TAFFEE Productions Presents New Musical MOZU At Diversionary Theatre 8/19-9/12

TAFFE Productions will present the world premiere of Carlsbad playwright Steven Oberman's new musical "Mozu." The play is an adult-cast show about Japanese snow monkeys and runs August 19 through September 12 at Diversionary Theatre, located at 4545 Park Blvd., San Diego. Performance times are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm. Ticket information and sales are available through the Diversionary Theatre Ticket Office at 619-220-0097 or online at www.diversionary.org. Ticket prices are $18-$30. For information visit www.taffe.org.
 
Set in the Shiga Heights of Japan, "Mozu" is the exciting new musical inspired by the life of an actual Japanese macaque, or snow monkey, named Mozu. Physically challenged with deformed hands and feet, Mozu desires an alliance with "the giants" (humans) in order to survive. As her troop's intricate social order is disrupted by inner conflict and outside forces, Mozu must decide what price she is willing to pay for this kind of support. With melodies taken from traditional Japanese folksongs, "Mozu" takes an inside look at the joys and adversities confronting the world's most northern living, non-human primate.
 
Oberman, who was inspired to write "Mozu" after seeing the a wildlife documentary about Mozu, traveled to Japan last fall to visit the renowned Snow Monkey Park near Nagano, where a troop of macaques reside, as research for the play. "Their proximity to man, and how their behaviors have been influenced by us, struck me as a story that needed to be told," says Oberman, whose last play, "Claire Voyant," was produced in 2009 at the Avo Playhouse in Vista.
 
Jim Strait, who directed the premiere of "Claire Voyant," will direct the premiere of "Mozu." Besides "Claire Voyant" and Moonlight Stage Production's "The Boys Next Door" at the Avo Playhouse, Strait has directed several San DieGo Productions as well as acted in Moonlight shows and on most of San Diego's stages. Now residing in Rancho Mirage, he has directed numerous plays for The Thorny Theater and has performed at the Palm Canyon Theater, the La Quinta Playhouse, the Villa Resort, and directed and performed for the Palm Springs Playwright's Circle.
 
Jude Thomas is the composer and musical director of "Mozu." Thomas, a composer and performer from the San Diego area, has been involved with many musical theater and opera productions in San Diego County. His first musical, "Bigfoot the Musical" (for puppets) premiered at the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theatre in 2007. Other members of the creative team include Jeannie Galioto for costume design and Ashley Jenks for lighting design.
 
"Mozu" is produced by Theatre Arts for Fun Education (TAFFE), which is a non-profit organization, based in Carlsbad, that produces live theatrical productions as a way to educate and entertain. For more information about TAFFE, call Steven Oberman at 760-268-0169 or visit www.taffe.org.