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Dear Brutus

January 12th, 2018 – February 11th, 2018
Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm
No shows on Sunday February 4th.

Written by J. M. Barrie
Directed by Alexis Stary

“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.”

It’s 1917, and a group of strangers have been invited to a midsummer’s eve gathering at the estate of an elusive and mysterious man. The strangers all have something in common, but none know what that could be. When a magical wood miraculously appears just outside the sitting room window, the guests find themselves compelled to enter. What happens there has the power to change their lives forever. From J. M. Barrie, the celebrated writer of Peter Pan comes this haunting, darkly humorous, drama of self-revelation.

Brain Freeze

January 20th, 2018 – February 10th, 2018
Saturdays at 5pm and Sundays at 5:30pm
No shows on Sunday February 4th

Written by David Macaray
Directed by Phil Brickey

A time-traveler awakens after having been in deep hibernation for a hundred years. The year is 2118. The place is Fontana, California. The fascinating new world that Philip Samsa wakes up to is different than the one he expected, however, as “different” as it turns out to be, it is nowhere near different enough. A sociological comedy about friendship and second chances.

Crimes of the Heart

March 2nd, 2018 – March 31st, 2018
Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm
Saturday March 31, 2018 at 5pm only

Written by Beth Henley
Directed by Steven Biggs

Hazelhurst, Mississippi, where the three Magrath sisters have gathered to await news of the family patriarch, who is living out his last hours in the local hospital. Lenny, is unmarried at thirty and facing diminishing marital prospects; Meg is back after a failed singing career; and Babe is out on bail after having shot her husband. Their troubles, grave and yet somehow, hilarious, are highlighted by their priggish cousin, Chick, and by the awkward young lawyer who tried to keep Babe out of jail while helpless to not fall in love with her. In the end, the play is the story of how its young characters escape the past to seize the future. Warm-hearted and irreverent, this 1981 Pulitzer Prize winning play teems with humanity and humor as it examines the plight of three young Mississippi sisters betrayed by their passions.

Missed Connections

Missed Connections

March 3rd, 2018
Saturday at 11pm

Conceived by Jill Johnson

Need a little pick me up before the work week begins? Come join us for a night of dramatic readings of some of the most ridiculous postings from Craigslist you’ll ever hear! Conceived by Jill Johnson and cast with Orange County Store Front Theatre All Stars!

STAGESunscripted: Pretendesee Williams

March 10th, 2018 – March 31st, 2018
Saturdays at 5pm and Sundays at 5:30pm
March 31st, 2018 at 2pm only

Directed by Josh Nicols

From the collaborative team that brought to stage last year’s The Awkward Party – winner of OC Weekly’s Best Play of 2017 – Spectacles Improv Engine and STAGEStheatre join forces once again as STAGESunscripted to bring you some of the best improvisational performers in Orange County in an original unscripted play inspired by the archetypes of Tennessee Williams.

The Blanche, The Brick, The Big Daddy, The Laura…etc…Each night, the performers will discover their archetype and perform the common tropes (secretly being gay, trying to secure the future through marriage, most of the characters being left in desperation etc.) during the performance of the show. A new story, new characters, every performance, based on audience suggestion.

Urinetown

April 20th, 2018 – May 20th, 2018
Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm

Music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann
Book and lyrics by Greg Kotis
Directed by Edgar Andrew Torrens

In the not-so-distant future, a terrible water shortage and 20-year drought has led to a government ban on private toilets and a proliferation of paid public toilets, owned and operated by a single megalomaniac company: the Urine Good Company. If the poor don’t obey the strict laws prohibiting free urination, they’ll be sent to the dreaded and mysterious “Urinetown.” After too long under the heel of the malevolent Caldwell B. Cladwell, the poor stage a revolt, led by a brave young hero, fighting tooth and nail for the freedom to pee “wherever you like, whenever you like, for as long as you like, and with whomever you like.” A brilliant satire modeled off the plays of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, Urinetown is a wickedly funny, fast-paced, and surprisingly intelligent comedic romp.

