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from January 13, 2023

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The List

What’s going on in and around town this week

THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

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FRIDAY | 13

SHOWOFF! PLAYWRITING FESTIVAL 7:30 p.m. Camino Real Playhouse’s annual showcase for playwrights returns. There will be various 10-minute plays from different playwrights covering numerous genres—and the audience gets to vote for the winner. The festival runs through Jan. 15. Camino Real Playhouse, 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano. 949.489.8082. caminorealplayhouse.com.

CONCERT AT THE COACH HOUSE 8 p.m. Bobby Gray and Fuel singer Brett Scallions will perform live. Tickets are $25. Doors open at 6 p.m. The Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.496.8930. thecoachhouse.com.

SATURDAY | 14

CAMPESINO BRUNCH 10 a.m.-noon. The Ecology Center is providing a preview of its upcoming café menu. The sneak peek will include a four-course, family-style meal. The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz Street, San Juan Capistrano. 949.443.4223. theecologycenter.org.

LIVE MUSIC AT TREVOR’S 11 a.m. 3 Mile Radius will perform live. Trevor’s at the Tracks, 26701 Verdugo Street, San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.9593. trevorsatthetracks.com.

SUNDAY | 15

LIVE MUSIC AT PADDY’S 6-9 p.m. Tricia Freeman will perform. Paddy’s Station, 26701 Verdugo

Editor’s Pick

Local comedian Jim Taylor and other stand-up comics will perform sets at Camino Real Playhouse this month. Photo: Courtesy of Jim Taylor

SATURDAY | 21 STAND-UP COMEDY NIGHT 7:30 p.m. Have some laughs during this stand-up comedy event. San Juan Capistrano community fixture Jim Taylor will perform, along with Daniel Eachus, Eddie Jarvis and Rachel Burch. Tickets are $21.50 for a table seat or $19.50 for the mezzanine section. Camino Real Playhouse, 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano. 949.489.8082. caminorealplayhouse.org.

Street, Suite B, San Juan Capistrano. 949.661.3400. paddysstation.com.

WEDNESDAY | 18

NATIVE AMERICAN BASKETWEAVING DEMONSTRATION 10 a.m.-noon. Want to learn how local Indigenous people craft a basket? On the third Wednesday of the month, local Native American representatives Teeter Marie Olivares Romero, Ellen Sue Olivares, Susie Fimbres, and Wanda Jo Gennaro will demonstrate the craft. Mission San Juan Capistrano, 26801 Old Mission Road, San Juan Capistrano. 949.234.1300. missionsjc.com.

TRIVIA NIGHT AT THE BREWHOUSE 6:30-8:30 p.m. The BrewHouse hosts a trivia night every Wednesday. Test your knowledge when it comes to music, movies and other subjects. The BrewHouse, 31896 Plaza Drive, Suite D3, San Juan Capistrano. 949.481.6181. brewhousesjc.com.

FRIDAY | 20

FARMERS MARKET IN SAN JUAN 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Enjoy the farmers market in town every Friday. Check out the produce, breads, cheeses, artisan craft vendors, and more. Farmakis Farms, 29932 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.364.1270. farmakisfarms.com.

AT THE MOVIES Top 10 Movies of 2022

BY MEGAN BIANCO, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

What started out as a decent year for new films, including Jeff Tremaine’s Jackass Forever and the Daniels’ Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, ended on a disappointing note with the likes of A.G. Iñárritu’s Bardo and Damien Chazelle’s Babylon.

But, like most of the time, there are still plenty of recent flicks to recommend and watch, from indie dramas to character studies to horror films to crime thrillers. Something I quickly noticed this year was how many solid family films came out in 2022.

This is a genre that has left my radar over the years, but within the past 12 months, I came to fall in love with Céline Sciamma’s Petite Maman and Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun, both about little girls (Joséphine Sanz and Frankie Corio) coming to terms with their distant parents (Nina Meurisse in Petite Maman and Paul Mescal in Aftersun).

The film community seems to be currently interested in telling dysfunctional family tales through the eyes of the child rather than the grown-up, to a refreshing welcome from viewers. Along with Dean Fleischer-Camp’s charming Marcel the Shell with Shoes On for the animated output, we have some quality choices for adults and older kids who enjoy indies.

For more family stories that aren’t strictly focused on children, Scott McGeHee and David Siegel’s Montana Story and Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans touch on more serious subjects such as affairs, divorce, death and abuse.

The Fabelmans has Spielberg’s usual whimsy and optimism through the retro, 1950s-1960s set drama starring Paul Dano and Michelle Williams, while Montana Story is more straightforward about two siblings (Owen Teague and Haley Lu Richardson) reconnecting after years apart. Both are executed successfully and do the most with modest productions.

Also on the smaller production scale, John Patton Ford’s Emily the Criminal was a pleasant surprise for crime drama fans wanting to see a feature through the eyes of a woman (Aubrey Plaza) who gets involved with underground fraud and scamming.

Another critical hit with a complicated female lead, Todd Field’s Tár, was not only the return of an acclaimed writer-director and Cate Blanchett’s most recent praised performance, it offered a new perspective on celebrities, privilege and “cancel culture.”

If you were looking for some “back to basics,” yet solid horror this year, there are Ti West’s X—an homage to both 1970s slashers and porno origins—and Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey, a prequel to the popular Predator franchise.

Mia Goth and Amber Midthunder lead the smaller-scale spooky period pieces impressively, with both films rejuvenating their genre and series, in Prey’s case.

And to conclude my top 10 of 2022, Graham Moore’s crime drama The Outfit was a good example of how to shoot a “play on screen,” with only two or three rooms and about five actors. Mark Rylance and Johnny Flynn deliver per usual, while Dylan O’Brien and Zoey Deutch debut their effective chemistry.

