Newport Lights to shine in one-act festival

Tom Titus

The lights will flicker for five days early next month as local

performers turn up the wattage at the Newport Theater Arts Center

with the second edition of “Newport Lights.”

This evening of one-act comedies, being organized by local actor

Stuart Eriksen, will be staged from July 7 through 11, with all

ticket proceeds benefiting KOCE-TV, Orange County’s public television

station.

The bill of fare for Newport Lights 2004 will be composed of:

* “A Litany of Sins” by Judith Montague, which focuses on a nun

addressing a group of children.

* “Breathing Lessons” by Martin Williams, in which a husband and

wife disagree on how to handle their son’s first amorous encounter.

* “The Devil You Say” by Gene Fiskin, being a conversation between

a sinner and the devil himself.

* “Family Recipe” by Tom Swimm, which follows a husband and wife

as they attempt to justify an adoption to their daughter.

* “Katz Has Nine Lives” by Eleanor Brook. In this black comedy, a

woman named Katz is pronounced dead, but questions arise between her

doctor and a scorekeeper.

* “The Mystery of Another Man’s Wife” by Eric Eberwein, detailing

the problems that arise when a husband falls in love with a neighbor.

* “Let’s Talk About It” by Neil Jakks. In this comedy by a Newport

playwright, a husband and wife visit a marriage counselor and get

some unusual advice.

* “Life With Jamie” by Lauren D. Yee, in which a woman’s singles

ad elicits an unexpected male response.

* “Love in Ten Minutes” by James Flores, involving some

interesting verbal sparring between a man and a woman.

The Newport Lights program was born last year when two members of

the Orange County Playwrights Alliance, Jack Stanley and Eric

Eberwein, voiced their concerns about the lack of comedies produced

by the group. They organized the first Lights event, in which Eriksen

participated as an actor.

“Jack asked me if I could help with the second one, and this

year’s production was born,” Eriksen said. “I must admit it has been

fun. Our artistic director is the same one who did the job last year,

Penelope Van Horne.”

Curtain times are 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, July 7

through 10, with 2 p.m. matinees Saturday and Sunday, July 10 and 11.

Tickets are priced at $15, and reservations for the event are being

taken at (949) 735-7706. The theater is located at 2501 Cliff Drive,

Newport Beach.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews

appear Fridays.