Taken directly from the press release:
OC-centric presents six great stories no local theatergoer should miss – stirring, affecting new works from highly regarded local playwrights and directors, fully produced and fully realized, brought to life by actors and directors from the Orange County, Los Angeles and Inland Empire theatre scenes.
Full-Length Plays
Fabulous Monsters by Diana Burbano
August 20-21 @ 8pm, August 29 @ 2pm, August 30 @ 7pm
When punk rock exploded in L.A., Sally and Lou were there: feminists, Latinas, queens of noise. One went pop, one stayed punk, but sparks from their tumultuous friendship remain. Decades later, can they overcome old wounds, forgive each other, and rock as hard as they ever did? A new work from this South Coast Repertory teaching artist, developed in Latino Theatre Alliance/LA’s Playwrights Nest Festival. Directed by Paul Cook. Featuring Anita Abdinezhad, Voiza Greene, Julianne Stephanie Ojeda, Lena Romano, Mercy Vasquez & Gerardo Villa-Lobos.
Grace Note by Robert Riemer
August 22 @ 8pm, August 23 @ 2pm, August 27-28 @ 8pm
A family prone to hallucinations finally sees the truth as a long-lost son shakily finds his way home. A new work from this Laguna Beach dramatist whose plays have twice received LA WEEKLY Picks of the Week. Directed by Sebastian Munoz; assistant director Angelia Weitzman. Featuring Paul Thomas Arnold, Jennifer Novak Chun, Courtney Drumm, Ian Heath, Mark Rosier & Roger K. Weiss.
One-Act Plays
all 4 performed on August 22 @ 2pm, August 23 @ 7pm, August 29 @ 8pm, August 30 @ 2pm
Corrupt Impressions or The Dangerous Ones by Joni Ravenna – A beautiful teacher’s unusual start to the semester is perceived by one student as a sexual come-on. Nearby, another student’s father testifies that the police shooting of an unarmed black youth was justified. In each case, whether the accused is guilty or innocent depends on the reliability of the witness. A new one-act from the author of Beethoven & Misfortune Cookies (produced at the MET Theatre and Odyssey Theatre). Directed by Payden Ackerman. Featuring Jeremy Howard, Ray Parikh, Drew Petriello, Lisa Renee, Chris Strombeck & Lizzie Worsdell.
HamlEt – This 30-minute devised theatre project places the character of Hamlet at the center of conflict in a tumultuous Denmark. Created & directed by Tamiko Washington. Featuring Joshua Bross, Jay David, Shannon Dodson, David Flack, Chase Fleming-Hauser, Rick Kopps & Alpha Takahashi.
Love’s Lost Words by Leonard Joseph Dunham – Two couples, one young, one elderly, converge on a small neighborhood street corner and discuss love, memory, and loss. A new one-act from this former Hunger Artist and graduate of SFSU’s creative writing program. Directed by Angela Cruz. Featuring Bill Carson, Cleta Cohen, Jessica Gray & Donathan Walters.
Spoken Allowed by David Scaglione – A couple try to resurrect the corpse of their dead marriage – made complicated by lies and misunderstandings – in this short play about affliction from this longtime Orange Coast College theatre arts instructor. Directed by Philip Brickey. Featuring Victoria Strafuss & Wade Williamson.
What: OC-centric: Orange County’s New Play Festival
When: August 20-30, 2015
Where: Moulton Hall Studio Theatre
Chapman University
300 E. Palm Ave., Orange, CA 92866
Tickets: $20, $12 for Chapman University students, staff & faculty
Reservations & Information: (714) 902-5716 starting July 15
Website: www.oc-centric.com
Ugh. Can’t believe you guys are featuring Grace Note. Horrible director, possibly worse cast. In particular, Courtney Drumm is a horrible actor and person who doesn’t deserve to get even the slightest break. Do not see this play!
Gotta’ agree with Mark on this one. The director and actress were involved in what was easily the most insultingly bad play I have ever had to see. I can’t imagine that this one is going to be any better. Nothing tongue-in-cheek about an actor and director who are so amateur they make high school theater look pro.
Gentlemen: these are the most venomous responses to a press release that I’ve ever seen. There is no need to respond to an announcement of a new play festival with the intensity of a jealous lover.
I’m not sure how you both determined that Grace Note sucks without reading it or seeing it. I have read it and seen it staged; it is a tremendous play written by a highly regarded and critically acclaimed playwright. Apparently, that means nothing to you. You judge the worth of a play based on who you like and don’t like in the cast. I haven’t been in the ninth grade for some time; thank you for taking me back there.
As the co-producer of OC-centric, I am not pleased by your online character assassination of this actress and this director. It is this that is truly amateur.
Perhaps you can find another outlet for your behavior, or alternately tell me that I’m being punked/trolled.
We continue to produce new work of high quality at OC-centric.
Having read Grace Notes, I would say it’s OK. But a director and cast are vital to a play’s quality. If a version of Casablanca were directed by Uwe Boll and starring Kevin James, it would suck. Kind of like anything touched by Munoz and Drumm has sucked. You claim to produce new work of high quality, but I highly doubt you have ever seen a performance by this director or actor. If you had, I suspect you would not include this play in your “high quality” festival.
Any writer to receive two LA Weekly ‘Picks of the Week’ must know what he’s doing. I’m looking forward to seeing all the plays!
2 LA Weekly “Picks of the Week”? How impressive. My cover band in college got one of those! (Also, such praise for someone who works for one of the sponsors!)