Feature: AN ILLEGAL START at Santa Monica Pier's Merry Go-Round Building

Merry Go-Rounds are a part of everyone's childhood, even today and "An Illegal Start" explores the twists and turns of two friends who meet at this beloved ride. The audience is invited to experience this relationship in environmental theatre on the Merry Go-Round inside the landmark Hippodrome, now the Santa Monica Pier's Merry Go-Round Building, beginning Feb. 9 for a five week run.

The drama explores 15 years in the lives of two friends, played by Irish Giron and Cameron Tagge, who meet at the merry go-round on a thunder-filled night in the 1980s in rural Colorado. The play was written by Santa Monica Pier Deputy Director James Harris, and directed by Tony-winning actor and Santa Monica Public Theatre founder Paul Sand.

These two young men meet by chance in an abandoned amusement park after a near-fatal accident. As a merry go-round turns, so does life and this unlikely friendship weaves through two different life paths throughout the years. "In Illegal Start" explores lost friendships and the love that exists between two friends.

The production marks a return to the Santa Monica Pier for Sand with a long and impressive career on stage, film and television. His work on Broadway in the 1970s earned him two Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Performances on Broadway in "Story Theatre" and "Metamorphosis." He won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for "Story Theatre."

With a love of theater, one night Sand was walking on the Santa Monica Pier and reflected on what a perfect place it is for a play exploring dark themes. He conceived, produced and directed "Kurt Weill at the Cuttlefish Hotel" on the west end of the Santa Monica Pier in 2013.

"I was amazed at the positive response and I realized I can direct," Sand told BroadwayWorld.com. "I then read Jim's (Harris) play which I really liked. Originally it took place on a country road after a car crash. I suggested we moved the car crash in front of an abandoned merry go-round which we could do on the pier."

Sand directed the play to encompass both the fear and love of friendship. After previews, both playwright and director realized that this was the perfect location for the production.

"The audience can engage in this relationship with accessible theater. I am attracted to plays that appeal to a wide range of generations and the power of friendship," he said.

Sand is also appreciative that the Merry Go-Round Building is inviting and not an old, dusty building. Sand believes that this is important to present theater in a beautiful space and founded the Santa Monica Public Theatre with Harris to create such as space. But he also loves site-specific productions and wants to encourage environmental theatre.

As for playwright and pier historian Harris, the play is drawn from his own history. "When you reflect on your life, you find these moments that had a bigger effect than anything else," said Harris. "For me, it was certainly that car accident. We could have, and maybe even should have, died. "It's something I think about every day. How lucky we were."

The Santa Monica Pier's Merry Go-Round Building (formally named the Looff Hippodrome) celebrated its 100th anniversary in June 2016. It was inducted into the National Registry of Historic Places in 1987. The production of "An Illegal Start" will be the first time that the building has been used for live theatre.

"An Illegal Start" will be performed Feb. 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24 and March 2, 9 and 10. For tickets, click here.

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