Theater Review

Tom Titus

‘Twas a month before Christmas and all over Costa Mesa, the

traditional yuletide offerings were hung by the chimney with care.

There were “A Christmas Carol” and “La Posada Magica” at South Coast

Repertory, “An Old Fashioned Christmas and Ice Cream Social” at OCC and

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” at the Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse.

The latter show, however, posed a bit of a problem for Costa Mesa’s

New Voices Playwrights Workshop, which has adopted the playhouse as its

temporary home. New Voices also has a Christmas program in the wings, but

the playhouse is being used Thursday through Saturday evenings and Sunday

afternoons until Dec. 19.

So what about Saturday afternoons and Sunday evenings? No problem.

These times were available, so New Voices grabbed them and “Another

10-Minute Christmas” goes on the boards next week, hoping for the sort of

response the evening of original one-acts has elicited in its first two

outings.

“When we produced our first Christmas show two years ago, we didn’t

know what the response would be,” said Christopher Trela, president and

co-founder of New Voices. “We ended up selling out all four performances.

Last December, we sold out six performances, so obviously audiences are

responding to what we are doing.

“This year, we’re back with more original short Christmas plays and we

expect to sell out all five performances this year.”

Being creators of original theater, New Voices employed a little

originality in its scheduling this year. Following a preview performance

Wednesday at 8 p.m., the program will be staged the next two Saturdays at

2 p.m. and Sundays at 7:30 p.m. -- using the playhouse stage when the

“Best Christmas Pageant” cast isn’t.

“It looks like we’re becoming an alternative holiday tradition for

Orange County theatergoers,” Trela commented. “People can go see A

Christmas Carol’ and The Nutcracker’ and know what to expect, and then

come to see Another 10-Minute Christmas’ and expect the unexpected.”

Trela has authored two of the nine originals in this year’s show --

“Deck the Malls” and “Hope for the Holidays.” Other entries are “Far

North, Inc.” (John Lane), “Gift of the Beast” (Stephen Ludwig), “Hanging

Santa” (Gina Shaffer), “Nothing for Christmas” (John Bolen), “It’s a

Chemistry Thing” (Jack Stanley), “Merry Christmas, Miss Norton” (Tom

Swimm) and “The Bear Went Over the Mountain” (Richard Freedman).

Proceeds from the show -- priced at $12 general admission and $10 for

students and seniors -- will be divided by the Civic Playhouse, to help

with operating expenses, and New Voices, to help launch the group’s

permanent home, opening in 2000. Call (949) 225-4125 for reservations.

CUTLINE: Christina Moorhead and Greg Lipford perform in “Deck the Malls,”

one of the entries in the third annual evening of Christmas-themed

original one-act plays by the New Voices Playwrights Workshop.