Altarena is proud to offer your budding young actor or actress an amazing theatre summer camp experience—not just a chance to perform, but a chance to be taught by a professional Actor and Director, Alameda’s own Richard Robert Bunker.  Altarena Theater Camp will focus on beginning and intermediate mastery of theater skills:

Stage blocking • Voice/stage diction • Theatre games • Auditions for commercials • Stage combat • Creativity • Ensemble work • Lighting • Directing • Movement • Improvisation • Masks • Basic costume design • Scene work • and more!

Held at the conveniently-located Altarena Playhouse in central Alameda, each two-week session meets Monday through Friday from 9am to 3pm.

On the last day of each session at 2pm, the campers will present a family-friendly play showcasing the skills they acquired during the camp sessions.  Past productions have included kid-friendly versions of The Three Musketeers, Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, and even Macbeth!

Tuition is $475.00 per session.  After-care until 5:30 is available for an additional charge.

Our 2009 summer camp sessions filled up well in advance, so reserve your child’s place early!

• Send us the enrollment form with tuition payment to reserve your child’s spot.  (Cancellation/refund policies are described on the form.)
• This release form must also be signed before the first day of camp—you can include it with the enrollment/payment form if you wish.

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July 10 – August 16, 2009

The Spitfire Grill is one of the most heartfelt and uplifting musicals to come along in recent years. When a young woman is released from prison and decides to start a new life in a small midwestern town, she finds a place for herself working at the Spitfire Grill. But she – and the town – have old wounds that need healing, and it takes an unusual contest to begin pulling everyone together. A tuneful and stirring tribute to small town life, The Spitfire Grill is homespun, honest, and hard to resist.

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The Altarena Playhouse will be holding open auditions (non-AEA) for its upcoming production of the Off-Broadway musical The Spitfire Grill (Dir: Frederick Chacon). Looking for 4 Women (two 20 -30, two 40 – 60) and 3 Men (two 20-30 one non-singer 40s). Please prepare a ballad and an upbeat song in folk/country style. Bring music in your key. Accompanist will be provided. Strong Harmony required. Details below:

The Spitfire Grill
Music & Book by James Valcq
Lyrics & Book by Fred Alley
Directed by Fred Chacon

Audition Dates:
Sunday, May 10 at 7:00 PM
Monday, May 11 at 7:00 PM

Audition Location:
The Altarena Playhouse
1409 High Street, Alameda CA — Map

Callback Date:
Sunday, May 17 at 7:00 PM

Rehearsal dates:
May 25 – July 9, 2009

Performance Dates:
July 10 – August 16, 2009
Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00 PM
Sundays at 2:00 PM

Stipend: $120 for the run.

Prepare two songs in a strong folk/country style. Women should have a strong belt to ‘D’. Bring music in your key. Accompanist will be provided. Strong Harmony required. Please bring conflicts to auditions.

Auditions are by appointment only. Email spitfiregrill@altarena.org to schedule an audition. No phone calls please.

About the show:
The Spitfire Grill, which premiered Off-Broadway in 2001, is one of the most heartfelt and uplifting musicals to come along in recent years. When a young woman is released from prison and decides to start a new life in a small midwestern town, she finds a place for herself working at the Spitfire Grill. But she – and the town – have old wounds that need healing, and it takes an unusual contest to begin pulling everyone together. A tuneful and stirring tribute to small town life, The Spitfire Grill is homespun, honest, and hard to resist. More details about the show on Wikipedia.

Characters:

Percy Talbolt – Early 20’s. Pretty, if a bit rough-edged , her face declares the strength of her youth and a sadness beyond years. Her accent has a southern Appalachian cadence. Strong folk/country belt to ‘D’, some head voice required.

Hannah Ferguson – 50 to 70 years old. A tough-skinned and flinty old bird with a short, no-nonsense manner bordering on the bitter. Mezzo/alto chest range.

Shelby Thorpe – Mid-30’s.A plain, soft-faced creature with a shy, almost ethereal manner. Shimmering folk soprano with a strong high belt to ‘D’.

Caleb Thorpe – Early 40’s. Out of work foreman of the stone quarry. Frustrated working man clinging to the past. Solid folk/ rock voice with an edge. ( Top ‘G’)

Sheriff Joe Sutter – Mid-late 20’s. A young small-town policeman with an appealing intensity and a restless nature. Strong folk tenor to a ‘G’ ( touches an ‘A’).

Effy Krayneck – 50’s. Postmistress and a busybody, a woman with narrow eyes and a sour tongue. Solid singer in mezzo/alto chest range. ( Carries close harmony)

The Visitor – Mid-40’s. A mysterious figure who never speaks. An actor with powerful eyes and a very strong sense of his body.

Auditions are by appointment only. Email spitfiregrill@altarena.org to schedule an audition. No phone calls please.

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May 8 – June 7, 2009

Tennessee Williams’ steamy and sensual A Streetcar named Desire is best known as the landmark American drama that introduced Marlon Brando to the world. But there’s so much more to this vivid story of Blanche DuBois and her tragic struggle with fantasy and reality. Rediscover Streetcar’s smoldering poetry and shocking intensity in our intimate, ‘in-the-round’ production. Notably, this is the very first production of a full-length Tennessee Williams play in the Altarena’s history. [May not be suitable for children under 13.]

Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM
Sunday Matinees at 2:00 PM

$20 General Admission
$17 Students (under 18) and Seniors (62+)

Cast:
Eunice Hubbell….. Karol Loque
Neighbor, Flower Seller, Nurse….. Elaine Pintoe
Stanley Kowalski….. Eric Herzog
Stella Kowalski….. Veronica Mannion
Blanche DuBois….. Gigi Benson
Steve Hubbell….. Raymond Mark
Harold Mitchell (Mitch)….. Charles Evans
Pablo Gonzales….. Tony Rocha

Performance Schedule:
Buy tickets online or call (510) 523-1553 to buy tickets by phone (Tues – Sat, 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM). No service fees or handling fees are added to online or phone orders.

Friday, May 8, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, May 9, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, May 10, 2009 at 2:00 PM

Friday, May 15, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, May 16, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, May 17, 2009 at 2:00 PM

Friday, May 22, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, May 9, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, May 10, 2009 at 2:00 PM

Friday, May 29, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, May 30, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, May 31, 2009 at 2:00 PM

Friday, June 5, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, June 6, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, June 7, 2009 at 2:00 PM

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Directed & Choreographed by Christina Lazo
Music Direction by Armando Fox

February 27 – April 5, 2009
Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00pm
Sunday Matinees at 2:00pm

$20 Adult General Admission
$17 Students (under 18) and Seniors (62+)

GGypsy is one of Broadway’s most popular and enduring musicals, often cited by critics as one of the all-time greatest. Inspired by the life of burlesque star Gypsy Rose Lee, it’s the story of the ultimate showbiz stage mother trying to raise two young daughters on the Vaudeville circuit while struggling to make it to the ‘big time.’ Gypsy is brimming with memorable characters, great songs, and plenty of heart. Directed and choreographed by Chicago director Christina Lazo, Gypsy at the Altarena is sure to be the hottest ticket in town.

Cast (in alphabetical order):

Derrick Apperson….. Newsboy, Kiddie Show Contestant
Scott Ayres….. Herbie
Jennifer Beall….. Baby Louise
Matt Beall….. Jocko, Mr. Goldstone, Pastey, Phil
Kerry Chapman….. Mazeppa, Mother, Hotel guest
Matthias Christensen….. Newsboy, Clarence
Caleb Draper….. Tulsa
Nina Dumas….. Geraldine, Showgirl, Cow, Hotel guest
Katie Francis….. Electra, Cratchitt, Mother
Danny Guzman….. LA, Bougeron-Cochon
Noah Han….. Newsboy, Kiddie Show Contestant
Nick Hodges….. Angie, Georgie
Olivia Hytha….. Baby June
Meghan Ihle….. Dainty June
Rebecca La Fleur….. Agnes, Showgirl
Tom Leone….. Pop, Cigar, Mr. Kringelein
Erin Little….. Marjorie May, Showgirl, Renee, Hotel Guest, Mother
Erin Lucas….. Toreadorable, Showgirl, Waitress
Lisa Price….. Louise
Youssef Riahi….. Yonkers
Donna Turner….. Rose
Paula Wujek….. Tessie, Mother, Hotel Guest
Zaria Zinn….. Balloon Girl

Performance Schedule:

Friday, February 27, 2009 at 8:00 PM [Sold Out]
Saturday, February 28, 2009 at 8:00 PM [Sold Out]

Friday, March 6, 2009 at 8:00 PM [Buy Tickets]
Saturday, March 7, 2009 at 8:00 PM [Buy Tickets]
Sunday, March 8, 2009 at 2:00 PM [Buy Tickets]

Friday, March 13, 2009 at 8:00 PM [Buy Tickets]
Saturday, March 14, 2009 at 8:00 PM [Buy Tickets]
Sunday, March 15, 2009 at 2:00 PM [Buy Tickets]

Friday, March 20, 2009 at 8:00 PM [Buy Tickets]
Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 8:00 PM [Buy Tickets]
Sunday, March 22, 2009 at 2:00 PM [Buy Tickets]

Friday, March 27, 2009 at 8:00 PM [Buy Tickets]
Saturday, March 28, 2009 at 8:00 PM [Sold Out]
Sunday, March 29, 2009 at 2:00 PM [Buy Tickets]

Friday, April 3, 2009 at 8:00 PM [Buy Tickets]
Saturday, April 4, 2009 at 8:00 PM [Buy Tickets]
Sunday, April 5, 2009 at 2:00 PM [Buy Tickets]

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Ken Bullock of the Berkeley Daily Planet writes:

“It’s a raucous, goofy, off-kilter dysfunctional family entertainment, staged with elan by Alameda’s Altarena Playhouse”

and

“From Bat Boy’s first melodic ululations, swinging in his cage, to production numbers featuring the batty boy in top hat, with cane, accompanied by the entire cast of 14 (and the stalwart quartet in the flies, guitar, bass and drums led by Sierra Dee on keyboards), the songs wash over the fast-moving, brilliantly paced show.”

In her review titled “Love At First Bite” for the Alameda Sun, Sharon Edler Reid agrees, adding:

“There is a strong underlying theme of acceptance that flows throughout the show but because the show is so funny and layered, it never feels heavy-handed. And in the capable hands of co-directors Angelo Benedetto and Paul Plain, the cast delivers that message with high energy and big laughs. The bat boy himself is played with rabid abandon by Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez is in his element as the misunderstood monster of the abandoned mines, an iconic role in the vein of Frankenstein’s monster.”

Bat Boy, The Musical runs through November 1 and tickets are selling fast (which seems to be the rule around the Altarena this year). Don’t miss out; get your tickets through our online box office today. It’s quick, secure, and there’s never an additional handling or processing fee.

Embrace your inner Bat Boy this Halloween season!

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Director: Frederick L. Chacon
Musical Director: Rona Siddiqui
Choreographer: Christina Lazo

Audition Date:
Wednesday, September 17, 7:00pm-10:00pm

Auditions are by appointment only.
Click here for more information and to schedule an audition.

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Members of the Bay Area theatre community are greatly saddened by news of the sudden passing of actor John Stenger this past week. John performed in countless shows all over the Bay Area during the last 25 years, notably as a principal player in the popular variety show, Wigged Out. Last summer he played Old Man Strong and Hot Blades Harry in the Altarena production of Urinetown, The Musical. John was a beloved father, a cherished friend, a gifted actor and was admired by everyone who had the pleasure of working with him onstage. He will be greatly missed throughout the theatre community. The Altarena Playhouse fondly dedicates our last weekend of performances of Hay Fever to John’s memory.

Frederick L. Chacon
Artistic Director

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