San Diego Actors Theatre presents THE ZOO STORY

A park bench at the charming Pioneer Park in Mission Hills is the "Central Park" setting for San Diego Actors Theatre's (SDAT) upcoming site-specific production of The Zoo Story by four time Pulitzer Prize-Winning Playwright, Edward Albee. Weekend performances run from October 28th through November 12th (Saturday and Sunday 2 p.m. matinees).

The Zoo Story is Produced and Directed by SDAT Founder/Artistic Director Patricia Elmore Costa, starring Byron LaDue as Jerry and Fred Harlow as Peter.

Written in 1958, The Zoo Story achieved instant acclaim for the "recognizable humanity of its characters" (Green, 2004) and for its themes of daily despair beneath the surface of middle-class life. The play explores themes of isolation, loneliness, miscommunication and dehumanization in a commercial world.

PATRICIA ELMORE COSTA directed The Zoo Story while an undergrad student of theatre in her university directing class. "Although the subject matter may be complex and difficult; I see a lot of humor in Albee's play and we are exploring that along with the angst of this existential gem." - Patricia Elmore Costa

SAN DIEGO ACTORS THEATRE is a non-profit professional arts organization incorporated in 1985 by Founder & Artistic Director, Patricia Elmore Costa who has been its driving force directing, producing and performing along with many of San Diego's finest actors in main stage productions and site-specific theatre projects. Ms Elmore Costa has directed staged readings for the past fifteen years at diverse venues throughout the city and county of San Diego (Downtown San Diego, Del Mar, La Jolla, Liberty Station, Balboa Park, Mission Hills) as well as traditional theatres (Bowery Theatre, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Moxie Theatre, North Coast Repertory Theatre, Diversionary Theatre, the 6th Avenue Playhouse and 6th and Penn Theatre). Most recently she continues to direct Sunday Staged Readings in its third season at La Jolla Riford Library. She received KPBS Radio's Best Director award for Laughter on the 23rd Floor.

Ms. Elmore Costa received her Masters of Arts, Communications (San Diego State University) and her B.A. and B.M.A. in Theatre and Communications (Western Illinois University, USC, and UCSD). She teaches Communication Studies at San Diego City College. In 2009, she wrote the original script Fiancee in a Box, inspired by the 2007 film Lars and the Real Girl,. Fiancee in a Box debuted in 2009 at the groundbreaking, engaging and interactive Dive In Theatre at L'Auberge Del Mar Lap Pool and was featured by the late Larry Himmel of KFMB Channel 8.

For thirty-two years - The San Diego Actors Theatre has provided the San Diego community with professional, high quality, critically-acclaimed productions and projects with San Diego top theatre artists that challenge the intellect with important social messages as well as being provocative, enlightening, uplifting and entertaining. More information at http://sdactorstheatre.net/.

THE ZOO FACTORY CAST:

BYRON LaDUE (Jerry) is an award-winning actor and playwright. He graduated from San Diego State with a degree in Drama. He is a veteran of many former theaters in the San Diego area, (Bowery Theatre, The Gaslamp Quarter Theatre Company, San Diego Street Theatre, Starlight Opera, Old Town Opera House, Fiesta Dinner Theatre) and most recently has performed at the San Diego Rep, The Old Globe (Atlas Award) and the 10th Avenue Arts Center. Recent roles and productions include 'Howard' in The Geeze & Me (Rag Lady Productions), Andrew in Love Letters (San Diego Actors Theatre), and Paul Gauguin in, "The Musical Paul Gauguin" and "Tales From The Sun Café," with Asian Story Theatre. Byron celebrated his mid-life crisis by returning to school and earning a degree in Network Engineering. In spite of being a member of MENSA and a producer of murder mysteries, he is continually bewildered as to how such lovely creature as Kathi Diamant could love him and stay married to him for twenty years.

FRED HARLOW (Peter) has performed at La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe (last show Craig Noel directed) Moxie, Diversionary, Sledgehammer, North Coast Rep, Scripps Ranch, fruitlessmoon theatreworks, San Diego Actors Theatre and others. Local favorite roles are Valare in La Bete, (produced at The Fritz), Roy in The Best Mistake (tour for the Playwrights Project) and half the citizens (along with Don Loper) in A Tuna Christmas (Compass Theatre). Fred just completed a production of Accomplice, a comedic thriller at Scripps Ranch Theatre. He previously played Bobby in a staged reading of Speed the Plow directed by Patricia Elmore Costa at San Diego Actors Theatre.

TICKETS for The Zoo Story are $20 - available for purchase in advance online at either https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-zoo-story-by-edward-albee-tickets-37771881715

or http://sdactorstheatre.net/ online or by calling 619-997-2589. Mature language and themes.

SCHEDULE: Saturday and Sunday matinees (2 p.m.), October 28th - November 12th. Performance dates: October 28th & 29th, November 4th & 5th and November 11th & 12th. The production runs approximately 70 minutes without an intermission.

LOCATION: Mission Hills Pioneer Park: 1521 Washington Place, San Diego, 92103. (Washington Place & Randolph Street, Hillcrest)

https://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/regional/presidio/missionhills.

DIRECTIONS: From Interstate 5, exit Washington Street and head east up the hill. Turn left onto Goldfinch Street, and then left onto Fort Stockton Drive. Turn left on Ingalls Street, and then right onto Washington Place. The park will be on your left just past Grant Elementary School. There is a small parking lot limited to a handful of cars and there is also street parking. The performance will take place at the South West area of the park. Look for the Red Carpet and /or signs! Feel free to bring blankets or low back beach chairs. Folding chairs will be provided.

Photo Credit: Left: Fred Harlow as Peter (Blue Jacket); Right: Byron LaDue. as Jerry. Courtesy of San Diego Actors Theatre

LIKE San Diego Actors Theatre on FACEBOOK

FOLLOW San Diego Actors Theatre on TWITTER

To post a comment, you must register and login.