The heart of the theater

Rae Cohen’s smile sparkles as she greets me in the lobby of the

Newport Theatre Arts Center. In my two-plus years as features editor

at the Daily Pilot, I’d heard a lot about the small theater on Cliff

Drive with a view of the water. But until Wednesday, I hadn’t gotten

around to visiting.

What prompted me, sorry to say, was an accidental exclusion in the

Pilot’s 103 Most Influential list. As president of the center for the

past 10 years, Cohen was supposed to share No. 100 with the leaders

of two other community theaters in Newport Mesa -- Damien Lorton of

Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse and Alicia Butler of Trilogy Playhouse.

Unfortunately, a wrong file got pulled and Cohen was left off the

list.

That didn’t seem to matter to her as she showed me around the

90-seat theater, which is currently presenting George Bernard Shaw’s

“Mrs. Warren’s Profession.” Cohen, a short-haired, motherly woman

whose eyes beam happiness, has been involved with the center’s board

for all 24 years of its existence.

“Even after 24 years, I still run into people who say ‘I didn’t

know there was a theater up there!’” she said.

In 1979, when the Friends of the Newport Theatre Arts Center was

created, Cohen was the recording secretary. Though she said she

didn’t know much about theater, she knew how to take minutes. “So I

came, got on the board and learned how to do everything.”

“Everything” encompasses most of the business in show business. As

president of the 11-member board, the 60-year-old mother of three is

in charge of meetings, helps with play selection, oversees ticket

sales -- season tickets are on sale through Oct. 13, she reminded --

works with the city and watches over the center’s spending.

“It is so much fun,” Cohen said. “I’ve met people here that I’d

never run into otherwise, in regular life.”

While she enjoys the productions on stage, the 1999 Daily Pilot Theatre Woman of the Year doesn’t yearn to act.

“Most of the board are non-actors,” Cohen said. “We have two

directors and the rest are regular folk. We don’t pick shows we want

to be in or direct.”

Instead, the board picks shows they’d like to see. This year’s

line-up includes “Beau Jest,” a contemporary romantic comedy by James

Sherman; “Twelve Angry Men” by Reginald Rose; Ray Cooney’s “Funny

Money” and “Camping with Henry and Tom” by Mark St. Germain.

Some of the plays come at a director’s suggestion. Others come

from board members. The members all read potential plays and discuss

them, trying to pick a balanced season of five. A sixth production

featuring children is held during the summer. This year they did “The

Princess and the Magical Pea.”

“We try to have a good mix of works,” Cohen said.

Some of the season ticket holders have been coming for 18 years.

Among Cohen’s favorite shows the group has produced are “A View from

the Bridge,” “The Heiress,” “Quilters” and “Driving Miss Daisy.”

People who haven’t been to the center, she said, will be surprised by

the quality of the work.

Actors at the center are not paid. All volunteer their time, as do

the people who work backstage and at the box office. The center is

always looking for volunteers, Cohen said.

“We need volunteers for ushers or to work on shows,” she said.

“When I say work, I mean really work.”

The playhouse is run with passion and a little luck. There are no

understudies for performers, but seldom has a performance been

missed. Cohen can cite almost every play in which that has happened

-- “A View from the Bridge,” “Zorba the Greek” and a third play in

which an actor missed a plane, sending the director on in his place.

“I had heard theater people are flaky,” Cohen said. “They can’t be

flaky. It’s marvelous.”

For more information on the Newport Theatre Arts Center’s seasons,

call (949) 631-0288.

* * *

Do you know a local artist, writer, painter, singer, filmmaker,

etc., who deserves to get noticed? Send your nominee to In The Wings,

Daily Pilot, 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627, by fax to (949)

646-4170 or by e-mail to jennifer.mahal@ latimes.com.

* JENNIFER MAHAL is features editor of the Daily Pilot.