No Goblins Here on the California Central Coast - Just Plenty of GREAT Theatre Entertainment!

As we celebrate Halloween and All Saints' Day, the temperatures are finally starting to drop here a bit on the Central Coast to more fall like numbers - but there's no drop in the variety of live theatre and entertainment opportunities to be found here to fit most every taste and budget!

The Studio Players at the Studio of Performing Arts (www.thestudioofperformingarts.com) in Arroyo Grande will present The Miracle Worker November 6-21 at the SOPA Black Box Theater.  Call (805) 473-0377 for tickets.

The Studio Players started 16 years ago as the Studio's Drama Department doing one show a year. The Studio now has a separate Drama Department and The Studio Players has become a community theater company with open auditions to anyone.  This year marks its first full season. They now produce three shows a year: one musical, one play, and a Broadway review.

The Miracle Worker tells the story of blind, deaf and mute Helen Keller, whose dark world is opened by her teacher, Annie Sullivan, who had been born blind, but gained her sight after operations on her eyes.  Helen is spoiled and almost animal like, as her family has not known how to get through to her.  Annie teaches her, not only manners, but the gift of communication, opening up the world to Helen's curious mind.  A stirring dramatization packed with emotions.

At the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org), also located in the Village of Arroyo Grande, a number of other quality entertainment opportunities will be presented in the weeks ahead, including the Rocky Horror Picture Show on November 7 (black box theatre), An Evening With Leo Kottke - also on November 7 in the main auditorium, The Persuasions on November 14, and the Coastal Chamber Ballet's Babes in Toyland on November 21.

Just a bit south, in Oceano, The Great American Melodrama & Vaudeville (www.americanmelodrama.com) presents Scary Poppins through November 15.  Following Scary Poppins at each performance is the "United Swing Organization Vaudeville Revue."  Set in a USO dance hall during World War II, this song, dance and comedy revue features the same cast singing great jazzy harmonies and dancing up a storm to some of the most popular tunes from the height of the swing era.  NOTE: We had the opportunity to attend this show and vaudeville review with some friends, and it was one of the funniest and best shows we've ever seen at the Melodrama - so be sure to go see it if you can before it closes the middle of November!

And then a bit further south, across the line into Santa Barbara County, the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (www.pcpa.org), the Central Coast's Resident Professional Theatre Company, is busily preparing for their 2009/10 season - which opens with C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, November 5 - December 23 at the Marian Theatre in Santa Maria, followed by Macbeth February 18 - March 7.

In San Luis Obispo, the SLO Little Theatre's (www.slolittletheatre.org) second show of their 2009/10 season, Rumors, runs through November 1.  A readers' theatre production of The Visit, written by Friedrich Durrenmatt and directed by Stewart Moss, will be presented November 6 and 7.  A staged reading of The Devil's Chaplain, a new play about "the real Charles Darwin," by Alan Navarre, will be presented on November 29.  How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying will run November 20 - December 20.   And a children's theatre production of A Little Princess is scheduled for January 15-31 in 2010.

The God Is Still Speaking Players (check them out on Facebook or at www.sloucc.org) is currently in rehearsals for a readers' theatre production of Archibald MacLeish's "J.B."  Performances are scheduled for November 13-15 at the San Luis Obispo United Church of Christ.

Kelrik Productions (www.kelrikproductions.com), also located in San Luis Obispo, recently completed a successful run of the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning production of RENT at the Spanos Theatre on the cal Poly campus.  Stay tuned for what Erik Austin & Co will be doing next!

Providing a broad selection of live entertainment options, the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) is proud to present Theatreworks USA's Charlotte's Web on November 1, Mystical Arts of Tibet on November 5, Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull on November 7, Zero to Infinity November 12-14, the Lakota Sioux Dance Theatre on November 16, and the Nammys on Tour on November 18.

The Pewter Plough Playhouse (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org) in Cambria has opened their fall season with The Mousetrap, which runs through November 8.  Auditions for their next production, Finishing Touches, will be held the week of November 2.

The Houselights Theatre (www.houselightstheatre.org), also in Cambria, recently completed a remount run of their popular summer musical Always ... Patsy Cline at the Spanos Theatre (www.pacslo.org).  Stay tuned for details concerning their next show.

And up north, in Paso Robles, the Pioneer Players (www.pioneerplayers.org) recently held auditions for their next production - Oliver, scheduled to be presented January 15-30 of 2010.

So, even if the temperatures are cooling here on the Central Coast - the live entertainment and theatre options continue to be offered at a hot pace!  Hope to see you at an area performance venue some time in the not too distant future (I think we're gonna' to try and catch a performance of Rumors at SLOLT this weekend before it closes)!

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

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