Tag archives: theater

Potter Tales: Genesis
By Hattie Beresford   |   May 21, 2020

When Jose Lobero expanded the old adobe Sebastopol schoolhouse and created his Opera House between 1871 and 1873, Chinatown was already established on the first block of East Canon Perdido street. At that time, the street was nothing more than a narrow dirt track and an article from November 1873 stated, “This narrow and disagreeable […]

Layman Leaves a Lasting Legacy After 24 years at SBHS Theater Helm
By Steven Libowitz   |   May 17, 2020

If things were different, if the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 hadn’t turned into a global pandemic shutting down almost everything across the world, this would have been a weekend of wonder for Otto Layman. The theater director had planned a big blowout of a show to serve as his crowning achievement in a career that […]

Layman Leaves a Lasting Legacy After 24 years at SBHS Theater Helm
By Steven Libowitz   |   May 14, 2020

If things were different, if the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 hadn’t turned into a global pandemic shutting down almost everything across the world, this would have been a weekend of wonder for Otto Layman. The theater director had planned a big blowout of a show to serve as his crowning achievement in a career […]

Ellen at Home
By Richard Mineards   |   April 9, 2020

Montecito’s Ellen DeGeneres is set to bring back her hit eponymous TV talk show remotely after suspending production at her Warner Bros. Burbank studio because of the coronavirus. Ellen, 62, reveals she has been filming throughout her entire quarantine, conducting a series of A-list interviews for her at-home edition, including John Legend, Jennifer Lopez, and […]

Fortunes Launches on Zoom
By Steven Libowitz   |   April 2, 2020

UCSB’s Launch Pad program began in 2005 as a grand experiment to offer a high-tech lab for playwrights-in-residence, UCSB theater students, faculty, and guest artists to collaborate in developing a new play each year. The residency culminates in a fully realized Preview Production, when the play completes its journey from incubation to professional world premiere […]

Improv for the Ages
By Steven Libowitz   |   March 12, 2020

The current cast members of the long-running TV improv show Whose Line Is It Anyway? are bringing the touring version, dubbed “Whose Live Anyway?”, back to town for a single show at the Lobero Theatre. Cast members Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Jeff B. Davis, and Joel Murray will put together a 90-minute set of comedy […]

SBCC Takes on ‘Curious Incident’
By Steven Libowitz   |   February 27, 2020

Katie Laris wasn’t moved much when she took in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time on Broadway back in 2014. Despite having enjoyed the original 2003 novel by Mark Haddon that is narrated in the first-person perspective by Christopher, a 15-year-old boy afflicted by unnamed Asperger syndrome, the veteran SBCC Theater professor […]

Music, Theater Double Our Opera Pleasure
By Scott Craig   |   February 20, 2020

Westmont’s music and theater arts departments present two, one-act Italian operas offering performers and audience members a chance to enjoy two different stories with varying musical styles. Gioachino Rossini’s The Marriage Contract and Giacomo Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi will be performed together February 28, March 1 and 3 at 7 pm at the New Vic Theater […]

Enamored by Emma
By Richard Mineards   |   February 13, 2020

More than 200 years after her death in 1817, Regency writer Jane Austen is as popular as ever. A new film version of her novel Emma, directed by Autumn de Wilde and starring Bill Nighy, Josh O’Connor and Rupert Graves, is being released later this month, and Masterpiece Theatre on PBS is running Sanditon, based […]

Amy Alzina: Cold Spring School
By Sigrid Toye   |   February 13, 2020

Containing myself from shameless bragging about the outstanding schools in our community is something that is extremely difficult to do! I’ve had the good fortune to visit quite a few of them over the last few years – from preschool to high school – and there’s never been a moment where I haven’t been impressed, […]

Jane Austen’s Emma at ETC
By Steven Libowitz   |   February 6, 2020

Ensemble Theatre Company’s area debut of a musical adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma – which will run at ETC’s New Vic Theater on the same February performance dates at Never Not Once at the Rubicon (see above) – also has another close tie-in with the Ventura company. The musical version of the romantic comedy features […]

Noah (and Jacob) Bake Bread for the Soul
By Steven Libowitz   |   February 6, 2020

More than three decades ago, Noah benShea created Jacob the Baker, a simple but wise character whose plainspoken wisdom and commonsense approach to life are delivered as parables and often funny pearls of wisdom. The Jacob books, four in total now after We Are All Jacob’s Children ended a 20-year hiatus in 2018, have provided […]

Fishbon
By Zach Rosen   |   January 30, 2020

For decades Santa Barbara has had a bohemian tone to its art and culture. From the fantastical floats and costumes of the Solstice Parade to the old artists’ lofts of the Funk Zone, the area has long played with whimsical art and culture. And over the years, no organization has been at the core of […]

Ghost Light Night
By Lynda Millner   |   November 21, 2019

This event wasn’t about Halloween. According to the invitation the ghost light is a “luminescence in the pitch of night in theaters across the globe. The haunting bulb stands bare-bones and aglow, defying the inky darkness and beckoning spirits to come hither and play.” This was a party orchestrated by the Ensemble Theatre Company (ETC) […]

The Mystery of Martha
By Steven Libowitz   |   November 14, 2019

On the surface, What Martha Did might seem a strange choice for Launch Pad, UCSB’s innovative model of new play development that serves as a high-tech lab for playwrights-in-residence, UCSB theater students, faculty, and guest artists. The darkly funny drama about regret, facing the truth, and finding forgiveness features largely middle-aged characters, a bit of […]

Surf Film Fest Surfaces
By Richard Mineards   |   November 7, 2019

Surf movies, especially those with a Santa Barbara connection, have been a popular sidebar at SBIFF for many years. This weekend the genre steps to a fest of its own with the first annual event celebrating the “Santa Barbara Surf Culture” on film. The two-day fest, slated for full 12-hour plus schedules on both Saturday […]

Brilliant New Book
By Richard Mineards   |   November 7, 2019

Journal columnist Ashleigh Brilliant has published his first book in 20 years and the tenth in his series of original illustrated epigrams, known as Brilliant Thoughts based on his popular Pot-Shots newspaper series. The $25 soft cover volume, I Need More Time – And I Probably Always Will, has 400 of his epigrams in its […]

Mayor Murillo’s Medals
By Richard Mineards   |   October 31, 2019

Cathy Murillo hosted the 14th annual Mayor’s Awards breakfast honoring businesses for facilitating employment for those with disabilities at the Carrillo Recreation Center. The Non-Profit award went to the Santa Barbara Zoo, the first menagerie on the Left Coast to become a certified autism center, while the outstanding effort accolade was given to the 45-year-old […]

Guys and Ghouls
By Richard Mineards   |   October 24, 2019

Gloria Clark, wife of Aussie musician Peter Clark, hosted a Halloween-birthday bash at Tydes at the Coral Casino. The sunset soirée feted three locals who were celebrating birthdays – Condor Express owner Hiroko Benko, TV host Joyce Shaar and realtor Diana MacFarlane – with other guests including Arlene Larsen and Ginni Dreier. Magic Castle emcee […]

Government Inspector Delivers Laughs
By Scott Craig   |   October 24, 2019

Westmont’s performance of Nikolai Gogol‘s The Government Inspector delivers heavy doses of hilarity and introspection. Award-winning director Mitchell Thomas brings the play back to Porter Theatre for three final performances Octpber 24-26, all at 7:30 pm in Westmont’s Porter Theatre. General admission is $15; and $10 for seniors and students. Purchase tickets at westmont.edu/boxoffice. For […]