Dear Rubicon Patron:
Please join us the next two weekends for an important event. Rubicon Theatre
Company presents dynamic readings of new plays-in-progress by established and
up-and-coming playwrights, with remarkable actors and directors such as Hattie
Winson ("Becker"), CCH Pounder ("E.R.") and others.
Don't miss this chance to actually participate in the process of developing
new American plays! Each play will be read once the first weekend. Rubicon's
Artistic Directors will then lead a discussion with the audience about the
play's characters, plot, thru-line, themes, etc.
Based on the insights of the audience, and comments from the actors and
directors, the playwrights will rework scenes or sections of dialogue. Then the
plays will be read again the second weekend.
Each reading is only $10 general admission; or attend as many readings as you
like for only $35 (Festival pass)! Mention this e-mail and save $2 per ticket.
Special patron tickets are available at $100, and include a private welcome
cocktail party with the playwrights and actors hosted by Harriet and Harold
Friedman this Thursday and reserved tickets (upon request).
Call (805) 667-2900.
Below are excerpts from the press release. We hope to see you there...
RUBICON PREMIERES "PLAYS-IN-PROGRESS" FESTIVAL
OVER NEXT TWO WEEKS WITH FOUR PLAYS
THAT PROVIDE INSIDE LOOK AT THE CREATIVE PROCESS
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
MATING DANCE OF THE WEREWOLF by Mark Stein
Directed by Stephen Schipper
Saturday, June 21 at 2 pm & Saturday, June 28 at 7 pm
Sparked by primal attraction, a police officer and a striking young woman embark
on a passionate affair. That is, until their mating dance unleashes feelings in
her that he cannot begin to understand. Ken thinks he's found 'the one'; Abby
says she's a werewolf. When one of his colleagues on the force ends up dead, Ken
must face the possibility that the murderer may be closer than he thinks.
The world premiere of Mark Stein's suspenseful, funny and sexy cop thriller is
co-produced with Manitoba Theatre Centre and directed by Manitoba's Artistic
Director Steven Schipper.
Playwright MARK STEIN is an award-winning author whose works have premiered or
been produced at South Coast Repertory Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville,
George Street Playhouse, the Ashland Shakespeare Festival and other prestigious
regional theatres. He has written screenplays and made-for-television movies for
Steve Martin, John Ritter and others. Mark is currently based on Washington
D.C., where he resides with his wife Arlene (cousin of Oxnard resident and
Rubicon subscriber Harriet Friedman) and two children. MATING DANCE OF THE
WEREWOLF is being co-produced by Manitoba Theatre Centre (MTC) and Rubicon
Theatre Company in Winnipeg next April and May under the direction of MTC's
Artistic Director Steven Schipper.
***
AMERICAN MENU by Don Wilson Glenn
Directed by Jenny Sullivan
Saturday, June 21 at 7 pm & Saturday, June 28 at 2 pm
It's 1964; a small town in Texas. Five black women work in the
"pressure-cooker" kitchen of a diner that only serves whites. Isolated
for hours at a time in their drudgery, with the service bell reminding them of
their menial positions, they laugh, they dream, they rage, they offer comfort,
and ultimately, they draw strength from each other--to choose from a broader
American menu than that their time and circumstances has offered. HATTIE
WINSTON and CCH POUNDER are cast.
DON WILSON GLENN is an up-and-coming young playwright based in New York City.
AMERICAN MENU is his first produced play. It is currently being produced
off-off-Broadway and has received tremendous critical acclaim, including three
AUDELCO AWARDS. This presentation is the first professional reading of the play
on the West Coast. AMERICAN MENU is in part based on Glenn's mother's life, and
is the first play in a trilogy about her experiences entitled THE COLLARD GREEN
SISTERS.
