Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum is back with an exciting summer line-up of socially conscious theater, music and performance. The Summer 2018 Season, including five plays set to open in rapid succession and perform in repertory throughout the summer together with a host of satellite events, will open June 2 and continue through mid-October in the company's breathtakingly beautiful outdoor Topanga setting.
Kicking off the season on June 2 will be
William Shakespeare's Coriolanus, co-directed by
Ellen Geer and
Melora Marshall and featuring
David DeSantos in the title role. An allegory for today's tumultuous times, Shakespeare's searing tragedy is a cautionary tale of political manipulation and revenge. Rome, a city where the one-percenters rule, is led by a populist general who has nothing but contempt for the common people. Unable to reconcile his disdain for the citizens with his love of country, Coriolanus finds himself driven into the embrace of his sworn enemy.
June 3 will see the return of Theatricum's signature production of
William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, an annual audience favorite. Theatricum's magical outdoor setting will once again stand in for the Bard's enchanted forest, as director
Willow Geer conjures up a world of wonder, magic and romance.
Opening June 16 is The Crucible,
Arthur Miller's classic parable of mass hysteria that draws a chilling parallel between the Salem witch-hunt of 1692 and the McCarthyism which gripped America in the 1950s. The story of how the small community of Salem is stirred into madness by superstition, paranoia and malice is a savage attack on the evils of mindless persecution and the terrifying power of false accusations.
Joining the season on June 30, long-time Theatricum company member
Susan Angelo directs members of the Geer family in a revival of
Enid Bagnold's delightful classic, The Chalk Garden. Dyed-in-the-wool British dowager Mrs. St. Maugham is a selfish eccentric who spends her days gardening, but can't make anything grow. Her teenage granddaughter, Laurel, is a precocious liar. When enigmatic Miss Madrigal is hired as household companion and manager, the two finally meet their match.
Finally, joining the repertoire on July 28, Theatricum presents a very rare revival of Haiti, a historical melodrama about the 1802 overthrow of the colonial Haitian government written by William DuBois for the Federal Theatre Project. Subtitled "A drama of the black Napoleon," Haiti was presented in 1938 by the FTP's Negro Theatre Unit in a radical and controversial production that saw white and black actors performing together onstage at the Lafayette Theatre in Harlem.
All five mainstage productions will play in repertory through Sept. 30. Unlike most theaters in the L.A. area that stage continuous runs of a single play, Theatricum, using a company of actors, will perform each of the plays in repertory, making it possible to see all five mainstage plays in a single summer weekend.
In addition to theater, Theatricum will present four special events on its mainstage. On Sunday, May 13 (Mother's Day) at 2 p.m.: Momentum Place, Theatricum's yearly offering of modern dance, aerial acts, juggling and performance art curated by Lexi Pearl; on Wednesday, July 4 from 11 p.m. - 5 p.m.: Theatricum's fourth annual Family Barn Dance and Bar-B-Que; on Saturday, Oct. 6 at 2 p.m.: The
Woody Guthrie Story, the Geer family's annual tribute to the songwriter, folklorist and labor leader who was also a longtime Theatricum friend; and on Sunday, Oct. 7 at 4 p.m.: Inara George and Friends, the acclaimed singer/songwriter's annual concert that benefits the theater's artistic and educational programming.
Additional summer programming includes Under the Oaks, four evenings of music and performance in the intimate S. Mark Taper Foundation Pavilion; comedy improv with Theatricum's in-house troupe Off The Grid; Family Fundays, offering interactive children's theater from Creative PlayGround and music from
Peter Alsop's Kids Koncerts; Theme Dinner Buffets in the idyllic Theatricum gardens; and Theatricum's annual Halloween celebration, which sees the bucolic Botanicum transformed into the haunted "BOO-tanicum."
Theatricum Botanicum has been named "One of the 50 Coolest Places in Los Angeles" by Buzz magazine, "One of Southern California's most beguiling theater experiences" by Sunset magazine, and "Best Theater in the Woods" by the LA Weekly. "The enchantment of a midsummer night at Theatricum Botanicum [makes it] crystal clear why audiences have been driving up into the hills since Theatricum's maiden season way back in 1973. Summer Shakespeare doesn't get any better than this," writes StageSceneLA. Says Los Angeles magazine, "The amphitheater feels like a Lilliputian Hollywood Bowl, with pre-show picnics and puffy seat cushions, yet we were close enough to see the stitching on the performers costumes. Grab a blanket and a bottle and head for the hills."
The beginnings of the Theatricum Botanicum can be traced to the early 1950s when
Will Geer, a victim of the McCarthy era Hollywood blacklist (before he became known as the beloved Grandpa on The Waltons), opened a theater for blacklisted actors and folk singers on his property in Topanga. Friends such as
Ford Rainey,
John Randolph and
Woody Guthrie joined him on the dirt stage for vigorous performances and inspired grassroots activism, while the audiences sat on railroad ties. Today, two outdoor amphitheaters are situated in the natural canyon ravine, where audiences are able to relax and enjoy the wilderness during an afternoon or evening's performance. Theatricum's main stage amphitheater sports a new and improved sun shade for increased audience comfort, installed with support from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Ralph M. Parson's Foundation. Theatricum is the recipient of multiple awards, including the Margaret Harford Award for "sustained excellence," which is the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle's highest honor.
Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum is located at 1419 North Topanga Canyon Blvd. in Topanga, midway between Pacific Coast Highway and the Ventura (101) Freeway. The amphitheaters are terraced into the hillside, so audience members are advised to dress casually (warmly for evenings) and bring cushions for bench seating. Patrons are welcome to arrive early and picnic before a performance.
For tickets, subscriptions, group discounts and a full schedule of theater, music and family entertainment, call 310-455-3723 or go to
www.theatricum.com.
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