Helena (Angela Gulner) and Bertram (BJ Allman) in Shakespeare’s “All’s Well That Ends Well.” Photo: Kristopher Bicknell.
Madness Inspires Madness 16
th
Annual Shakespeare by the Sea at Point Fermin by: John Farrell, Curtain Call Columnist
The madness, the inspired, the joyous, (insert
May 31
Cat Fish and The Hollywood Hound Dogs B.Noel Barr presents Cat Fish and The Hollywood Hound Dogs, at 8 p.m. at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro. Details: (800) 403-3447 Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro Paseo Paseo is performing at Godmother’s Saloon, from 9 to 10 p.m. May 31. Details: www.godmotherssaloon.com; (310) 8331589 Venue: Godmother’s Saloon Location: 302 W. 7th St., San Pedro Johnny Casino and the Gamblers Johnny Casino and the Gamblers will be performing at the San Pedro Brewing Company, 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. May 31. There will be a $3 cover charge for the event. Details: www.sanpedrobrewing.com; (310) 831-5663 Venue: San Pedro Brewing Company Location: 331 W. 6th St., San Pedro Elaine Fay and the Big Bang, Adrian HIbbs Elaine Fay and Adrian HIbbs is performing at Harvelle’s, 9:30 and 11:30 p.m. May 31. Nobody under the age of 21 is allowed. General admission is $10. Details: (562) 239-3700; www.longbeach.harvelles. com Venue: Harvelle’s Long Beach Location: 201 E. Broadway, Long Beach
June 1
OHM OHM is scheduled to perform, at 8 p.m. June 1 at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro. Details: (800) 403-3447 Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro Saw Red Saw Red is performing at the San Pedro Brewing Company, 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. June 1. There is a $3 cover charge for the event. Details: www.sanpedrobrewing.com; (310) 831-5663 Venue: San Pedro Brewing Company Location: 331 W. 6th St., San Pedro DJ Jorge DJ Jorge is hosting a live music night at the Port of Los Angeles’ CRAFTED, 2 to 5:30 p.m. June 1. Details: (310) 732-1270 Venue: CRAFTED at the Port of Los Angeles Location: 110 E. 22nd St., San Pedro
June 4
James Clay Garrison Pro Jam James Clay Garrison is performing at Harvelle’s, 9:30 p.m. June 4. Admission to this event will cost you $5. Nobody under the age of 21 is allowed. A two-drink minimum purchase enforced. Details: (562) 239-3700; www.longbeach.harvelles. com Venue: Harvelle’s Long Beach Location: 201 E. Broadway, Long Beach
June 7
Bach’s Lunch Recital The Bach’s Lunch Recital features Guillaume Sture on violin and Kyung-hee Kim-Sutre on harp, from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. June 7, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Manhattan Beach. Complimentary box lunches, with sandwiches made from special-order bakery bread and farmers-market-fresh produce, are available afterwards to enjoy with the artists or take back to the office. Admission is free. Details: (310) 316-5574; www.palosverdes.com/ tlcmusic/tlcmbbl.htm Venue: Trinity Lutheran Church Location: 1340 11th St., Manhattan Beach
June 8
Jeff Richman Group Jeff Richman Group is scheduled to perform at 8 p.m. at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro. Details: (800) 403-3447
San Pedro
Walter Trout CD Release Party The Walter Trout CD Release Party will be at Harvelle’s, 9:30 p.m. June 8. Tickets will cost between $15 and $50. Nobody under the age of 21 is allowed. There will be a two-drink minimum purchase required. Details: (562) 239-3700; www.longbeach.harvelles. com Venue: Harvelle’s Long Beach Location: 201 E. Broadway, Long Beach DJ Frank FoReal Dj Frank FoReal will be at the Port of Los Angeles’ Crafted, 2 to 5:30 p.m. June 8. Details: (310) 732-1270 Venue: CRAFTED at the Port of Los Angeles Location: 110 E. 22nd St., San Pedro
June 9
Thom BRESH Solo Fingerstyle Guitarist Thom BRESH Solo Fingerstyle Guitarist is scheduled to perform, at 4 p.m. June 9 at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro. Details: (800) 403-3447 Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro
Community/Family May 31
POLAHS Green Festival Announcement Port of Los Angeles High School is hosting the 2nd Annual Green Festival, from 12 to 3 p.m. May 31, in San Pedro. The event is student-run, and will feature environmental technologies like solar power, aquaponics and electric cars. There will be an e-waste collection, locally-grown vegetables for sale, and important information on fracking, the controversial fossil fuel extraction method coming to California. Bring your DWP bill and get a free fruit tree from Million Trees LA. Details: (310) 832-9201 Venue: POLAHS Location: 250 W. 5th St., San Pedro
June 1
Job Shadow: Veterinarian The Aquarium of the Pacific is conducting a youth sessions called Job Shadow: Veterinarian, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. This job shadow program takes a closer look at the unique and challenging field known as marine animal veterinary science. This session is only for children between the seventh and 12th grades. Admission is $35 a student and $29 for aquarium members. Details: (562) 951-1630; www.aquariumofpacific. org Venue: Aquarium of the Pacific Location: 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach Pacific Islander Festival The Pacific Islander Festival will be hosted by the Aquarium of the Pacific, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 1 and 2. Discover the rich and diverse cultures of the Pacific Islands through traditional craft demonstrations, ethnic cuisine, educational programs, storytelling and an ocean of entertainment, including music and dance performances. You must log onto the website in order to purchase tickets. Aquarium members don’t have to pay. Details: (562) 951-1630; www.aquariumofpacific. org Venue: Aquarium of the Pacific Location: 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach Used Book Sale The San Pedro Public Library is hosting a used book sale, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 1. Details: www.lapl.org; (310) 548-7779 Venue: San Pedro Public Library Location: 931 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro Calendar to page 16.
May 31 – June 13, 2013
Harlow Gold Show The Harlow Gold Show will be at Harvelle’s at 10 p.m. Admission for the show will be $15. Details: (562) 239-3700; www. longbeach.harvelles.com Venue: Harvelle’s Long Beach Location: 201 E. Broadway, Long Beach
Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W. 8th St.,
ACE: Arts • Cuisine • Entertainment
other terms of praise here at will), begins June 6 in a park near you. Very near you. Just down the street, in fact. That’s when Shakespeare by the Sea begins, in the venerable bandshell at Point Fermin Park in San Pedro. What has now itself become venerable: their 16th year presenting plays by Shakespeare (this year it is King John and All’s Well that End’s Well in repertory) in parks all over Southern California, 22 in all this season. And what is more, every performance, 42 in all (we counted), is free. Tradition dictates that the first performances, and the last, occur at Point Fermin Park, where Shakespeare by the Sea started 16 years ago and 14 of those 42 performances are scheduled there, including the festival’s opening night performance of All’s Well that End’s Well at 8 p.m. June 6 and the opening of King John a week later, June 13. There are four more performances of each play set from June 7 through June 29 and then, after 21 other venues from Beverly Hills to South Pasadena to Newport Beach, the final performances of King John Aug. 9 and All’s Well Aug. 10, are also scheduled there. Shakespeare by the Sea is the creation of Lisa Coffi, who has taken what was her master’s thesis and dream, and turned it into reality for audiences all around Southern California. Yes, there are other companies doing Shakespeare locally this summer. But only Shakespeare by the Sea manages so many performances in so many places in Southern California, without charging anyone anything. (Shakespeare by the Sea’s sister company, Little Fish Theatre, located in downtown San Pedro, and founded by Coffi and Suzanne Dean, is also thriving, doing 13 different productions this year.) After 15 years and dozens of productions you’d think it would be difficult for Shakespeare by the Sea to find some new ground to plow (as the Bard might say, if he was using a computer) but they have. Both All’s Well that End’s Well and King John are new productions for this company, both plays by Shakespeare that have not been seen in Shakespeare by the Sea’s summer festivals. All’s Well that Ends Well is one of Shakespeare’s classic comedies about hopeless love of a young woman, Helena, for a man far above her socially. Don’t worry, as the title says, it ends well. Director Patrick Vest, who has acted with the company in eight previous seasons, will make his Shakespeare by the Sea directing debut in this lively comedy.
“This is a fairy tale in the best possible way,”” Vest said in a recent press release. “We root for Helena to overcome every obstacle to live the life she desires, because we recognize ourselves in her. We believe that determination, heart, love and moxie deserve to be rewarded.” King John is a very different play, a dark depiction of history—distorted history—that takes place during the siege of a fortified city in France. King John is based, very loosely, on history, but brings in many characters that would not have been there as it advances this story of the early Plantagenets. “King John is a real character from history, but the play is a fictitious story,” said Stephanie Coltrin, who is directing the play. “It’s an interesting juxtaposition of many characters from the medieval period, not all of whom lived at the same time.... Shakespeare puts together the elements of compelling drama with the extraordinary imagery and humanity that he is known for, sometimes at the expense of the history lesson.” For Point Fermin’s notoriously changeable weather, wear something warm, or rather several somethings warm. Remember that Shakespeare by the Sea sells blankets and hoodies at the park. Bring a picnic, a couple of bottles of something or other, and settle down for an annual delight. Or, if you are in the mood, come a couple of hours early and see the cast and crew at work. This is especially intriguing if you visit one of Shakespeare by the Sea’s lesser venues. Every day they must open and unpack the entire production, including not only costumes and props, but the stage as well. It is assembled, with bolts and screws, from pieces in their stage truck, then decorated, then lit and wired for sound, and at the end of the evening everything is put away for the next performance. It’s as amazing as any production, clever and artful, — a tribute to the designers and actors and stagehands that give up more than two months to make Shakespeare by the Sea happen. Performances of All’s Well That Ends Well are June 6, 7, 8, 20, 22 and 28, and Aug. 10. Performances of King John are June 13, 14, 15, 21, 27 and 29, and Aug. 9. All performances are at 8 p.m. Admission is free. Performances at 22 other venues around Southern California can be found on the company’s website. Details: (310) 217-7596; shakespearebythesea.org Venue: Point Fermin Park Location: 807 Paseo Del Mar, San Pedro.
Entertainment
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