***
OF TIME AND
TIDE by Sean Cullen
Directed by Joseph Fuqua
Sunday, June 22 at 2 pm & Sunday, June 29 at 2 pm
Set during the Korean War, this gripping dramatic story opens with a Baltimore
blue-collar family mourning the loss of their oldest son. This non-linear play
ebbs and flows through time, building in intensity as it draws to a tender and
painful final moment - perhaps the only moment of tenderness in the life of an
unlucky but loved young man. In the vein of John Osborne, this rich piece is
filled with stormy, vulnerable characters that hide their true feelings in lies
and fierce tidal waves of anger. The cast includes SEAN CULLEN, CHUCK O'NEIL,
LAUREL LYLE and others.
SEAN CULLEN's OF TIME AND TIDE has previously been given readings at the
Huntington Theatre (Boston), the Old Globe Theatre (San Diego) and in Manhattan
at Theatre for a New Audience. Cullen's first script CITY HIGH:
"INITIATION," a television pilot for a dramatic series co-created with
Charles Schultz, was a finalist at the New Harmony Project. Cullen made his
Broadway acting debut in the Tony-Award winning JAMES JOYCE'S THE DEAD, adapted
and directed by Richard Nelson. Most recently, he appeared Off-Broadway in Mr.
Nelson's THE GENERAL FROM AMERICA (featuring Corin Redgrave), at Theatre for a
New Audience. Cullen is currently at work in New York on the establishment of
the American National Theatre at Ground Zero.
***
THE UNHINGED: A DREAD & DREKFEST AT THE BED & BREAKFAST ON A
PROMONTORY BY A STORMY SEA by Tony Abatemarco
Directed by Tony Abatemarco
Sunday, June 22 at 7 pm & Sunday, June 29 at 7 pm
Inspired by the late Charles Ludlam's Ridiculous Theatre Company, THE UNHINGED
is a clever comedy/mystery set in a bed and breakfast on an island off the coast
of Cape Cod. In the production, two male actors play a variety of wild
characters ranging from a young chambermaid to an ex-nun to a hunchbacked
policeman. TONY ABATEMARCO and JOHN FLECK are cast.
TONY ABATEMARCO is a Los Angeles-ased director, actor and writer. He directed
Julie Harris in LUCIFER'S CHILD on Broadway and for A & E. In addition, he
was the first Artistic Director of the Jacques D'Amboise National Dance
Institute in Los Angeles. His most recent original one-man show, COLOGNE, has
received critical acclaim Off-Broadway and at Santa Fe Stages. Abatemarco has
won numerous awards in L.A., including an Ovation Award for Lead Performance for
Charles Ludlam's THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP. e is the recipient of two NEA
Fellowships, and was founding director of The Accident Theatre and The Night
House. In addition to his New York credits, he has directed at Pasadena
Playhouse, Mark Taper Forum, Sante Fe Stages and Arena Stage. Last year, he
appeared in five feature films including "I Am Sam," and has guest
starred on more than three dozen television shows, including "The
Division," "Leap of Faith," "The District,"
"Frazier," "Profiler" and "E.R."
ABOUT RUBICON THEATRE COMPANY
Rubicon Theatre Company is Ventura's non-profit professional theatre company.
Founded in 1998 by James O'Neil and Karyl Lynn Burns, the mission of the company
is to present a diverse season of classic and contemporary comedies, dramas and
musicals for the entertainment, enrichment and education of residents of, and
visitors to, the region. Rubicon Theatre Company performs in the intimate
200-seat Laurel, a renovated church originally built in the 1920s. Rubicon has
declared the "anchor" of Ventura's new Downtown Cultural District by
City Council proclamation. Since its inception, Rubicon Theatre Company has
played to more than 120,000 individuals and 20,000 students.
For tickets to Rubicon Theatre Company's "Plays-in-Progress" Festival,
call (805) 667-2900.
OF TIME AND
TIDE by Sean Cullen
Directed by Joseph Fuqua
Sunday, June 22 at 2 pm & Sunday, June 29 at 2 pm
Set during the Korean War, this gripping dramatic story opens with a Baltimore
blue-collar family mourning the loss of their oldest son. This non-linear play
ebbs and flows through time, building in intensity as it draws to a tender and
painful final moment - perhaps the only moment of tenderness in the life of an
unlucky but loved young man. In the vein of John Osborne, this rich piece is
filled with stormy, vulnerable characters that hide their true feelings in lies
and fierce tidal waves of anger. The cast includes SEAN CULLEN, CHUCK O'NEIL,
LAUREL LYLE and others.
