Catch Mauritius Before it's Gone!

Mauritius closes this Sunday! See the show that critics call an "altogether exciting, richly rewarding experience!"

MAURITIUS

by Theresa Rebeck

Directed by Jessica Kubzansky
March 27 – April 26, 2009

A new mystery by one of America's most prolific playwrights!

Filled with scams and double-crosses, two half-sisters vie for the rights to a recently inherited (and dazzlingly valuable) stamp collection. Throughout their farcical escapades, the pair come face-to-face with a couple of machine-gun mouthed con artists who ensnare them in their own brand of beguiling trickery.

"Three Thugs and a Stamp Collection! You can't dismiss the pleasurable kick of watching a woman take on a slew of Mamet-esque thugs! The corkscrew-twist drama of suspense...moves quickly and fluidly...a multitude of mysteries!"
- Ben Brantley, The New York Times on the Broadway production of Mauritius

Starring:
Ray Abruzzo (The Sopranos, LA Law)
John Billingsley (True Blood, Star Trek: Enterprise)
Kirsten Kollender (Home Baking Made Easy, Williamstown Theatre Festival)
Monette Magrath (The Constant Wife, Pasadena Playhouse)
Chris L. McKenna (Art School Confidential)

Click here to purchase tickets!
www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org

Photo: cast of Mauritius. Photo by Ed Kreiger.

A special message from Artistic Director Sheldon Epps

Support the Playhouse!!

A Look Back in Time Through the Playhouse Archive

Pasadena Playhouse is gearing up for its next mainstage production, "The Little Foxes," which Stage Management begins pre-production work on tomorrow. The Costume Plot and other final designs are due on Wednesday, and we're all set to begin rehearsals with the cast next Tuesday. Personally, I'm looking forward to hosting a tour for our new team of artists after a Meet & Greet with the staff on their first day, which brings me to a little bit of Playhouse history:

Once I heard that we were scheduled to produce such a seminal work of the American dramatic canon, I ran down to the archives to see what our previous production history was with this show. Having been the world's most prolific theatrical producer for most of the 20th century, I knew the Playhouse MUST have done the show before, and I was eager for a historical perspective on what I understand will be a very contemporary presentation.

Below, you'll find some scanned excerpts from our January, 1942 program for The Little Foxes the last time someone staged it here, as well as a photo of the magnificent set by in-house Art Director Rita Glover, prominently featuring the famous staircase. Some interesting things to note about these images are the advertisements on the title page for cocktails priced at 25 cents and dinners for 75 cents, as well as the header on that same page, noting that The Little Foxes was the 619th production in the organization's (then) 25-year history. That implies that even during the financial distress of World War 2, Pasadena Playhouse was averaging more than 25 productions each year, or a new show every other week. 67 years later, we have presented approximately 3,500 shows since opening in 1917 (counting readings and productions in subsidiary theatres), or 1,283 productions on the mainstage alone. That's a lot of plays!

"Laughing Matters" Tops off our 2009 Season!

PASADENA, CA (April 16, 2009) – Pasadena Playhouse (Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director, Ken Novice, Interim Managing Director, Tom Ware, Producing Director) announced today that LAUGHING MATTERS, a world premiere musical featuring a book and lyrics by Iris Rainer Dart (author of the international best-selling novel “Beaches”), music by Mike Stoller (Smokey Joe’s Café) and Artie Butler (Feelin’ Alright by Joe Cocker), and directed by Leonard Foglia (Broadway’s Thurgood starring Laurence Fishburne), will be the final production of the 2009 Season entitled WOMEN: The Heart and Soul of Theatre. The new musical comedy, in the spirit of the Yiddish theatre, is about three generations of Jewish women and the history, humor, and music that binds them together. Preview performances begin November 4, 2009 with the official press opening on November 13 at Pasadena Playhouse (39 S. El Molino Avenue).

It is the 1970’s in New York City and Raisel (“Bubbie”), a former star of the Yiddish Theatre, is now living with her daughter Red and her granddaughter Jenny. Jenny is desperate to know about her Bubbie’s past – especially her life in pre-World War II Poland. Red, a television comedy writer, does not want her daughter to be burdened with the dreadful memories of that horrific era, and most importantly, does not want to remember her own childhood in Warsaw. Through an often funny, sometimes painful journey through their collective history, the women strive to build a bridge between them that will serve as a soulful foundation for generations to come.

