Podcasts about sonoma community center

Margo is joined by Sonoma Valley-based artist Alex Cole, whose paintings are inspired by her travels and the Northern California landscapes. Her work has been featured in RUE magazine and published in “Wild Lands” and “Artist of the Bay Area” by Jen Tough. With over twenty years of experience, Alex's art is characterized by her love of contrast in color, texture, and pattern, and her pieces can be found in collections across the US, Europe, and Canada.   Born in Bronxville, New York, and raised in Paris and Ibiza, Alex was exposed to diverse cultures that greatly influenced her artistic style. After earning a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art, she moved to Sonoma, California, where she began teaching at the Sonoma Community Center. Her workshops and retreats, held both locally and internationally, encourage others to tap into their creative potential by exploring nature and embracing experimentation. Alex's work, including her public art project for The City of Santa Rosa, showcases her dedication to inspiring creativity in others.   Margo and Alex discuss: Her creative path and how growing up abroad impacted her creative journey Embracing vulnerability and creativity through art and teaching Saying yes to new opportunities in art and life Creative freedom and the power of play Building authentic connections Embracing the unknown in artistry Giving back through art The power of saying YES How facilitating workshops in Spain shaped her approach to teaching and learning simultaneously How non-verbal communication can enhance the exchange of creative ideas in an artistic setting Finding alignment in personal core values when it comes to creating How she inspires others to be brave in art making and business   Connect with Alex: https://www.alexcolestudio.com https://www.instagram.com/alexcolestudio/   Connect with Margo: www.windowsillchats.com www.instagram.com/windowsillchats www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill  

Molly Spencer made a career out of creating flower arrangements; organizing nature's beauty into organic attractive compositions. Since then she's been a dance teacher, a mother, and a friend to so many – but through her role as engagement director at the Sonoma Community Center, she goes back to her florist roots, pulling pieces of Sonoma's people, history and art into bouquets for the community to enjoy. Having grown up in the valley, her town knowledge is incomparable – going back to the days when Green Day and Primus played in Andrew's Hall (tickets were $5). In this episode we talk about her love of dancing which brought her to New York then back to Sonoma, her adventures in Europe as a young solo traveler, and her seemingly boundless courage and optimism she shows to everyone she meets. Miss Molly is a star! If you want to: Learn more about the Sonoma Community Center and Molly's role in it, visit: sonomacommunitycenter.org Learn more about Hello Sonoma, visit Hellosonoma.org Thank you, as always, for tuning in. And if you enjoyed this episode, tell a friend!

Gerardo Diaz is a bridge-builder. As the bi-lingual engagement coordinator for the Sonoma Community Center, he aims to bring Sonoma's community closer together through valley-wide outreach. Known for his generosity and kindness, he has had a circuitous journey to this role that seems meant for him. Through uber driving, landscaping or even working at an egg factory, Gerardo developed the skills necessary to connect with people, observe the outside world, and to create beautiful work places for all those around him. In this episode, we talk not only about Gerardo's abilities, but his passion for fly-fishing, his Mexican roots, and the vision he has for Sonoma – all while enjoying the 2022 World Cup. If you want to: Learn more about the Sonoma Community Center, please visit sonomacommunitycenter.org Learn more about Hello Sonoma, please visit Hellosonoma.org Thank you, as always, for tuning in. And if you enjoyed this episode, tell a friend!

Elise is a community builder. Whether in downtown Sonoma or central Delhi, she brings people, young and old, together. As the culinary arts director at the Sonoma Community Center, she uses the power of sharing a meal to build special connections. But her 10 years living in India, where she met her husband, infused in her a worldly perspective and a desire to bridge them. In this episode we talk about her decision to move to India, her upbringing in Sonoma, and her dreams for the future of our community.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Graham Taylor. Taylor’s historical ceramic reproductions are featured in cultural institutions forming a gateway for viewers to understand the methods, techniques, and lives of past civilizations. In our interview we talk about his training in the Cardew lineage and how this led him to manage the Kolonyama pottery in Lesotho for many years, how working with archeologists has influenced his understanding of historical ceramics, and the evolution of ceramics from the Neolithic to the Roman era in the United Kingdom. To find out more visit www.pottedhistory.co.uk.   On today’s Amaco Community Corkboard we have the EQCLAY20 Scholarships at Sonoma Community Center. The Equity in Clay Scholarships have been generously co-sponsored by AMACO Brent and provide a reduced $5 registration fee to the Virtual Ceramic Surface Series for those who self-identify as an underrepresented or marginalized individual. To receive the discount, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ participants simply register for the workshop of their choice, using the code EQCLAY20. For more information or to register visit www.sonomacommunitycenter.org/surface-series-2020/

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Jennifer Ling Datchuk. She was raised in a bicultural household and makes sculpture, installation, and performance art that address identity and womanhood. In our interview we talk about the role hair and self-objectification play in her performance art, working in Jingdezhen, and how her understanding of identity changes through art making. She is based in San Antonio, TX, where she teaches at the Southwest School of Art. To find out more about Jennifer visit www.jenniferlingdatchuk.com.   On today’s Amaco Community Corkboard we have the EQCLAY20 Scholarships at Sonoma Community Center. The Equity in Clay Scholarships have been generously co-sponsored by AMACO Brent and provide a reduced $5 registration fee to the Virtual Ceramic Surface Series for those who self-identify as an underrepresented or marginalized individual. To receive the discount, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ participants simply register for the workshop of their choice, using the code EQCLAY20. For more information or to register visit www.sonomacommunitycenter.org/surface-series-2020/

