Sonoma Arts Live, which began in 2010 as a group of different theater companies pooling resources as the Sonoma Theater Alliance, is going solo. The organization will become a full-fledged theater company, acting as producer for all its shows, with a winter series beginning January 16.
“We are so excited to announce this growth,” said Executive Artistic Director Jaime Love. “We’ve talked about it over the years, and the timing just felt right.”
In years past, a consortium of different companies such as ETC!, Narrow Way Stage Compay, Silver Moon and many more, including Love’s own Sonoma Stage Works, presented a spring-summer calendar of five or six independent productions. Now, Sonoma Arts Live will be essentially the house troupe at Sonoma Community Center’s Andrews Hall.
“Producing will allow us to focus on presenting the plays we feel fit our demographic, and to provide more specific attention to detail,” Love said
Love plans to hire a “tech dream team” to design for the entire season, instead of changing technical staff from show to show. “It will take some time to develop, but we are very excited to implement this change.”
The first of show of 2016 will be “Love, Loss and What I Wore,” which debuts on January 15. Written by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron, and directed by Sonoma Arts Live Education Director Libby Oberlin, MA, it uses clothing, accessories and the memories they trigger to tell funny and often poignant stories. A talented cast of seasoned Sonoma actresses – Jill Wagoner, Julia Holsworth, Sheila Lichirie, Cat Smith and Rhonda Guaraglia – will bring these relatable stories to life to create an enduring, memorable theatre experience. The show will run Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.,, with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Jan. 15-24.
January 28-31, Sonoma Arts Live, in association with Lucky Penny Productions of Napa, will present “Gidion’s Knot,” a drama described by The Washington Post as “…a particularly eloquent study of people caught between the competing demands of reason, morality and family…harrowing…a narrative that is as elegant as it is chilling.” Performers are Lucky Penny Artistic Director Taylor Bartolucci and Equity actor Dyan McBride, Director of Theatre at Solano College and the education program for 42nd Street Moon in San Francisco.
February brings the romantic tale “Same Time, Next Year,” a show Love calls, “a Valentine gift to our fans and friends who loved director Joey Hoeber’s ‘Jake’s Women.’ We’re pairing last summer’s theatrical duo of the year, Cameron Stuckey and Jennifer Peck, in one of the most popular romantic comedies of the century.” This hit ran for four years on Broadway. It chronicles the relationship of a couple who meet and continue an affair, one weekend a year, for decades. Director Joey Hoeber stated, “Sonomans are sure to fall in love all over again with this talented duo, and the beautiful story by Bernard Slade.”
The winter series concludes with Sonoma Arts Live’s Teens ’N Training program’s presentation of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, directed by Oberlin. Set in the fictitious Putnam Valley Middle School, six quirky adolescents compete in the bee, assisted by three equally quirky grown-ups. “Everyone remembers the excitement and anxiety that accompanies a spelling bee, and this musical captures those moments perfectly,” said Oberlin. The show will run Thursdays through Sundays, March 17-27.
Look for information about our spring and summer series coming soon, stated Love.
“We are excited about the momentum we’ve created, and our future as a producing company, and we are grateful to our founding companies, ETC, CAPS, Sonoma Stage Works, Avalon Players, Narrow Way, M & G Productions, Silver Moon Theatre, and others that have helped bring quality community theater to Sonoma over the years,” Love said. “Without our past, our future would not be attainable.”
For more information, go to sonomaartslive.org
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