We Will Not Describe the Conversation

We Will Not Describe the Conversation

April 28th, 2018 – May 19th, 2018
Saturdays at 5pm and Sundays at 5:30pm

Written by Eugenie Carabatsos
Directed by Katie Chidester

Dani’s a massage therapist who prides herself on choosing not to break her clients’ necks. Sonya’s a secretary who carries a bloody axe in her bag because it makes her feel powerful. They meet one night after the disappearance of a young man who has murdered an elderly woman. Together, they piece together what happened and uncover their own dark desires and fear that they will turn out like him… and what’s that noise coming from the closet? Inspired by a missing scene in Crime and Punishment.

Greater Tuna

Greater Tuna

June 8th, 2018 – June 24th, 2018
Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm

Written by Ed Howard, Joe Sears, Jaston Williams
Directed by Brian J. Cook

What do Arles Struvie, Thurston Wheelis, Aunt Pearl, Petey Fisk, Phineas Blye and Rev. Spikes have in common? In this hilarious send-up of small town morals and mores, they are all among the upstanding citizens of Tuna, Texas’ third smallest town. The fictitious town of Tuna, Texas, is located in west Texas, about half-way between San Angelo and Hell. Though the action takes place in the early eighties, nothing has changed since then.

The Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone

June 15th, 2018 – July 8th, 2018
Fridays at 8:00pm @ 11:00pm
Saturdays at 5:00pm @ 8:00pm
Sundays at 5:30pm
Sunday July 8th at 2pm only

Directed by Darri Kristin & David Campos

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. A dimension as vast as space, as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call “The Twilight Zone”. “That’s the signpost up ahead. Your next stop: The Twilight Zone.”

The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine

Season 1 Episode 4 1959

Written By Rod Serling

Barbara Jean Trenton is an actress past her prime, a once-brillant film star who sequesters herself in her private screening room where she can relive the flickering moments of fleeting fame played out on the silver screen. But watching her old films drives her deeper into another world and closer to the Twilight Zone.

One for the Angels

Season 1 Episode 2 1959

Written by Rod Serling

Lou Bookman is a street vendor, a pitchman, making a living selling what he can from his valise – radios, toys, ties and the like. After a long day, he returns to his shabby apartment to find someone waiting for him. That person turns out to be Mr. Death who tells Lou that his “departure” will be at midnight. Lou tries to forestall his death by asking for a delay until he’s able to make a big sales pitch. It’s all a ruse however and Mr. Death shows him that his actions have consequences. As a result, Lou makes the pitch of his life.

A Most Unusual Camera

Season 2 Episode 10 1960

Written by Rod Serling

When three unintelligent crooks get ahold of a camera that takes pictures of the future, they set out to make a quick fortune with their new toy, but end up getting a little more than they bargained for.

All The Worlds A Grave

All the World’s a Grave:
A New Play by William Shakespeare

July 27th, 2018 – August 26th, 2018
Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm

Written by John Reed
Directed by Jill Johnson

Prince Hamlet goes to war for Juliet, the daughter of King Lear. Having captured Juliet as his bride–by reckless war–he returns home to find that his mother has murdered his father and married Macbeth. Enter Iago, who persuades Hamlet that Juliet is having an affair with Romeo. As the Prince goes mad with jealousy, King Lear mounts his army. . .
John Reed reconstructs the works of William Shakespeare into a new tragedy. The language is Shakespeare’s, but the drama that unfolds is as fresh as the blood on the stage.

Idol Minds

Idol Minds

August 4th, 2018 – August 25th, 2018
Saturdays at 5pm and Sundays at 5:30pm

Written by William Robert Carey
Directed by Jason Sutton

IDOL MINDS IS RECOMMENDED FOR ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY

On a cool, moonlit night, as gossamer mist drifts eerily over the Hollywood Forever Cemetery’s emerald lawn, Scott, a young man of dubious ambition, digs furiously in the shadow of famed Hollywood icon, Dominic Lourdes imposing headstone. His friend Ronnie, a large low-watt bulb, kneels on the cusp of the open grave, waiting anxiously to haul out the coffin.

Starved for money and opportunities, the Z-list actors snatch the coffin to ransom the remains. They take it to the rundown bungalow Scott shares with his girlfriend, Bella, a personal assistant to a Hollywood star.