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Jamie Bates Slone. She draws from her own experience with mental illness to create figurative sculpture that addresses disease and resilience. In our interview we talk about the psychology of color, how body positioning in sculpture can create empathy, and being a role model for young women. Slone is an assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma, which has a department of three professors dedicated to teaching figure sculpture. For more information visit www.jamiebatesslone.com.   On today’s Amaco Community Corkboard we have the EQCLAY20 Scholarships at Sonoma Community Center. The Equity in Clay Scholarships have been generously co-sponsored by AMACO Brent and provide a reduced $5 registration fee to Virtual Ceramic Surface Series workshops for those who self-identify as an underrepresented or marginalized individual. To get the discount, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ participants simply register for the Ceramic Surface Series workshop of their choice, using the code EQCLAY20. For more information or to register visit www.sonomacommunitycenter.org/surface-series-2020/ Michiana Pottery tour is a proud sponsor of the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler podcast. Join 26 potters from around the country for the 9th-annual Michiana Pottery Tour, happening virtually beginning on September 26th. You'll find a list of participating potters, links to their webstores, and more information at www.michianapotterytour.com or on our Instagram page: @michianapotterytour Ceramic Materials Workshop is a proud sponsor of the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler. Ceramic Materials Workshop is a place online to learn about how materials really work. They’ve been teaching about glazes at the most prestigious ceramic universities for years, and now offer online classes that are open to everyone around the world. Class sessions begin every January, April, July and October 1st, or you can try their new self-guided online workshop the Middle Glazes: The Story of Mid Temperature Glazes available now. Use the coupon code REDCLAY, all one word, for 25% off the Middle Glazes for a limited time. Find out more and sign up at www.ceramicmaterialsworkshop.com.

Originally released: May 31, 2011 In conjunction with http://www.winephx.com/ (WinePHX.com), a newly created wine blog, I continue my series and in episode 13, you hear my interview with the organizers of the very first http://http//www.outinthevineyard.com/events/gww2011/ (Gay Wine Weekend), in Sonoma, California. http://twitter.com/markvogler (Mark Vogler) and http://twitter.com/outgary (Gary Saperstein) are the founders of http://twitter.com/outinvineyard (Out in the Vineyard) and have put together a line-up of events, special guests and host wineries, that cannot be missed. Gay Wine Weekend kicks off Friday, June 17th, with a VIP Reception at the host hotel, http://www.macarthurplace.com/ (MacAurther Place) and is open to all http://www.outinthevineyard.com/events/twilight-t-dance-tickets/ (VIP All-Access ticket holders). Following the reception, Gay Comedy Night will be held at the Sonoma Community Center. All proceeds benefit the Sonoma Community Center. The events continue on Saturday, with the premier event of the weekend - The Twilight T-Dance. A benefit for Face to Face, Sonoma County AIDS Network - this event will feature over a dozen participating wineries, under the stars and Out in the Vineyard at Atwood Ranch. The weekend wraps up on Sunday morning with the Big Gay Brunch and Wine Auction. This event is also for VIP All-Access ticketholders and will also benefit Face to Face, Sonoma County AIDS Network. For more details on Out's in the Vineyard's very first Gay Wine Weekend, visit http://www.outinthevineyard.com/ (www.outinthevineyard.com) and don't forget to follow my new blog at http://www.winephx.com/ (www.WinePHX.com) If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to contact me at comments@nathanoutloud.com. Follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/nathanoutloud (@nathanoutloud) & join me on the Nathan OUTloud http://www.facebook.com/nathanoutloudfans (facebook fan page). Come OUT | Be OUT | Live OUTloud Support this podcast