SEAN CULLEN's OF TIME AND TIDE has previously been given readings at the
Huntington Theatre (Boston), the Old Globe Theatre (San Diego) and in Manhattan
at Theatre for a New Audience. Cullen's first script CITY HIGH:
"INITIATION," a television pilot for a dramatic series co-created with
Charles Schultz, was a finalist at the New Harmony Project. Cullen made his
Broadway acting debut in the Tony-Award winning JAMES JOYCE'S THE DEAD, adapted
and directed by Richard Nelson. Most recently, he appeared Off-Broadway in Mr.
Nelson's THE GENERAL FROM AMERICA (featuring Corin Redgrave), at Theatre for a
New Audience. Cullen is currently at work in New York on the establishment of
the American National Theatre at Ground Zero.
***
THE UNHINGED: A DREAD & DREKFEST AT THE BED & BREAKFAST ON A
PROMONTORY BY A STORMY SEA by Tony Abatemarco
Directed by Tony Abatemarco
Sunday, June 22 at 7 pm & Sunday, June 29 at 7 pm
Inspired by the late Charles Ludlam's Ridiculous Theatre Company, THE UNHINGED
is a clever comedy/mystery set in a bed and breakfast on an island off the coast
of Cape Cod. In the production, two male actors play a variety of wild
characters ranging from a young chambermaid to an ex-nun to a hunchbacked
policeman. TONY ABATEMARCO and JOHN FLECK are cast.
TONY ABATEMARCO is a Los Angeles-ased director, actor and writer. He directed
Julie Harris in LUCIFER'S CHILD on Broadway and for A & E. In addition, he
was the first Artistic Director of the Jacques D'Amboise National Dance
Institute in Los Angeles. His most recent original one-man show, COLOGNE, has
received critical acclaim Off-Broadway and at Santa Fe Stages. Abatemarco has
won numerous awards in L.A., including an Ovation Award for Lead Performance for
Charles Ludlam's THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP. e is the recipient of two NEA
Fellowships, and was founding director of The Accident Theatre and The Night
House. In addition to his New York credits, he has directed at Pasadena
Playhouse, Mark Taper Forum, Sante Fe Stages and Arena Stage. Last year, he
appeared in five feature films including "I Am Sam," and has guest
starred on more than three dozen television shows, including "The
Division," "Leap of Faith," "The District,"
"Frazier," "Profiler" and "E.R."
ABOUT RUBICON THEATRE COMPANY
Rubicon Theatre Company is Ventura's non-profit professional theatre company.
Founded in 1998 by James O'Neil and Karyl Lynn Burns, the mission of the company
is to present a diverse season of classic and contemporary comedies, dramas and
musicals for the entertainment, enrichment and education of residents of, and
visitors to, the region. Rubicon Theatre Company performs in the intimate
200-seat Laurel, a renovated church originally built in the 1920s. Rubicon has
declared the "anchor" of Ventura's new Downtown Cultural District by
City Council proclamation. Since its inception, Rubicon Theatre Company has
played to more than 120,000 individuals and 20,000 students.
For tickets to Rubicon Theatre Company's "Plays-in-Progress" Festival,
call (805) 667-2900.
Here is a link to the 6/19/03
InsideVC.com (Ventura County Star) article on "Plays-in-Progress"
entitled: "Rubicon is hone sweet home for playwrights":
http://www.insidevc.com/vcs/on_stage/article/0,1375,VCS_253_2048857,00.html
- "Of Time and Tide" by New York City
writer-actor Sean Cullen will be read 2 p.m. Sunday and 2 p.m. June 29. Joseph
Fuqua, who has starred in numerous Rubicon productions, will direct.
The nonlinear play, which ebbs and flows through time,
is a dramatic story about a Baltimore blue-collar family mourning the death of
their son in the Korean War. In the vein of John Osborne, the piece is filled
with stormy, vulnerable characters who hide their feelings in lies and anger.
