OCC keeps it short with summer festival

Tom Titus

Summer used to be the time for big, splashy, fully orchestrated

musicals at Orange Coast College -- shows such as “Man of La Mancha,”

“Fiddler on the Roof,” “My Fair Lady,” etc.

That was then. Now the realities of state budget cuts have

drastically reduced the scope of theatrical entertainment offered at

the Costa Mesa college during the warmer months.

However, OCC does have a summer project in the wings, opening next

weekend. It’s a festival of short plays -- some reasonably well

known, others born in the fertile minds of OCC students -- which will

unfold both in the college’s Drama Lab and the adjacent Studio

Theater.

OCC theater professor Rick Golson, who will direct a production of

Patrick Meyers’ literally chilling one-act drama “K2,” is producing

the festival, which is recommended for mature audiences. This is a

story about two mountain climbers stuck on a sheer cliff in the

Himalayas.

Another play from a pedigreed playwright is “Bury the Dead” by

Irwin Shaw (author of “The Young Lions”). This anti-war drama,

directed by Andrew Vonderschmitt, focuses on soldiers killed in

battle who refuse to be buried.

The balance of the festival includes one-acts and short works

directed by OCC theater students. Some of the plays are original,

while others are works by recognized playwrights. A different

selection of plays will be offered at every performance.

The festival will be presented July 23 to 25 and July 27 to Aug. 1

with curtain at 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and at 2 and 7 p.m.

Sundays. Tickets are priced at $7 in advance, $8 at the door, and may

be ordered by calling (714) 432-5880.

*

Speaking of tickets, the Orange County Performing Arts Center has

come up with a ticketing option sure to warm the hearts of local

theatergoers by bringing the ticket-ordering process up close and

personal.

The center has launched CenterTix -- a full-service, in-house

ticketing service -- which will replace Ticketmaster as the method of

ordering tickets for center performances over the phone and Internet,

beginning in September.

“CenterTix is one of the most important steps ever taken by the

center to accommodate our patrons in the best possible way,” Center

President Jerry E. Mandel said. “When patrons call CenterTix, they

will speak with a center employee, someone who can answer questions

about center performances, help them identify all dates and seating

options, provide information about the performances and artists and

make certain they have truly personalized service.”

“Patrons have indicated that they prefer to deal directly with the

center to purchase tickets over the phone,” said Todd Bentjen, the

center’s vice president of marketing and communications. “With our

expansion under way, this was the right time to bring this service in

house.”

The changeover will occur Sept. 1, and orders for any shows after

that date should be phoned to CenterTix at (714) 556-2787, as well as

the Center box office.

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

appear Fridays.