THEATER

Tom Titus

Orange Coast College’s theatre department will be celebrating

Christmas on stage this year, but not the way it was originally planned.

Unable to cast its originally scheduled “Inspecting Carol,” the

college has opted to present Romulus Linney’s “Sand Mountain,” and will

be holding auditions for eight men and seven women Monday and Tuesday in

the OCC Drama Lab Theatre.

“We really didn’t get the right mix of actors for that show

[‘Inspecting Carol’] during our auditions, so we’ve decided to switch

gears and offer ‘Sand Mountain,’ ” commented director Alex Golson.

“Sand Mountain” actually is a pair of interrelated short plays set in

Tennessee’s Smokey Mountains. “They present two richly humorous studies

of life on the frontier,” Golson said, “and they also present a strange,

yet compelling, version of the Christmas story.”

Tryouts will be Monday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday from 7 to

9:30 p.m., with all roles open. The show goes up Nov. 30 for two

weekends.

Meanwhile, OCC will be keeping busy this weekend and next with

“Approximating Mother,” Kathleen Tolan’s humorous play about what it

takes to have a baby today.

John Ferzacca is directing the production, which runs Thursdays

through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. until Oct. 21. Call

(714) 432-5880 for ticket information.

No sooner will “Mother” be off the Drama Lab stage than Henrik Ibsen’s

“A Doll’s House” will arrive in the smaller Studio Theatre, a

presentation of the OCC Repertory Theatre Company. Its depiction of a

rebellious housewife raised eyebrows in Norway when it first hit the

boards in 1879.

Opening night is Oct. 26 and performance times are Friday and Saturday

at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 and 7 p.m., for one weekend only.

Tickets may be reserved at (714) 432-5640, Ext. 1.

The Rep will be back in action for two weekends in November with its

annual “Ten or Less” festival, a series of student-directed short plays,

each running 10 minutes or less. Some are original, others were penned by

recognized playwrights.

“Ten or Less” will be staged in the Drama Lab Studio Nov. 9-11 and

16-18 with curtain at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday evenings, and 2 and 7

p.m. Sundays. Call the above number for ticket information.

* * *

South Coast Repertory has a new literary associate. Linda Sullivan

Baity has relocated from Dallas to join the SCR literary staff that

already includes dramaturge Jerry Patch and literary manager Jennifer

Kiger.

“Linda’s experience and expertise will be a tremendous asset in our

ongoing mission to launch new work by our finest playwrights,” Patch

commented.

Baity comes to SCR from the University of Texas at Dallas, where she

recently received her doctorate in humanities, aesthetic studies, with

academic concentrations in dramatic literature, literary translation and

creative writing.

Over the course of her career, Baity has been an actress, director,

playwright, dramaturge, translator, arts-in-education advocate,

administrator, public speaker and educator. She established and managed a

professional performing arts series for young audiences in Plano, Texas.

* TOM TITUS writes about and reviews local theater for the Daily

Pilot. His stories appear Thursdays and Saturdays.