Here is a link to the 6/23/03 Santa Barbara News-Press' article
entitled: "Onstage: New Plays". Again, this is only an
abstract. You have to subscribe even to read an article published on the
same day for this newspaper. I don't subscribe, so, no article:
http://search.nespress.com/2003/06/16/061603onstage.htm
Abstract: "...The Rubicon Theatre Company will
present "Plays in Progress," a series of readings of new plays, over
the next two weekends at the Laurel Theatre, 1006 E. Main St. in Ventura. Mark
Stein's "Mating Dance of the Werewolf," to be read at 2 p.m. Saturday
and 7 p.m. June 28, concerns a woman who fears her police-officer b..."
A link to today's LA Times Calendarlive listing:
http://events.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-Search-X!EventDetail-78318,00.html
June 24, 2003 |
Plays-in-Progress
Festival
Rubicon
Theatre Company at the Laurel

1006 E. Main St., Ventura
Staged readings of four new plays. "Mating Dance of the Werewolf" by
Mark Stein; "American Menu" by Don Wilson Glenn, "Of Time and
Tide" by Sean Cullen, "The Unhinged: A Dread & Drekfest at the
Bed & Breakfast on a Promontory By a Stormy Sea" by Tony Abatemarco.
Through Jun. 29
Sat., 2 and 7 p.m.; Sun., 2 and 7 p.m. Call for play schedule.
Tickets: Box office: 805-667-2900.
Write
a review
A link to the Berkerductions.com listing of the Festival:
http://www.barkerductions.com/theaters/rubicon/rubicon.html
RUBICON PREMIERES "PLAYS IN PROGRESS" FESTIVAL
OVER NEXT TWO WEEKS WITH FOUR PLAYS THAT PROVDIE INSIDE LOOK AT THE CREATIVE
PROCESS
· "Plays-in-Progress" Festival Runs Weekends of
June 21-22 and June 28-29
· Audience to Meet the Playwrights, Directors and Actors, Gain Insight into the
Creative Process and Participate in the Development of New Plays
· Presented by Rubicon Theatre Company at The Laurel
Ventura, California, June 4, 2003 - This season marks the
debut of Rubicon Theatre Company's "Plays-in-Progress," a series of
readings of four extraordinary new plays. Rubicon's intimate setting allows
audiences to converse with the playwrights, directors and actors -- and actually
participate in the process of developing and refining new plays.
Four new plays will be read on two weekends: June 21-22 and
June 28-29. Each play will be read once the first weekend and once the second
weekend. Playwrights will be in residence in Ventura for a week to rewrite,
rework and refine the pieces. As a result, the works will evolve and change
during the festival, allowing audiences insight into the process of creating new
works for the American stage.
An open Plays-in-Progress Festival Ticket package is
available for $35, allowing audience members to attend an unlimited number of
readings. Individual readings are priced at $10. Patron Passes at $100 include
admission to all events, an exclusive invitation to the VIP welcome reception
hosted by Harriet and Harold Friedman, reserved seats upon request and a
tax-deductible contribution to Rubicon's New Play Development program. Tickets
are available by phone at (805) 667-2900 or at the box office, 1006 E. Main
Street (Laurel Street Entrance), Ventura, CA 93001.
"PLAYS IN PROGRESS" PROGRAM SCHEDULE
MATING DANCE OF THE WEREWOLF by Mark Stein
Directed by Stephen Schipper
Saturday, June 21 at 2 pm & Saturday, June 28 at 7 pm
Sparked by primal attraction, a police officer and a striking young woman embark
on a passionate affair. That is, until their mating dance unleashes feelings in
her that he cannot begin to understand. Ken thinks he's found 'the one'; Abby
says she's a werewolf. When one of his colleagues on the force ends up dead, Ken
must face the possibility that the murderer may be closer than he thinks. The
world premiere of Mark Stein's suspenseful, funny and sexy cop thriller is
co-produced with Manitoba Theatre Centre and directed by Manitoba's Artistic
Director Steven Schipper.
