Obispo Little Theatre (www.slolittletheatre.org) presents the Academy of Creative Theatre's summer youth production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, August 13-15.

Young sweethearts, human and fairy royalty, and an amateur theater troupe reel through romance and magic in one of Shakespeare's most hilarious and enchanting works.  Adapted and directed by Shelagh Garren, this delightful romantic comedy is one you won't want to miss! [NOTE: Saw the Saturday evening performance of the first weekend of this show - and it was delightful!].   

The Fantasticks will launch the theatre's 2010/11 main stage season, scheduled to run August 27 - September 19.

Ubu's Other Shoe, SLOLT's Readers' Theatre group, will presnt Side Man, written by Warren Leight and directed by John Battalino, for one performance on September 24. 

San Luis Obispo's RADIOACTIVE PLAYERS will present their latest Reader's Theater play at the Steynberg Gallery (1531 Monterey St) on Saturday, August 21.  The play is Beyond Therapy, a contemporary farce about 2 people seeking love through the personal ads, and their respective, rather outlandish, therapists.  Show time is 7 p.m.  Admission is only $5.  Contact director Gene Strohl (genestrohl@aol.com) for more information.  

Upcoming performances at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) include Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks September 24, Bill Cosby on September 26 (2 shows - 3:00 & 7:00 PM), international guitar sensation Benise September 29, Steve Martin October 6, and comedienne Paula Poundstone on October 7.

The God Is Still Speaking Players (follow them on Facebook or at www.sloucc.org) will present You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown the first 2 weekends in September - including a special Labor Day Monday matinee to support the ongoing work of the Prado Day Center.

Kelrik Productions (www.kelrikproductions.com) recently closed their FINAL Central Coast production of Into the Woods as Kelrik's Artistic Director, Erik Austin, prepares to leave the area and head south to San Diego.  THANKS for all the wonderful theatre you created and shared with the community during your years here on the Central Coast Erik - you will be missed ... and CONGRATS to you and Matt on your nuptials!

Murder in Mind Productions (http://murderinmind.com) presents Bewitched: De-Witched, a parody by John Logue and directed by Ron Kewish, at the Spyglass Inn, located at 2703 Spyglass Dr in Shell Beach, through September 5.  Reservations are required. 

Pismo Beach Youth Theater (www.pismobeachyouththeater.com) will present CLUE The Musical through August 15 at the Clark Center Black Box Theater.  Tickets may be reserved by calling (805) 471-4976 or by emailing pbyouththeater@yahoo.com.

Ryan Cordero (rccor385@gmail.com) and Sorcerer Productions (check them out on Facebook) will present a production of Forever Plaid September 17 - October 2 as part of their inaugural season of 4 shows.  In addition to Forever Plaid, Last Five Years is tentatively scheduled for production in November, Drowsy Chaperone in Feb/March of 2011, and Crazy for You in August 2011.   

Upcoming performances at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) in Arroyo Grande, include the 9^th Annual Paul Wolff Accessibility Advocacy Awards with a benefit performance by comedian Josh Blue on August 28, A Night of Worship with Wayne & Libby Huirua September 4, country artist Darryl Worley September 12, San Francisco Stand-Up Comedy Competition September 30, Carlene Carter October 1, Richie Havens October 11, and folk icon Judy Collins October 14.

The Great American Melodrama (www.americanmelodrama.com) in Oceano is into its summer repertory season with The Crock of Gold alternating performances with their second summer show, The Tavern, through September 19, along with "The Great Outdoors Vaudeville Review" following each performance.

The Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (www.pcpa.org), the Central Coast's Resident Professional Theatre Company, located on the Allan Hancock College Campus in Santa Maria, will present the classic 50s musical West Side Story through August 22 at the Solvang Festival Theater [NOTE: Saw the final Saturday matinee of this production at the Marian Theatre before it moved to Solvang - and it was AMAZING!].  Currently playing through August 21 at the Marian Theatre in Santa Maria is Songs for a New World (August 27 - September 12 in Solvang).  And then the final show of the 2010 Summer Season will be the world premiere of Invierno by José Cruz González, August 27 - September 19 at the Severson Theatre in Santa Maria.

The Santa Maria Civic Theatre (www.smct.org) will present their next production, The White Liars and Black Comedy, September 10 - October 2.

The Brickyard Theatre (www.brickyardhteatre.com) is currently working on a production of Quilters, which will be presented September 2-25 in Atascadero.  Contact Bobbi Stoffel at stoffelfam@charter.net for reservations or more information.

The Theatre at the Old Grammar School (TOGS) in Cambria presents Rosann Balbontin's Bridging the Gap through September 5.  Contact Theatre Director, Jeff Mar, if you have any questions at KRKJFRZ@aol.com.

The Pewter Plough Playhouse (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org), also located in Cambria, closed their production of Finishing Touches on February 28.  The theatre will now be closed for a time while it installs a new fire sprinkler system - stay tuned for details on its reopening and next show!

The Houselights Theatre (www.houselightstheatre.org) is looking for a new place to call home ... got any suggestions?  Stay tuned for details concerning their next show (and where it will be held).

The Pioneer Players (www.pioneerplayers.org) finished a successful run of Oliver at the Templeton Performing Arts Center in January.  Next up was to be a summer musical production of Fiddler on the Roof, but performance rights were unavailable.  Then the plan was a production of The Unsinkable Molly Brown.  Now, I'm told they are working on a "special project" that has taken them in a different direction at this point, and they will hopefully be making an announcement soon ... stay tuned!

The Central Coast Shakespeare Festival (www.centralcoastshakespeare.org) just presented its final performances of Twelfth Night at the Outside Amphitheatre at the River Oaks Hot Springs in Paso Robles.  If you missed seeing it, or their other summer show, The Gamester - then you missed seeing one VERY talented company that performs in a WONDERFUL outside venue under the stars.  Make sure they are on your theatre viewing calendar for NEXT summer!

Pretty much whatever you might be looking for - we've got it ... so make your reservations early before the best seats are gone and get out there and support the performing arts on the California Central Coast!

Curt Miner ... your BroadwayWorld.com guy on the ground with the California Central Coast theatre "news & views" 

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