“Iris Rainer Dart’s wonderful story about three generations of mothers and daughters is an incredibly fitting way for us to conclude our hugely successful celebration of WOMEN: The Heart and Soul of Theatre on the stage of the Playhouse,” said Pasadena Playhouse Artistic Director Sheldon Epps. “This new musical is wildly theatrical, funny, wide ranging, culturally diverse, and very moving. I know that our audiences will appreciate the opportunity to see it here first. I am thrilled that we will have the opportunity to collaborate on this world premiere with an exciting creative team and that we continue to bring the best of the new works to our stage and to our audiences.”

http://www.pasadenaplayhouse.org/

Join Vroman's at The Festival of Books!

Vroman's Bookstores has long been a supporter of our theatre - check out a great opportunity to get some face time with a published author and VIP treatment as you travel to UCLA's Festival of Books!

Vroman's 8th Annual Book Bus Ride to the L.A. Times Festival of Books

Vroman's is pleased to announce our eighth annual Book Bus ride to the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, one of the country's premiere literary events!

Join us Saturday, April 25 for a day that begins with a bagel & juice breakfast before our 8:30 a.m. departure, a bag chock-full of books & goodies, games and prizes, cookies for the ride home, and a 20% off coupon good April 25 - May 1, 2009 at our main store.

And there's more! Each bus will be hosted by one of our fabulous booksellers, as well as a literary celebrity!

This year's buses include:
* Bus #1: The Mystery Bus hosted by Charlie Huston, noir master and author of The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death.

* Bus #2: Hosted by Gustavo Arellano. He is the author of Orange County: A Personal History, and he received the President's Award from the Los Angeles Press Club, an Impact Award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition, and a 2008 Latino Spirit Award from the California State Legislature for his "exceptional vision, creativity, and work ethic."

* Bus #3: Hosted by Jerrilyn Farmer and Gregg Hurwitz. She is the author of Murder at the Academy Awards (co-written with Joan Rivers), a fabulous red carpet roman clef that blends the classic whodunit with a dash of celebrity glitz, glamour, and, of course, gossip. He is the critically acclaimed, internationally bestselling author of The Tower, Minutes to Burn, Do No Harm, The Kill Clause, The Program, Troubleshooter, Last Shot, and most recently, The Crime Writer, an instant international bestseller that was shortlisted for best novel of the year by International Thriller Writers and nominated for the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger.

For more details, click here.

“Perforated Propaganda”

With Daniel Piazza Assistant Curator of Philately at the Smithsonian Institution's National Postal Museum

Thursday, April 23, 2009 at 8 p.m.
Caltech’s Beckman Auditorium
Admission is free!

From 1933 until his death in 1945, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was America's foremost philatelist. As a stamp collector, Roosevelt understood that the common postage stamp's ubiquitousness made it a perfect medium for projecting political messages at home and abroad. During his twelve years as president, Roosevelt and his Postmasters General actively used the nation's stamps to sell New Deal projects, reinforce his role and authority as president, promote his personal interests and affiliations, and encourage optimism and hope during the Great Depression and World War II. In short, he harnessed their propaganda potential in a way that no administration before or since has matched.

This talk will be illustrated with material from the Smithsonian National Postal Museum's collections and the upcoming exhibit Delivering Hope: FDR and the Stamps of the Great Depression.

Don't forget to check out Pasadena Playhouse's current production of Mauritius about rare stamp collecting!

Stamp Day at the Playhouse

Stamp day at the Playhouse was quite a success! Don Schilling, Member of American Philatelist Society and Synthia Saint James, Fine Artist and Designer of first Kwanzaa, where there to celebrate. Don and Synthia gave presentations in the Carrie Hamilton Theatre. Attendees riffled through buckets of stamps and picked out their favorites to take home!

For patrons who weren't able to attend the historical unveiling on April 11th of the Pasadena Playhouse Commemorative Pictorial Postmark, you can still order yours!

The USPS provides a "Mail-Back Service". To qualify for this service, mail-in requests must be postmarked no later than May 11th.

Envelopes and cards that are to receive pictorial postmarks must bear unused postage stamps at the applicable First-Class Mail rate and must have complete addresses.

You should supply self-addressed stamped envelopes to protect the items receiving the pictorial postmark from being marred in their return through the mail stream. If you do not provide self-addressed stamped envelopes, the postmaster may choose to furnish a Priority Mail (R) envelope or box using a G-10 label protective cover when returning the items through the mail stream.

Please mail your request to Pasadena Postmaster, USPS, 870 S. Raymond Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91105-4407.

http://www.pasadenaplayhouse.org/

Photos: Stamp Day in the Playhouse courtyard; Synthia Saint James, Don Schilling and Gay Parker-Iris, Pasadena Playhouse Audience Development Coordinator; Patrons picking out their stamps to take home.

Pasadena Playhouse and WriteGirl Present...