MARK STEIN is an award-winning playwright whose works
have premiered or been produced at South Coast Repertory Theatre, Actors Theatre
of Louisville, George Street Playhouse, the Ashland Shakespeare Festival and
other prestigious regional theatres. He has written screenplays and
made-for-television movies for Steve Martin, John Ritter and others. Mark is
currently based on Washington D.C., where he resides with his wife Arlene
(cousin of Oxnard resident and Rubicon subscriber Harriet Friedman) and two
children. MATING DANCE OF THE WEREWOLF is being co-produced by Manitoba Theatre
Centre (MTC) and Rubicon Theatre Company in Winnipeg next April and May under
the direction of MTC's Artistic Director Steven Schipper. It will be mounted in
Ventura during Rubicon's 2004-2005 season.
AMERICAN MENU by Don Wilson Glenn
Directed by Jenny Sullivan
Saturday, June 21 at 7 pm & Saturday, June 28 at 2 pm
It's 1964; a small town in Texas. Five black women work in the
"pressure-cooker" kitchen of a diner that only serves whites. Isolated
for hours at a time in their drudgery, with the service bell reminding them of
their menial positions, they laugh, they dream, they rage, they offer comfort,
and ultimately, they draw strength from each other--to choose from a broader
American menu than that their time and circumstances has offered. HATTIE WINSTON
and CCH POUNDER are cast.
DON WILSON GLENN is an up-and-coming young playwright
based in New York City. AMERICAN MENU is his first produced play. It is
currently being produced off-off-Broadway and has received tremendous critical
acclaim, including three AUDELCO AWARDS. This presentation is the first
professional reading of the play on the West Coast. AMERICAN MENU is in part
based on Glenn's mother's life, and is the first play in a trilogy about her
experiences entitled THE COLLARD GREEN SISTERS.
OF TIME AND TIDE by Sean Cullen
Directed by Joseph Fuqua
Sunday, June 22 at 2 pm & Sunday, June 29 at 2 pm
Set during the Korean War, this gripping dramatic story opens with a Baltimore
blue-collar family mourning the loss of their oldest son. This non-linear play
ebbs and flows through time, building in intensity as it draws to a tender and
painful final moment - perhaps the only moment of tenderness in the life of an
unlucky but loved young man. In the vein of John Osborne, this rich piece is
filled with stormy, vulnerable characters that hide their true feelings in lies
and fierce tidal waves of anger. CHUCK O'NEIL, LAUREL LYLE and others are cast.
SEAN CULLEN's OF TIME AND TIDE has previously been
given readings at the Huntington Theatre (Boston), the Old Globe Theatre (San
Diego) and in Manhattan at Theatre for a New Audience. Cullen's first script
CITY HIGH: "INITIATION," a television pilot for a dramatic series
co-created with Charles Schultz, was a finalist at the New Harmony Project.
Cullen made his Broadway acting debut in the Tony-Award winning JAMES JOYCE'S
THE DEAD, adapted and directed by Richard Nelson. Most recently, he appeared
Off-Broadway in Mr. Nelson's THE GENERAL FROM AMERICA (featuring Corin Redgrave),
at Theatre for a New Audience. Cullen is currently at work in New York on the
establishment of the American National Theatre at Ground Zero.
THE UNHINGED: A DREAD & DREKFEST AT THE BED &
BREAKFAST ON A PROMONTORY BY A STORMY SEA by Tony Abatemarco
Directed by Tony Abatemarco
Sunday, June 22 at 7 pm & Sunday, June 29 at 7 pm
Inspired by the late Charles Ludlam's Ridiculous Theatre Company, THE UNHINGED
is a clever comedy/mystery set in a bed and breakfast on an island off the coast
of Cape Cod. In the production, two male actors play a variety of wild
characters ranging from a young chambermaid to an ex-nun to a hunchbacked
policeman. TONY ABATEMARCO and JOHN FLECK are cast.