I’m not sure if 2022 will go down as a stellar year in cinema history, but it’s one that left me thinking, “Eh, not bad.” CD

SATURDAY | 21

HORSE SHOW AT THE RIDING PARK 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Check out the equestrian event happening in one of San Juan Capistrano’s premier open space destinations. The No Show is a chance for young horses or riders to get experience and for the public to watch them perform. Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park, 30753 Avenida La Pata, San Juan Capistrano. 949.371.6158. theridingpark.com.

MONDAY | 23

BRIDGE GAME 12:30 p.m. The South Orange County Bridge Club hosts bridge games, Monday through Saturday. The club is a nonprofit owned by the members and welcomes people to use their minds and develop new friendships. They also offer classes for bridge players of different levels. 31461 Rancho Viejo Road, Suite 205, San Juan Capistrano. galesenter@cox.net.

TUESDAY | 24

TRIVIA TUESDAY 6-8 p.m. Come test your knowledge about different subjects during this trivia night held every Tuesday. The Dog Pawrk Brewing Company, 27122 Paseo Espada, Suite 904, San Juan Capistrano. 949.652.3379. thedogpawrk.beer.

GUEST OPINION | On Life and Love After 50 by Tom Blake

‘You Look Like My Neighbor’

Just before Christmas—50 days after my partner, Greta, passed away—I knew I needed to start getting out of the house and exercising. It was a beautiful, sunny day, so I decided to take a walk in my Monarch Beach neighborhood.

I came upon a woman who was walking her dog. I had seen her walk past my house several times, and we had chatted briefly, but never formally introduced ourselves. The last time I had seen her, I mentioned that Greta was ill.

She was always friendly. I was aware that she was married to Jim, whose home-improvement company had installed two windows in Greta’s San Clemente home several years before.

She said, “Hi, I’m Lilly. How is your wife?”

I mustered the courage to tell her that Greta had passed away on Oct. 29. Lilly was shocked, and gracious, and expressed her condolences. We talked for six minutes. She touched my hand and told me how sorry she was, which lifted my spirits.

I didn’t mention to Lilly that while Greta and I had been together for 25 years, we weren’t married. It wasn’t important information.

The next day, I decided to venture out again. I was in the bread aisle of the Capistrano Beach Costco. I noticed a woman walking in the same aisle. She looked like Lilly.

I said, “You look like my neighbor.”

She said, “You look like my neighbor. Where do you live?”

“In Monarch Beach,” I replied.

“Me, also,” she said. And then she smiled and quickly added, “Oh, my gosh, I’m Lilly, you’re Tom; we talked yesterday. You probably didn’t recognize me without my dog.” We had a big laugh over her comment.

Then, Lilly said, “Do you like chili?”

“Yes,” I answered, “I love chili.”

She said, “I made chili last night. We have leftovers. We’ll drop some off later.”

In the checkout lines, we waved and held up identical sourdough bread packages that each of us had selected in the bread aisle. Friendly neighbors think alike, I thought.

A short while after unloading the groceries from my car, I heard a knock on the front door. I opened it. Standing there, with a bowl of chili in his hands, was Jim, Lilly’s husband. I invited him in. I said, “How long have you and Lilly been together?” “Seventeen years.” “How did you two

ON LIFE AND LOVE meet?”

BY TOM BLAKE “Online,” Jim replied. “She’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Having noticed that Lilly has a warm and friendly accent, I said, “Where is she from?”

“Costa Rica,” Jim said.

I showed Jim a copy of the How 50 Couples Found Love After 50 book that I published in 2009 and said, “Darn, had I known you two then, I would have included your story in the book.”

Jim smiled and said, “We wouldn’t have qualified. I was 43 when I met her. She was younger.”

I added, “You are right. You two were too young for the book. But it still goes to show that internet dating can bring people together, regardless of age, and even when they grew up thousands of miles apart.”

I signed a book with these words: “To Jim, Lilly and the Puppy Dog.” And handed it to Jim.

Moral of today’s story: When you’re out and about, be friendly, and talk to people. Jim and Lilly live 60 yards away from me. And now, I have two new friends.

Plus, Lilly’s chili was unbelievably delicious. And best of all, Jim said, “Lilly makes chili often. We’ll bring you more.”

I said, “Promise?”

“Each time,” he said. CD

Tom Blake is a retired Dana Point business owner and resident who has authored books on middle-aged dating. See his website at findingloveafter50.com. To comment: tompblake@gmail.com.

PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to provide our readers with a wide variety of opinions from our community, The Capistrano Dispatch provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of The Capistrano Dispatch or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@thecapistranodispatch.com. Photo: Courtesy of OC Archive

FROM THE ARCHIVES This photo depicts the outskirts of San Juan Capistrano in 1921.

Every issue, The Capistrano Dispatch will publish a historical photo. To submit your historical photo for consideration, provide information about the photo along with your name, date, location and a small description to cbreaux@picketfencemedia.com.

THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH ADOPTABLE PET OF THE WEEK This pretty girl is Florence, a mild-man-

Florence nered kitten with so much love to give. A tad shy with strangers, Florence quickly warms up once she gets to know you and really enjoys the company of other cats. Only 7 months old, she would make a great companion kitty in a quiet home. Could she be the one for you? If you are interested in adopting Florence, please visit petprojectfoundation.org to download an adoption application form. Completed forms can be emailed to animalservices@scdpanimalshelter.org, and you will be contacted about making an interaction appointment. CD

Sudoku

BY MYLES MELLOR

SOLUTION: Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9x9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3x3 squares. To solve the puzzle, each row, column and box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult. Level: Medium

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