Serial killing would seem to be rather ghoulish subject matter for a comedic play, yet Arsenic and Old Lace has been a reliable audience-pleaser for over seventy-five years. Sonoma Arts Live has a production running through February 10. Joseph Kesselring’s tale of the Brewster sisters and their pension for helping lonely old men meet their maker via a glass of elderberry wine debuted on Broadway in 1941 and ran for 1,444 performances. It starred Jean Adair, Josephine Hull, and Boris Karloff as black sheep Jonathan Brewster. A film adaptation by Frank Capra followed in 1944 starring Cary Grant as Jonathan Brewster. Though the play has since become a staple of the American theater, like an old haunted house it’s starting to creak. Mortimer Brewster (Michael Coury Murdock) returns to his childhood home and his Aunts Abby & Martha (Karen Brocker & Karen Pinomaki). After getting engaged to the next-door preacher’s daughter Elaine (Julianne Bradbury), Mortimer is horrified to discover his aunts have taken on the most macabre hobby. They’re helping lonely old men find “peace” and disposing of the bodies in the basement. Luckily, Uncle “Teddy” (Tim Setzer) believes himself to be Teddy Roosevelt and is always willing to dig a new lock downstairs at the Panama Canal for the latest “yellow fever victim.” Mortimer figures he can pin everything on the obviously insane Teddy, but things get complicated when brother Jonathan (Mike Schaeffer) shows up with a physician friend (Rose Roberts) and a body of their own. Director Michael Ross has some good talent at work here. Mmes. Brocker and Pinomaki are delightfully dotty as the sisters, and Setzer invigorates the stage with his every appearance. However, Mr. Murdock is too one-note as Mortimer, showing little range of emotion considering the insanity that’s going on around him. He rarely seems to be “in the moment”, often appearing to be casually awaiting his next line. Ms. Bradbury is far more animated as Elaine, making one wonder what she see’s in Mortimer. Schaeffer and Roberts are two very talented actors, but I’m not sure these were the right roles for them. I found Schaeffer’s menacing Jonathan undone by his distracting John O’Hurley (J. Peterman from Seinfeld)-like voice and Roberts baby-faced Dr. Einstein too youthful to capture the character’s exhaustion and desperation. Nice stagecraft compliments the performances. The black and white set (by Michael Walraven) and costumes (by Janice Snyder) evoke a classic cinema period-like feel. Arsenic and Old Lace is definitely a nostalgia piece, best enjoyed by those familiar with it. ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ runs through February 10 at Andrews Hall in the Sonoma Community Center in Sonoma. Thursday through Saturday performances are at 7:30pm; the Sunday matinee is at 2pm. For more information, go to sonomaartslive.org.

Jukebox musicals have become the bread and butter for a lot of community theatre groups. Minimal casts, simple sets and the built-in audience that comes with a popular singer or musical group is tough for an artistic director to resist. Around since the 1970’s, the genre really exploded onto the scene with the success of the ABBA-themed “Mamma Mia!” and continues with the recent Broadway opening of the Go-Go’s-themed “Head Over Heels”. Back in 1988, playwright Ted Swindley took 27 songs recorded by Patsy Cline and created “Always… Patsy Cline”, which is running now at Sonoma Arts Live through July 29. It’s not so much a musical biography as a snippet of Cline’s career as seen through the eyes of one of her biggest fans. It covers the six years from her appearance on Arthur Godfrey’s television program till her untimely death at age 30 in an aviation accident. Louise Seger (Karen Pinomaki) fell in love with Cline’s music the moment she heard it on a Texas radio station. When she hears that Patsy (Danielle DeBow) will be making a local appearance, she and some friends hightail it to the Empire Ballroom to discover no one’s there yet but Patsy. They strike up a conversation and become fast friends. Patsy ends up spending the night at Louise’s before heading back out on her tour. They regularly corresponded with each other after that night and it’s those letters that are the basis for the show. DeBow is a gifted vocalist who, in conjunction with her backup singers “The Jordanaires” (Sean O’Brien, F. James Raasche, Michael Scott Wells, Ted Von Pohle) and musical director Ellen Patterson and a six-piece band, delivers a quality evening of Cline’s greatest hits including “Sweet Dreams” and “Crazy”. The songs are interspersed with Louise’s musings about her life and her love for Patsy. Pinomaki is very entertaining as the bombastic, big-haired Louise, though there were moments where less would be more. Director Michael Ross, who’s directed a few female-centric musicals in his day (“Gypsy”, “Little Women”, “Sister Act” for example) shows a real mastery of the material here. Also responsible for costumes and some of the set design, he gets almost everything right. Costume work is stellar as DeBow must go through a dozen changes throughout the evening with each one colorfully evoking period and personality. The two-level set/three-sided audience design is interesting, but it leads to some awkward blocking and audience perspectives. Terrific performances, colorful design work, and classic Americana combine to make “Always… Patsy Cline” one of the better jukebox musicals I’ve seen on a North Bay Stage. “Always… Patsy Cline” plays Thursday through Sunday on the Rotary Stage of Andrews Hall in the Sonoma Community Center. Thursday through Saturday performances are at 7:30 pm; the Sunday matinee is at 2:00 pm. For more information, got to sonomartslive.org.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have live readings from this year’s writers-in-residence at the 2018 Arrowmont Pentaculum. Robert Vivian, Katey Schultz, and Nathan Ballingrud read selections from their essay, short story and poetry collections. This episode is part three of a three-part series taped live at Arromwmont’s Pentaculum writer’s nights.   Robert Vivian teaches at Alma College and in the low-residency MFA program at the Vermont College Of Fine Arts. His plays have been produced in New York City, and his poems, essays, and stories have appeared in many literary journals including Georgia Review, Harper’s, Ecotone, and Creative Nonfiction. www.robertvivian.org. Katey Schultz grew up in Portland, Oregon, and is most recently from Celo, North Carolina. She is a graduate of the Pacific University MFA in Writing Program and recipient of the Linda Flowers Literary Award from the North Carolina Humanities Council. www.kateyschultz.com. Nathan Ballingrud was born in Massachusetts but has spent most of his life in the South. He's worked as a bartender in New Orleans and a cook on offshore oil rigs. His story "The Monsters of Heaven" won the inaugural Shirley Jackson Award. He lives in Asheville, NC, with his daughter. www.nathanballingrud.com.   This episode of the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler is sponsored by Sonoma Ceramics at the Sonoma Community Center, one of the North Bay’s leading ceramics studios, offering clay experiences for all ages, levels, and financial means. The center is honored to host a dynamic two-day workshop March 30th and 31st with potter and tea master Shin Young Taek and contemporary Raku artist Kim Young Soo. The two will be demonstrating their innovative techniques for making teapots, building large scale forms from slabs and atmospheric firing. For more information or to sign up for the workshop visit www.SonomaCeramics.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have live readings from this year’s writers-in-residence at the 2018 Arrowmont Pentaculum. Sarah Gilman, Suzi Banks Baum, Kelli Fitzpatrick, and Heather Clitheroe read selections from their essay, short story and poetry collections. This episode is part two of a three-part series taped live at Arromwmont’s Pentaculum writer’s nights.   Sarah Gilman is a Portland, Oregon-based freelance writer and editor who covers the environment, science and the arts. She is a contributing editor at High Country News and her work has appeared in National Geographic, Audubon, Smithsonian, and The Guardian. www.sarahmgilman.com. Suzi Banks Baum is a writer, artist, actress, teacher, community organizer, and mom. With roots in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, she lives in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. Suzi inspires women to live from the space of creative spirit through her workshops steeped in book arts, ritual, and writing. Her work can be found in Easy Street Magazine, Literary Mama, Rebelle Society and Mothers Always Write. www.suzibanksbaum.com. Kelli Fitzpatrick is a science fiction author, high school English teacher, and community activist from Beaverton, Michigan. Her short story “The Sunwalkers” was selected as a winner of the Star Trek Strange New Worlds writing contest sponsored by CBS Consumer Products, and is published in the Strange New Worlds 2016 anthology from Simon and Schuster. www.kellifitzpatrick.com. Heather Clitheroe is a Calgary, Alberta based science fiction author whose work has appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Kaleidotrope, and in Lightspeed's Women Destroy SF special issue. She is a past participant of the Banff Centre for the Arts' writing residency program and the Leighton Artists' Colony. www.lectio.ca.   This episode of the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler is sponsored by Sonoma Ceramics at the Sonoma Community Center, one of the North Bay’s leading ceramics studios, offering clay experiences for all ages, levels, and financial means. The center is honored to host a dynamic two-day workshop March 30th and 31st with potter and tea master Shin Young Taek and contemporary Raku artist Kim Young Soo. The two will be demonstrating their innovative techniques for making teapots, building large scale forms from slabs and atmospheric firing. For more information or to sign up for the workshop visit www.SonomaCeramics.com.

The plight of the vanishing New England WASP is the subject matter of A. R. Gurney’s The Dining Room, running now at Sonoma Arts Live. No, it’s not a science lecture on the more annoying cousin of the honeybee but a look at the cultural transformation of a specific component of 20th century America – the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. Gurney, whose other works include Love Letters and Sylvia, uses 18 vignettes and about 50 characters to chart the rise and decline of upper middle-class America. The scenes all occur in the titular location around a stately dining table. The table, which was once the center point of family life and special occasions, in time has been reduced to a place on which to fold laundry. Wafting through the room over its two-hour running time are generations of unrelated characters, ages four to ninety, all played by a company of six talented actors - Isabelle Grimm, Kit Grimm, Rhonda Guaraglia, Len Handeland, Trevor Hoffman, and Jill K. Wagoner. One actor goes from playing a stern, turn-of-the-century father lecturing his son on manners to a young boy begging the family servant not to leave her job. Another goes from playing a real estate agent eager to make a sale to a young girl pleading to go to the movies instead of dance lessons. Scenes overlap and intertwine with characters from one era occupying the space at the same time as characters from another era. There are no blackouts as the action is continuous and the actors simply glide in and out of the room. This led to some confusion with a few audience members, so much so that were a few more empty seats post-intermission. It’s really not that confusing one you acclimate yourself to the style and buy into the premise of veteran performers playing children. Where else will you get the chance to see Kit Grimm bouncing around the stage like a four-year old pretending to be a monkey? The scenes range from the poignant to the humorous with the most effective being a conversation between an ailing father and his son about funeral plans and a laugh-out-loud segment between an aunt and her nephew about a college photography project. The action all takes place on the single dining room set, nicely designed and appointed by Bruce Lackovic. William Ferguson has added some effective lighting elements as well. Director Joey Hoeber keeps his cast in check and despite the range in characters the show never veers into the cartoonish. If you don’t enter the theatre expecting a traditional linear narrative, you’ll find yourself enjoying a well-acted, acute observation of a slice of by-gone American life. 'The Dining Room' runs through February 4 at Andrews Hall in the Sonoma Community Center in Sonoma. Thursday through Saturday evening performances at 7:30pm, Sunday matinees at 2pm. For more information, go to sonomaartslive.org.

Musicals are the bread and butter of community theatre. They’re usually crowd pleasers and with their large casts they can bank on a crowd of family and friends to fill a good portion of the house. They require a certain amount of space and a certain level of talent. Directors often cast for singing talent and cross their fingers that acting-wise their choices will be sufficient or that their audiences will be somewhat forgiving. No such worries with the Sonoma Arts Live production of Gypsy, running now through July 30. Director Michael Ross utilizes every inch of space on the Rotary Stage (and beyond) and has cast veteran performer Daniela Innocenti Beem as Momma Rose, the biggest stage mother of them all in the Arthur Laurents – Jule Styne – Stephen Sondheim classic based on famed striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee’s memoir. It follows Madame Rose and her two daughters from their beginnings as an out-of-town vaudeville kiddie act. Through fortuitous circumstances, Rose meets Herbie (Tim Setzer), a former agent who agrees to take them on and get them a dreamed-for New York booking. Herbie falls deeply in love with Rose, but Rose won’t return the affection until she’s made her daughter June (Amanda Pedersen) a star. When June branches out on her own, she turns her plans to her heretofore neglected older daughter Louise (Danielle DeBow). Louise does become a star but at oh, what a cost. Beem is terrific and her ferocity as Rose is matched by Setzer’s heart as the put-upon Herbie. Both have played these roles before and should the opportunity present itself they should not hesitate to play them again. Their relationship is the bedrock of this production and it’s a true pleasure to watch two pros at the top of their game. Amanda Pedersen and Danielle DeBow do fine work as sisters June and Louise with their relationship neatly summed up in the entertaining and wistful number “If Momma Was Married”. Other more familiar tunes from “Let Me Entertain You’ to “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” were all delivered with vocal gusto by the cast. Honorable mention goes to Julia Holsworth, Jaime Love and Karen Pinomaki for their work as a trio of past-their-prime strippers whose job advice to Louise is "You Gotta Get a Gimmick". Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about the musical accompaniment. Musical director John Partridge and his six-piece band sounded timid, unprepared, and under-rehearsed from the beginning of the overture through the musical conclusion. Musical entrances were missed and exits were haphazard. It was a major disappointment to have such a talented cast provided such lackluster musical support. That the cast powered through and delivered the performances they did is a tribute to their sense of professionalism. I’ve been impressed with the advances seen and improved quality of lighting, sound, and set design in Sonoma Arts Live’s relatively short life as a stand-alone production company. If they want to be given serious consideration as a go-to venue for musical theatre, both by audiences and artists, then improvements must be made in the quality of the music they produce. Their casts deserve it. Their audience should demand it. Gypsy plays Thursdays through Sundays at the Sonoma Community Center in Sonoma through July 30th. For more information, go to sonomaartslive.org.

Join Angel & Alan as they welcome UFO JIM! Jim Ledwith has been researching UFOs and extraterrestrials for more than 45 years known as ‘UFO Jim’ and heralded as Sonoma’s resident ufologist. For the last 50 years, since leaving the military, he's widely researched and presented on the UFO and ET genre. A Lecturer for over 10 years on “Science & UFO’s”, “Hollywood & UFO’s” and “Science & Crop Circles” at community colleges, adult ed, Rotary Clubs, and other community groups nationally and internationally. Instructor of a popular, well attended annual class at Sonoma Community Center on alien encounters. Instrumental in getting multiple films and documentaries on UFO’s included in the mainstream Sonoma Film Festival. He's also worked extensively with Stephen Bassett to get open Disclosure to us from our government. “Truth is an irresistible force.” Jim's Website: http://ufosrreal.com/

Join Angel & Alan as they welcome UFO JIM! Jim Ledwith has been researching UFOs and extraterrestrials for more than 45 years known as ‘UFO Jim’ and heralded as Sonoma’s resident ufologist. For the last 50 years, since leaving the military, he's widely researched and presented on the UFO and ET genre. A Lecturer for over 10 years on “Science & UFO’s”, “Hollywood & UFO’s” and “Science & Crop Circles” at community colleges, adult ed, Rotary Clubs, and other community groups nationally and internationally. Instructor of a popular, well attended annual class at Sonoma Community Center on alien encounters. Instrumental in getting multiple films and documentaries on UFO’s included in the mainstream Sonoma Film Festival. He's also worked extensively with Stephen Bassett to get open Disclosure to us from our government. “Truth is an irresistible force.” Jim's Website: http://ufosrreal.com/

Middle-aged angst takes center stage at the Sonoma Community Center as Becky’s New Car pulls into Sonoma Arts Live. Steven Dietz’s bittersweet comedy runs through June 25. Becky Foster has reached the “Is that all there is?” stage in her life. She’s got a job that overworks her, co-workers that don’t appreciate her and a grown, psychology-majoring son living in her basement. On the plus side, she has a loving, doting husband who’s willing to work roofing jobs hours away to keep his family in comfort. Becky seems destined to live her life out in quiet desperation when a gentleman walks into the car dealership at which she works. He’s wealthy, widowed and in a very short period of time, interested in Becky. Through a series of misunderstandings, he thinks Becky’s widowed too. Does she correct him, or will she see this as her way out? Well, good people sometimes make bad choices and Becky is soon looking for a way out of her way out. Lest you think this all sounds a bit bleak and/or depressing, fear not as it’s actually a pretty funny show. Director Carl Jordan has gathered a winning cast who find the humor in each character’s foibles and flaws while retaining their humanity. Melissa Claire does a great job in helping the audience understand why Becky makes the choices she does and gains their empathy. Dietz has the character “break the fourth wall” and directly interact with the audience throughout the show which can be awkward but Claire handles it with aplomb. Mike Pavone as Walter Flood makes for a charming gentleman suitor who stumbles upon Becky and maybe a way out of his funk at the loss of his wife. It’s easy to see why Becky could risk everything for him. Matt Witthaus does very well as the good-hearted husband Joe whose obliging manner turns a bit a dark by show’s end. Michael Temple does a good job as the basement-dwelling, pizza swilling Chris who pontificates on the psychological state of all and drives his mother nuts. Katie Kelly has some nice moments as Kenni Flood, Walter’s daughter, particularly when dealing with a potential gold-digging neighbor (a boozy and biting Serena Elize Flores). The show’s single funniest moment comes courtesy of Stephen Dietz (no relation to the playwright) as Becky’s co-worker Steve in a monologue that involves a mother, a child, a puppy, and a cliff. It’s not giving anything away to say that all these characters cross paths and while the specific circumstances strain credulity sometimes you just have to go with the flow. Claire’s and Pavone’s performances are the initial hooks that make you willing to go along for the ride. Set Designer Bruce Lackovic manages to fit four distinct settings onto the small Rotary Stage, with Becky scurrying between her living room, her office, her car, and Walter’s home. The backdrop is a series of lit, colorful spheres that double as projection screens. Combined it makes for a very eye-catching set. Becky’s New Car is a welcome respite from some of the darker, more mean-spirited plays that have been produced locally of late. It’s nice to see a lighter touch applied to the dramatization of the journeys we often take in life. Director Carl Jordan and cast have mapped out a pretty amusing outing. Consider jumping into Becky’s New Car and joining them for the ride. Becky’s New Car plays at the Sonoma Community Center Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm through June 25. For more information, go to sonomaartslive.org

Powered by some pretty spectacular voices, Sonoma Arts Live’s clever, minimalized production of Webber-and-Rice’s iconic musical “Evita” scores major points for musicality, invention and sheer guts, emphasizing the politically ominous rags-to-riches story of its heroine by removing the massive cast and the elaborate dance numbers for which the beloved stage show first became known. On the medium-sized stage at Andrews Hall - in the historic Sonoma Community Center, just off the Sonoma plaza - wooden planks, scaffolding and a brilliantly employed piece of moving machinery take the place of the ornate sets usually employed for musicals of this scale. Originally announced as a “staged concert,” the show, as directed by Lauren Miller, exists somewhere in between a concert and a full-production. Though the blocking of the tight nine-actor cast tends a bit to often towards the static - with several people standing in a line, striking slightly stiff poses while singing straight out to the audience - what this approach lacks in dynamism and visual energy it more than makes up for in helping tell its story simply and clearly. Ellen Toscano, a ten-year-veteran of San Francisco’s Beach Blanket Babylon, deploys her stellar singing voice as Eva Peron, who started out as a middle class dreamer from the outskirts of Argentina, became an actress and screen celebrity, and worked her way up to become the first lady of her country, the wife of the dictator Juan Peron. Though a bit physically rigid at times, her face is constantly alive with emotion, ranging from resolve to disdain to love to anger to pain, and sometimes all at once. As her politically ambitious husband, Juan, Michael Conte strikes the perfect tone of austere authority, and his voice is magnificent. As the narrator Che, who steps in and out of the story - frequently offering challenging perspectives in the form of wry commentary - Robert Dornaus is also quite strong, climbing up and down the set pieces, leaping to the audience floor, even operating the man-lift at a crucial moment, easily giving the shows most varied and animated performance. In the small part of Peron’s kicked-to-the-curb mistress, Fiorella Garcia delivers one of the show’s most powerful moments, singing the lovely “Where do we go from here,” and as Eva’s lounge-singing first conquest, Tod Mostero is appropriately smarmy, smitten and entertainingly surprised at being less in control of his hungry paramour than he assumed. The ensemble is in fine voice throughout, though at times they seem to be wishing they has more to do then file onstage, sing beautifully, and file off again, though perhaps this is the remaining vestiges of the original “staged concert” concept. All in all, the miraculous thing about this production is how well the parts that work, work, especially the marvelous moment when Toscano sings the show’s most famous number, “Don’t Cry for me Argentina.” I won’t spoil the surprise of how the song is staged, but it’s truly delightful and inventive. Perhaps most surprising of all is how pertinent and powerful this story feels today, as it traces the way that politicians often take advantage of the people they claim to be wanting to help, using them to gain the power they need to take control—then convincing them that they’ve delivered what they promised, even when they have done the exact opposite. ‘Evita’ runs Thursday through Sunday through Feb. 5 at Sonoma Arts Live, at the Sonoma Community Center. www.sonomaartslive.org

I am, in a moment, going to talk about spelling, as in spelling bees, as in ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,’ a musical that is currently running in two different productions in the North Bay. But first, let me delve further into the disciplines of vocabulary with a few stage-related definitions. I’d like to start with the word, “Ensemble.” E-N-S-E-M-B-L-E. “Ensemble.” It’s one of those confusing theatrical words that can mean two different things. Often used to describe the supporting members of a cast – those nearly-nameless people singing and dancing somewhere behind the lead actors – the word “ensemble” also refers to a type of show, a show in which the entire cast has more-or-less equal responsibility in creating the world in which the story takes place. These are sometimes referred to as “ensemble pieces.” “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” running through April 2nd at the Belrose Theater in San Rafael, and through this Sunday, March 20th, at the Sonoma Community Center, in Sonoma, is one of two such “ensemble pieces” that recently opened in the North Bay. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, the Marin version, is presented by Marin Onstage, directed with conspicuous glee by Pat Nims. The show features a committed, though somewhat unevenly matched cast, several of them playing adorably misfit middle school spelling competitors, which is additionally interesting since all of the actors are adults. Aided by some clever audience participation, the show plays out like “The Hunger Games” crossed with “Revenge of the Nerds.” Only funnier, and definitely sweeter, but also with some serious edge, and a bit of PG-13-related material, just for fun. Standouts, in the nine-actor San Rafael Cast, include Arielle Mandelberg as the lonely dictionary-loving Olive Ostrovsky, Peter Carroll as the clueless, cape-wearing Leaf Coneybear, and, despite a struggle against one-note interpretations and a few unfortunate lost opportunities, John Griffin, whose charm wins out as the lugubrious, hilariously eccentric William Barfee (he pronounces it bar-fay.) There is actual spelling in this spelling bee, so be prepared, because you might be asked to participate. It’s all good, goofy fun, a bit uneven musically, and with a number of slightly clunky rough spots, but its all done with an infectious energy that literally pulls the audience—the volunteer spellers, anyway—into the warmth of its giddy, slightly skewed, entirely life affirming embrace. The Sonoma version, presented by the Teens ‘N Training program at Sonoma Arts Live, uses a teenage cast, and has altered the proceedings so that the main characters are now girls instead of boys. The young cast performs with a sense of wild abandon and breathless commitment. It’s good loopy fun, and some of the more salacious material has been toned down. Give this ensemble piece a solid PG. Which brings us to the next vocabulary word, “Community,” as in “Community theater,” defined as theatrical performance created from, performed within, and staged for the benefit of the artists’ communities. Sometimes that means kids playing adults, and sometimes it’s adults playing kids, but it always means the community is the most important part, and that means the audience, which in this case is spelled Y-O-U. There are many ways you can support your community, and checking the shows they are producing is one especially enjoyable one. Check it out. ‘25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ runs Fridays and Saturdays through April 2 at Belrose Theater, info at marinonstage.org. and the Teens ‘N Training version runs Friday-to-Sunday through March 20th at Sonoma Community Center, info at sonomaartslive.org.

Forrest Lesch Middelton works in Petaluma, CA. Forrest’s extensive background as an arts educator, administrator, and studio potter has recently gained him recognition as a diverse and inspirational member of the ceramic arts community. Forrest is the Former Ceramics Program Director of Sonoma Community Center, and is currently the President of the Association of Clay and Glass Artists of CA. In 2013 Forrest was named the Ceramic Artist of the year by Ceramics Monthly, and this year is the recipient of a Creative Work Fund grant for his work with the Islamic Cultural Center of Oakland. Forrest’s pots have been featured on the on the cover of Ceramics Monthly magazine, and recently his architectural tile has won great acclaim, having been featured in The New York Times, Architectural Digest, Luxe, and Sunset Magazine. Forrest has been an Artist in Residence at Project Art in Massachusetts, the Mendocino Arts Center, and the Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts, in Maine.

Let’s face it - it’s not always easy to look on the bright side of life. Laughter helps, but getting there often requires a helpful boost. If you are looking for something to give your laughing-and-smiling impulses a comedic kick in the pants, you are currently in luck. Right now, there are two shows running in the Bay Area, each one designed to make you feel a bit lighter and a touch happier - a stunt made possible by daredevil actors committed body-and-soul to the fine art of stage comedy, confident in the uplifting power generated through the sheer ridiculous joy of watching a skilled comedian tumbling down a flight of stairs. In downtown Sonoma, on the Rotary stage at the Sonoma Community Center, Narrow Way Stage Company has pulled out all the stops with Michael Frayn’s high-energy farce "Noises Off" Running weekends through May 31. Though a bit loose and lumpy here and there, the Narrow Way actors bring a strong, pulse-quickening dose of their patented theater-punk sensibility to this rollicking play-within-a-play, the meta-level story of dysfunctional actors rehearsing and performing a wild sex farce called ‘Nothing On.’ Tony Ginesi’s rotating two-story set let’s us see both sides of the action, front-of-stage and back-of-stage, as the hapless actors present the same ridiculous story three times over the course of its months long run, which - true to the longstanding rules of comedy - goes anything but smoothly. Directed by Nick Christenson, with a bring-it-on, anything-goes sense of heightened performance and comedic timing, this high-energy roller-coaster of a show benefits from a cast willing to do just about anything, from romping about in underwear to falling down stairs - I told you - to slipping on a plate of sardines or sitting on a cactus. Meanwhile, just beyond the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, Berkeley Repertory Theater is presenting the West Coast premiere of "One Man, Two Guvnors," Richard Bean’s joyously madcap assault on the average funny-bone, running through June 21. A bawdy British adaptation of the classic Italian farce A Servant of Two Masters, "One Man, Two Guvnors" is set in Brighton, circa 1963, where a poor, hungry musician, desperate for a sandwich or a plate of eggs, finds himself working for two different criminals, one rich, one on the lam. With original tunes played by a “skiffle” band along the lines of John Lennon’s pre-Beatles band The Quarrymen, this show caused a sensation in London and New York, making a star of James Corden (The Late Late Show), whose shoes are capably filled in Berkeley by actor Dan Donohue, acclaimed for his work with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The show is brilliantly performed by every single member of the ensemble, playing an assortment of oddballs from the cross-dressing woman pretending to be her dead brother, to the jittery servant who keeps falling down stairs - there it is again. Even the poor guy with only three lines as a waiter makes comic gold of his brief moment in the spotlight. Directed by David Ivers with a sense of controlled mania, the show incorporates ingenious audience participation and musical interludes that both set the tone and add a specific flavor of riotous party-time mayhem to the proceedings. Easily one of the best new-but-based-on-something-old comedies of the year, "One Man, Two Guvnors" is a happy smile of a show that, like Noises Off, brings its characters right to edge of tragedy before winging wackily back to the land of happy endings. It’s hard not to feel happy after something like that. "Noises Off" runs through May 31st at the Sonoma Community Center (sonomaartslive.org) and "One Man, Two Guvnors" runs through June 21st at Berkeley Repertory Theatre (BerkeleyRep.org) I’m David Templeton, Second Row Center, for KRCB.

There may be more-than-one theatrical franchise of musical plays that started out as a line of greeting cards showing nuns saying vaguely racy things, but if there is, it’s not anywhere as famous or as popular as the "Nunsense" shows by Dan Goggins. The first one appeared off Broadway in 1985. The show, in which the Little Sisters of Hoboken put on a fundraiser to bury the four dead sisters who are taking up space in the freezer - they died of botulism - was a mostly plotless assemblage of nun characters with funny names performing goofy nun-themed comedy sketches, some involving puppets, bingo games, or ballet dancing, all of it wrapped up in some truly catchy songs like "Nunsense is Habit forming," "Holier Than Thou," and "We’ve Got to Clean Out the Freezer." It all pokes gentle fun at Catholicism while also being one-hundred-percent pro-faith, pro-God, and pro-nun, especially nuns who make jokes about death, leprosy and the Apostle Peter. Since its debut, "Nunsense" has been performed all over the world, and miraculously, has given birth to several sequels and spinoffs, two of which are currently being performed by different theater companies in Sonoma County. "Nunsense: the Mega Musical," is essentially a rewrite of the original show, with some new musical numbers and a few additional onstage characters. Running through May 3rd at the Sonoma Community Center, in Sonoma, and produced by J Love Productions, the shiow’s highlights include Abbey Chamber’s soaring rendition of "I Just Wanna Be a Star," Sister Robert Anne’s bittersweet lament about missed opportunities, and Nora Chambers’ outrageous performance of "The Dying Nun Ballet," as interpreted by the convent’s resident novice Sister Mary Leo, who always wanted to be a ballet dancer. Also very funny is "So You Want to Be a Nun," performed with commitment and excellent comic timing by Julia Holsworth as Sister Mary Amnesia, who can’t remember anything ever since a crucifix fell on her head. In the song, she sings a duet with a nun puppet, who appears to be possessed. Eventually Sister Mary Amnesia recalls her former life as a country Western Singer and secret millionaire. That’s the funny thing about the Little Sisters of Hoboken. They all seem to have secrets, and were all once been performers. Even the Reverend Mother was once a tightrope walker, and still yearns to be in the spotlight. That’s more or less the point of "Nunsense II, the Second Coming," running through April 26 at the Raven Theater Windsor. The very first sequel to the original, Second Coming finds the sisters back on stage for a thank you show, after everything worked our favorably enough the first time. The dead sisters have been buried, and now the only problem is that Sister Mary Amnesia, played in Windsor by Cindy Brillhart-True, might have once been a Franciscan. And having been revealed to be a millionaire, the Franciscans now want her back. There is even less plot than the original, and the songs aren’t quite as catchy or as funny, but there is still plenty of entertainment value in seeing the Little Sisters again, all of them still wrestling with their secret desires to be famous. Sister Robert Anne, here played marvelously by Jeanine LaForge, is especially eager to prove herself, to great comic effect. The Windsor cast, all of whom have played these roles before, bring an extra dash of confidence and character-development to their parts, which is saying something with material this light and fluffy and essentially pointless. That said, even the Reverend Mother would agree that laughing, especially laughing at ourselves, is definitely never a sin. I’m David Templeton, Second Row Center, for KRCB.