TONY ABATEMARCO is a Los Angeles-ased director, actor
and writer. He directed JulieHarris in LUCIFER'S CHILD on Broadway and for A
& E. In addition, he was the first Artistic Director of the Jacques
D'Amboise National Dance Institute in Los Angeles. His most recent original
one-man show, COLOGNE, has received critical acclaim Off-Broadway and at Santa
Fe Stages. Abatemarco has won numerous awards in L.A., including an Ovation
Award for Lead Performance for Charles Ludlam's THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP. e is
the recipient of two NEA Fellowships, and was founding director of The Accident
Theatre and The Night House. In addition to his New York credits, he has
directed at Pasadena Playhouse, Mark Taper Forum, Sante Fe Stages and Arena
Stage. Last year, he appeared in five feature films including "I Am
Sam," and has guest starred on more than three dozen television shows,
including "The Division," "Leap of Faith," "The
District," "Frazier," "Profiler" and "E.R."
ABOUT RUBICON THEATRE COMPANY
Rubicon Theatre Company is Ventura's non-profit professional theatre company.
Founded in 1998 by James O'Neil and Karyl Lynn Burns, the mission of the company
is to present a diverse season of classic and contemporary comedies, dramas and
musicals for the entertainment, enrichment and education of residents of, and
visitors to, the region. Rubicon Theatre Company performs in the intimate
200-seat Laurel, a renovated church originally built in the 1920s. Rubicon has
declared the "anchor" of Ventura's new Downtown Cultural District by
City Council proclamation. Since its inception, Rubicon Theatre Company has
played to more than 120,000 individuals and 20,000 students.
BARDWALK
Joseph participated in Rubicon
Theatre Company's "Bardwalk" on April 20th. The event was a smashing
success. Per Diana Smith (ddsmith9@yahoo.com)
at RTC:
"BardWalk
turned out great, although we all were exhausted.
We had about 500 people attending the event.
Joseph of course was there :-) Together with Harold
(i.e.: Harold Gould and Joseph are in "Old Wicked Songs" through
5/19/02. See #8 in this section, and Joseph's bio page). I think people
had a really good time, and the kids got
lovely t-shirts and a very nice volume of The
Complete Works of Shakespeare. I think it was a very
very nice present to them."
What is
"BardWalk"? Well, as
defined on the website:
"BardWalk
is a 10K Walkathon and Rockin' Renaissance celebration. Participants walk, run,
rollerblade, bike or .... along the boardwalk at San Buenaventura State Beach to
raise funds for Shakespeare in the Schools and other Education Outreach programs
provided by Rubicon Theatre, our region's non-profit professional theatre
company. The event begins with aerobic warm-ups and inspiration, and ends with
food, drink, awards, music and merriment and more!"
Check out the website (URL
posted below). I highly recommend that if Bardwalk becomes
an annual happening, any of you who can be
there consider participating in this event to help a really good
cause!
http://www.bardwalk.com/index.htm
Check out
these links for more info on "Bardwalk", and details on the days'
events, winners, and successes:
"BardWalk
to boost Shakespearean Shows":
http://www.insidevc.com/vcs/county_news/article/0,1375,VCS_226_1097495,00.html
"BardWalk
celebrates Shakespeare":
http://www.insidevc.com/vcs/events/article/0,1375,VCS_158_1096049,00.html
"BardWalk
Time Slots":
http://www.insidevc.com/vcs/county_news/article/0,1375,VCS_226_1097496,00.html
"Camarillan
wins BardWalk Contest":
http://www.insidevc.com/vcs/ox/article/0,1375,VCS_238_1113393,00.html
"Camarillo
girl wins BardWalk Contest":
http://www.insidevc.com/vcs/ve/article/0,1375,VCS_251_1113394,00.html
NOTE: Both this article and the one directly above this one
include information about Rubicon's "Mother's Day Candlelight Walk For
Peace", which were held on May 12th at 7PM, culminating in an event
promoting peace at Laurel and Santa Clara streets in downtown Ventura.
