All in good fun

Tom Titus

Lagunans -- most of them anyway -- have a pretty well developed

sense of humor, as well as a thick skin, the result of enduring

endless jibes about the Art Colony on subjects ranging from traffic

to lifestyle.

Some of them even enjoy poking fun at themselves, as writers Bree

Burgess Rosen and Tim Dey began doing 10 years ago. They created an

evening of skits called “Lagunatics” as a fund-raiser for Laguna

Shanti.

The event was a howling success, and it’s gotten bigger every

year.

Since that initial experience, “Lagunatics” has been an annual

project of Laguna Beach’s No Square Theater, which normally gears its

entertainment toward younger audiences.

Today, the annual roast on the coast raises funds for the No

Square entertainers, and this year -- the 10th anniversary -- is

geared to be something special. It’s an commemorative tribute titled

“Lagunatics’ 10 Greatest Twits,” to be staged Oct. 16 through Oct. 20

at the Forum Theater on the Festival of Arts grounds.

Joining the No Square Theater people will be civic leaders such as

City Councilwoman Toni Iseman, City Councilman Steve Dicterow, Arts

Commissioner Pat Kollenda and police Chief Jim Spreine (to make

certain the event doesn’t get out of hand?).

No Square’s Lisa Morrice describes the Lagunatics program as “a

toast to the joys and foibles of hometown living.” The show also will

poke fun at topical issues with music from familiar musicals and pop

songs, rewritten in parody by Rosen, Dey, Paul Leighton and No Square

Theater board member Michael O’Malley.

For example, the song “Money, Money” from “Cabaret” becomes

“Parking, Parking,” lamenting the lack of it in Laguna, especially

during Festival time. The Peggy Lee classic “Fever” turns into a tale

of runoff pollution from Lake Forest to Aliso Beach.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Bali Hai” from “South Pacific” will be

transformed into “Treasure Isle.” and Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean

a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing” will be recreated as “It Don’t

Mean a Thing If You Can’t Hide Your Schwing” -- with guys in drag

strutting their stuff.

Lagunatics is the No Square Theater’s major fund-raiser of the

year and it helps finance the rest of the community theater group’s

season, including a winter concert, children’s shows and musicals.

For the 2002-03 season, Lagunatics will help fund “The World Goes

Round,” a salute to songwriters John Kander and Fred Ebb (“Cabaret,”

“Chicago,” “Zorba”) to be staged Feb. 7 and 8 at the Laguna Beach

High School Artists’ Theater.

The proceeds also will help underwrite a children’s production of

Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and one or two summer

musicals yet to be determined.

You can help the No Square Theaters shows to go on -- and have a

hilarious evening in the process. Tickets are $50 for the Oct. 16 and

17 performances, while the Oct. 18, 19 and 20 shows will be preceded

by a food and wine reception priced at $75.

Curtain is 8 p.m., except for the Sunday show, which goes up at 7

p.m. Contact the theater at (949) 497-2584 or visit the No Square Web

site at www.nosquare.org for more information.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Coastline Pilot.