Sixteen-year-old Brenna may have lost her sight, but living in darkness doesn't stop the aspiring artist from dreaming in color. CRE Outreachpresents the world premiere of Dreaming in Color, an original play written by and starring blind actress Caitlin Hernandez. Also in the cast are Bryan Caldwell, Danette Garrelts andLaurel Rankin. Greg Shane directs five performances at the Promenade Playhouse in Santa Monica July 5-14.
In Dreaming in Color, the foundations of young Brenna's life are shattered by sudden blindness. Guided by her mother's love, as well as by the encouragement and determination of a quirky but sensitive teacher, the young artist learns new ways to navigate through the world.
Writer/performer Caitlin Hernandez drew from her own experiences to create the piece. Blind since birth, Caitlin has learned to not let the challenges of her disability stand in the way of pursuing her dreams. A graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz, Caitlin has become an ambassador of the arts for the blind community. An accomplished writer, musician and actress, she focuses on a positive outlook and encourages all of us to chase our dreams no matter what.
"Hitting my marks can very challenging, but trusting my fellow actors and memorizing the stage makes it possible for me to present this show that I've been working on for the last four years," she explains.
CRE Outreach was incorporated in 2007, serving both at-risk students and the visually impaired through theater-based arts programs. Utilizing theater as a means to enhance self-esteem, encourage self-expression and empower individuals to overcome the challenges in their lives, CRE Outreach is "transforming lives, one show at a time."
Dreaming in Color director Greg Shane is the co-founder and artistic director of CRE Outreach, overseeing all programming and productions. Greg has taught all over the world including London, Dublin, Puerto Rico, and Brazil and has run theater programs with various populations including prisoners, mentally challenged individuals and the homeless. He has directed seven productions with Theatre by the Blind and staged several productions through CRE Outreach's blind youth and teen programs. Blind in his right eye, Greg's personal connection and sensitivity towards the challenges of the visually impaired lend a unique perspective to the development of Dreaming in Color.
Dreaming in Color opens tonight, Saturday, July 6, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 3 pm through July 14. Tickets are $20; tickets to the preview performance are $10. The Promenade Playhouse is located 1404 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica, Calif. For reservations and information, call 310-902-8220 or go to
www.creoutreach.org.
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