J for J

Photo courtesy of Rod Latham and The Rubicon
Theatre Co.
|
The cast of J for J
(left to right):
John Ritter as John Sullivan
Jeff Kober as Barry Sullivan
Jenny Sullivan as Jenny Sullivan (herself) |

|
Here is a brief synopsis, as it was listed on the Rubicon Theatre Website:
"Barry
Sullivan was a Broadway and Hollywood star from the Golden Age. He was also a
father who longed for a perfect son. In this exquisitely crafted play, he
admonishes his children, Brother Johnny and Sister Jenny, to take care of each
other – “J for J.” But over time, it becomes clear that Brother Johnny is
slow – incapable of taking care of himself or anyone else. Jenny Sullivan has
created a stunning piece of theatre from the journal she discovered after her
father’s death. In it, she explores the ache and anger of “not being
enough”; the awful, awesome need to be responsible for another person’s
physical and emotional well-being; and the strange, sweet surprise of being
loved in return. Directed by Joseph Fuqua."
Some further information has been printed about Joseph's project:
"J for J":
A quick link which appeared in the 10/12/01 edition of InsideVC, under :
"TGIF On Stage":
http://www.insidevc.com/vcs/on_stage/article/0,1375,VCS_253_844654,00.html
Rubicon Theatre Company
opens its fourth season with the world premiere of Jenny Sullivan's "J for
J," a play based on letters written by her father, actor Barry Sullivan,
and discovered after his death. Ex-"Three's Company" star John Ritter,
along with Jeff Kober and Sullivan herself, will star in the drama, which opens
Wednesday and runs through Nov. 4 at the Laurel Theatre, 1006 E. Main St.,
Ventura. Performances 8 p.m. Wednesdays to Saturdays, 7 p.m. Sundays and 2 p.m.
Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are $23 for previews and matinees,
$28 Wednesday and Thursday evenings, $33 Fridays and $38 Saturday evenings, with
discounts available for seniors. Opening night gala on Oct. 20 is $130. Call
667-2900 or visit the Web site at www.rubicontheatre.org.
(BTW: The show is 95 minutes long - and is performed without an
intermission.)
An info listing in the 10/13/01 LA Times Calendarlive:
http://www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-Search-X!EventDetail-31911,00.html
J for J
Rubicon
Theatre Company at the Laurel

1006 E. Main St., Ventura
805-667-2900
John Ritter heads the cast in the world premiere of Jenny Sullivan's journey of
remembrance, reconciliation and renewal, based on the journal of her father, the
late actor Barry Sullivan. Mature audiences.
Oct. 20 - Nov. 4
Sundays, 2 p.m., 7 p.m.
Wednesdays, 2 p.m., 8 p.m.
Thursdays, 8 p.m.
Fridays, 8 p.m.
Saturdays, 2 p.m., 8 p.m.
Price: $23-$38; opening gala benefit, $150
Tickets: Box office: 805-667-2900.
An article/interview with John Ritter in the
9/14/01 edition of InsideVC, entitled: "All For One, and One For
All":
http://www.insidevc.com/vcs/on_stage/article/0,1375,VCS_253_824259,00.html
Also in the 9/14/01 edition of InsideVC, this article/info listing
entitled: "To attend "J for J"":
http://www.insidevc.com/vcs/on_stage/article/0,1375,VCS_253_824260,00.html
A new article in the 10/19/01 issue of Inside VC, entitled: "Changes in
Direction" talks with the cast of "J for J" and explains the
change in Joseph's status as director of the show:
http://www.insidevc.com/vcs/on_stage/article/0,1375,VCS_253_851946,00.html
"...Directorial responsibilities instead went to
fellow Rubicon veteran Joseph Fuqua, who was anxious to show what he could do on
the other side of the stage curtain after playing a public defender in
"Murder in the First," a would-be golf pro in "The Boys Next
Door" and a simple-minded farmer in "The Rainmaker."
Then, just weeks into rehearsals and discussions about
how best to integrate family photographs and Barry Sullivan's film clips into
the live theater performance, Fuqua got some very good news: He'd been cast
opposite Robert Duvall in "Gods & Generals," a prequel to the 1993
movie "Gettysburg."