Scott’s confidant he’s stumbled upon the perfect low-risk crime – after all, the kidnap victim is dead – but fissures in his plan quickly materialize. Ronnie’s brash Goth-girlfriend, Lizard, shows up, demanding a place at the table. Then Ronnie disappears, returning to the cemetery to watch police investigate the robbery. He runs into a loopy celebrity worshiper.

Snafus snowball when Scott’s cohorts squabble over the ransom and then open the casket. Shit hits the fan when the widow delivers a surprising response to their demands. The heist goes from hopeful to horror show as the bumbling crooks try desperately to salvage the endeavor, battling for possession of the remains.

IDOL MINDS is a black screwball comedy with glints of acrid commentary on celebrity, adoration, ambition, and greed.

About the author:

William Robert Carey was born in Chicago, Illinois. After graduating
from Northwestern University, he worked in the advertising industry as a
writer and creative director. Simultaneously, he was an actor,
performing at many Chicago theaters, including The Goodman, Pheasant
Run, Shakespeare Repertory, and Victory Gardens, where he played Danny
in the Chicago premiere of “Danny and The Deep Blue Sea.”

Since turning to directing, he has shot commercials for such companies
as McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and the Chicago White Sox, and with celebrities
such as Bo Jackson, Robert Conrad, Mike Ditka, Laurie Metcalf, Fran
Drescher and Martin Sheen. He has won One Show, Mobius, New York
International TV & Radio Festival, Telly, and Addy Gold awards. He
recently directed the screenplay of “Jesus In Cowboy Boots,” starring
Alicia Silverstone, Billy Burke, and AJ Michalka.

He is a member of five entertainment unions, and a citizen of the U.S.
and Ireland.

The Secret in the Wings

The Secret in the Wings

October 5th, 2018 – November 4th, 2018
Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm

Written by Mary Zimmerman
Directed by Patti Cumby

A captivating voyage into our collective childhood subconscious, The Secret in the Wings weaves elements from Beauty and the Beast with several Brothers Grimm fairy tales into a dream-like exploration of the darker side of human impulses. Punctuating the tales’ haunting truths with breathtaking visual moments and poignant snatches of song – and challenging the belief that fairy tales are only for children – The Secret in the Wings is an invitation for adults to immerse themselves in a rare and magical storybook experience told in an imaginative and colorful style.

Post Apocalyptic Bunker Comedy

Post Apocalyptic Bunker Comedy

October 13th – October 28th
Saturdays at 5:00pm and Sundays at 5:30pm

The creative team behind The Awkward Party (Best Play of 2017, OC Weekly) and Pretendessee Williams we’re proud to present “Post Apocalyptic Bunker Comedy.” STAGEStheatre produces this show directed by Josh Nicols.

It’s the end of the world as we know it and our eccentric cast of characters has found their way to our basement bunker to ride out doomsday together for better or worse. Let’s take our schadenfreude for a stroll and see our survivors struggle through the tropes of the end times genre.

The trick to our bunker is we wont know what sent civilization packing until the audience tells us. It could be zombies, robot overlords or alien invasion, or something yet unimagined…bring your worst.

Even our characters won’t know who they are until right before the show as the audience helps select what types of people they want to see survive.

It's a Wonderful Life

It’s a Wonderful Life

November 23rd, 2018 – December 22nd, 2018
Fridays at 8pm and Saturdays at 8pm*
Sundays at 2pm**
*Saturday December 8, 2018 at 4:30pm only – No 8pm show
*Saturday December 15, 2018 at 4:30pm and 8pm
**Sunday December 16, 2018 at 2:00pm and 5:00pm
*Saturday December 22, 2018 at 2:00pm only – No 8pm show

Written by Joe Landry

The beloved American Classic comes to captivating life as a live 1940’s radio broadcast. With the help of an ensemble that brings a few dozen characters to the stage, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve.

Missed Connections

Missed Connections

December 23rd, 2018
Sunday at 7pm

Conceived by Jill Johnson

Need a little pick me up? Join us again for a wacky, off beat and definitely OFF COLOR night of dramatic readings of some of the most ridiculous postings from Craigslist you’ll ever hear! Conceived by Jill Johnson and cast with Orange County Store Front Theatre All Stars!