PlayWriteGirl
May 3, 2009

The Playhouse has partnered with WriteGirl, a creative writing and mentoring program for teen girls in the greater Los Angeles area (now in its eighth tremendous year) to create a very special event! On May 3, 2009 the Playhouse campus will turn into a WriteGirl venue with over 150 girls attending workshops and breakout sessions during the day. Aspiring writers will work alongside professional women writers of all genres to create new works right on the spot. Then, later that evening, you can join us for a us for a star-studded performance of their work on the Playhouse Mainstage!

Confirmed celebrities include Christine Lahti, Melora Hardin, Dana DeLany, JoBeth Williams, Melroa Harden, and Sprague Grayden among others - with more to be announced in the coming weeks.

Ticket Levels
VIP ($100): Includes a pre-show reception and silent auction on the courtyard (food and jazz music provided), premier seats for the performance on the Mainstage and a post-show reception in the Playhouse Donor Lounge (a chance to mingle with WriteGirl aspiring writers and their mentors).

Premier ($50): Includes a pre-show reception and silent auction on the courtyard (food and jazz music provided) and tickets to the performance on the Mainstage.

Standard ($20): Best available seats to the performance on the Mainstage.

Receptions are generously provided by Nancy Silverton (Mozza), Silverlake Wine, CanelÈ, barbrix, BLD, Little Dom's, Cliff's Edge, Border Grill and Ciudad Catering, Cake Monkey, Hocus Pocus Winery, Veno Kado and Sweets for the Soul.

For more information about VIP seating contact Jerusha Schmalzel at (626) 737-2867 or jschmalzel@pasadenaplayhouse.org.

20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards presented by IBM

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) will award outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in news and entertainment media at the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards presented by IBM. Kathy Griffin, Bishop Gene Robinson and the cast and creator of The L Word will receive Special Honors for their dedication to raising visibility of the LGBT community.

Join host Miss Coco Peru and special guests including Jessica Alba, Dustin Lance Black, Michelle Clunie, Teri Hatcher, Cleve Jones, T.R. Knight, Heather Matarazzo, Megan Mullally, George Takei and Gus Van Sant along with local presenting sponsor ABSOLUT to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the GLAAD Media Awards!

GLAAD is pleased to offer a new $50 Media Awards Show Ticket to the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles on April 18, 2009. Included with the ticket is a free one-year membership to GLAAD.

Click here to purchase tickets online!

The evening begins with a silent auction, ABSOLUT cocktails and continues with a presentation of Awards and Special Honors. VIP dinner and celebrity after party follow.

GLAAD Media Awards
April 18, 2009
5:00pm-12:00am
Nokia Theater LA Live
777 Chick Hearn Court, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Tickets: $50-$450
877-519-7904

Visit www.glaad.org/mediaawards for a list of nominees, guests and ticket information.

Greg The Intern

Hi!

My name is Greg and I’m the new marketing intern here at the Pasadena Playhouse. Currently finishing my senior year at The University of Southern California, my internship here at the Playhouse is a great opportunity for me to utilize my degree in Economics as well as provide a beneficial outlet for my love of the theatre.

From day one, it has been an exciting experience getting to work for a professional theatre in my local community. At a meeting with the Board of Directors during my second week, I learned all about what it takes to keep a non-profit organization afloat in our current economic climate. The percentage of the operating budget that comes from the donations of loyal theatre patrons is quite astounding. I’m also continually impressed with the contributions of volunteers who just want to help and think it speaks highly of the top-notch theatre being produced.

My current activities have included creating a marketing campaign to encourage local college students to take advantage of our great student discounts, working to improve our community outreach through programs like Stamp Collectors Day and PlayWrightGirl, and developing ideas for our new website coming in August.

More than anything else, it has been very impressive to witness the dedication of my co-workers in their efforts to further the development of American Theatre. There is such a tangible impetus in this organization to help our fellow man, and I couldn’t be more eager to share my talents. Hopefully you’ll see more blog posts from me in the future and maybe even, if I’m given the go-ahead, a new video series highlighting the ins and outs of our diverse, public-spirited organization. Keep your fingers crossed, hold a good thought, and in the meantime come see our world-class shows!

~Greg

Critic's Rave - Mauritius is a hit!

Read what the critics had to say about our current production of Mauritius!

"Taut dramatic intrigue!”
"The work draws you in with its twists and turns... Mauritius ensnares us in the tricky pursuit of genuine value."
- Charles McNulty, LA Times

"An altogether exciting, richly rewarding experience!"
- Bob Verini, Variety

"Sinister! Clever! Sharp!"
- Laurence Vittes, The Hollywood Reporter

"Entertaining!"
- Jana Monji, Pasadena Weekly

Click here to purchase your tickets before they're gone! See you at the theatre!

Pictured above: Chris McKenne and Kirsten Kollender. Photo by Ed Krieger