Trouble was, filming was to begin almost immediately. On
the East Coast.
"That was the only thing that would have tempted me
away," Fuqua says during a phone call from his family home in
Cornwall-on-Hudson, N.Y., where he is on a break from reprising his
"Gettysburg" role as Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart.
"Jenny has directed me in five plays; this was my
chance to tell her what to do," he adds with a laugh. (Fuqua is instead
listed as associate director of "J for J.")..."
"J for J"
John Ritter, Jeff Kober and Jenny Sullivan star in Rubicon
Theatre Company's world premiere staging of Sullivan's play based on letters
written by her father, actor Barry Sullivan. Involves some on-stage smoking.
Performances 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 7 p.m. Sundays, with
matinees at 2 p.m. Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 4 at the
Laurel Theatre, 1006 E. Main St., Ventura. $21-$38. Star-studded gala opening
performance, 7 p.m. Oct. 20, will be followed by a 40s theme party benefiting
Therapeutic Living Centers for the Blind, $150 per person. 805-667-2900 or www.rubicontheatre.org.
"J for J": 8 p.m., Laurel Theatre, 1006 E.
Main St., Ventura. Rubicon Theatre opens its fourth season with a "dramatic
journey of remembrance, reconciliation and renewal" written by Jenny
Sullivan and based on the journal she discovered after the death of her actor
father, Barry Sullivan. "Three's Company" icon and Emmy-winning actor
John Ritter stars, along with Jeff Kober ("China Beach") and Sullivan.
Preview tonight at 8 p.m. Opens with a 1940s-style gala Saturday night at 7 p.m.
Runs through Nov. 4 with performances at 2 and 8 p.m. Wednesdays, 8 p.m.
Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $23 for
preview, $23-$38 for regular shows, $150 for the opening-night gala. 805-667-2900.
Another article in the 10/21/01 edition of the LA Times, entitled:
"Drawing On A Brother's Insight", features an interview with cast
members John Ritter and Jenny Sullivan (who is also the playwright):
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/printedition/calendar/la-000083756oct21.story
A listing in the 10/22/01 Calendarlive section of the LA Times, entitled
simply: "J for J":
http://www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-Search-X!EventDetail-31911,00.html
Tomorrow's (yes - 10/23 - let's hear it for online previews!) LA Times
review entitled:
A
Sibling's Duty, a Small Miracle
http://www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-Theater-X!ArticleDetail-45610,00.html
The 10/23 InsideVC review entitled:
'J for J' brings Sullivan family talents to light
http://www.insidevc.com/vcs/on_stage/article/0,1375,VCS_253_856250,00.html
An interesting mention in an article entitled: "Using
the theatre to survive", in the 10/28 issue of InsideVC:
http://www.insidevc.com/vcs/opinion/article/0,1375,VCS_125_861376,00.html
"...Perhaps theater is one way to survive this
period, to usher ourselves into a world of the arts where our spirits can be
lifted, our souls renewed and our sense that what was once considered normal
will some day return.
We tried last week, my wife and I attending a Wednesday
night performance of "J for J" by the Rubicon Theater Company at the
Laurel Theatre in downtown Ventura. (Conflict of interest admission: On a
personal and professional basis, we are supporters of the Rubicon.)
The one-act play stars Jenny Sullivan, who also wrote
it. She plays herself in the story of her family, including father-actor Barry
Sullivan and her retarded brother, Johnny. The story of one long, sleepless
night moves from joy to chance to fond remembrance. It is a family in turmoil,
in denial, in crisis, in anger and finally in peace.
But this is not a theater review.
"J for J" is but one of dozens of fine choices
in theater, music, dance, museums, poetry readings and films ("Corky
Romano" and "13 Ghosts" notwithstanding). You should choose to
attend one or two...."
UPDATE - 11/18/01-
I received an e-mail from Karyl Lynn Burns (klburns1@aol.com)
(Executive
Director and Co-Artistic Director of RTC), in response to my question about
Joseph's availability for "Old Wicked Songs" and his status change in
"J for J". Here's her exciting news:
Hi Cindi: