Offbeat theater, music, dance and discussion at the Off Center Festival
A dancer exploring the will to survive. A story told on stage and screen with puppets, actors and vintage overhead projectors.
Yes, it’s time for the annual Off Center Festival at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
This year, the two-week festival will feature six avant-garde events or performances — down from nine last year — kicking off Saturday in Costa Mesa with the Los Angeles-based band the Allah-Las.
Not only does the event provide an eclectic mix of edgy theater, music, dance and discussion, but the center reduces its standard ticket prices to encourage people to enjoy this testing of artistic boundaries.
“We feel passionate about what we offer, and it’s the widest range of performances,” said Terry Dwyer, president of the Segerstrom Center. “Audiences can experience whatever is inspiring to them. This is an opportunity to attract audiences to more of the center’s work and ensures greater access.”
On the lineup is Tony Award-winning playwright, performer and activist Sarah Jones, who will share her new play “Sell/Buy/Date,” which was inspired by the real-life experiences of people affected by the commercial sex industry.
Jones, who is a UNICEF goodwill ambassador and has given performances at the White House, addresses issues of injustice and inequality. She is best known for her multi-character solo show “Bridge & Tunnel,” which was originally produced by Academy Award winner Meryl Streep.
Today, Jones performs around the world to raise awareness of racial, gender and economic disparities, and with “Sell/Buy/Date,” she wanted to tackle the issues of human trafficking.
“I wanted to create the kind of theater that moves me as an audience member — a mix of humor and pathos and characters that both delight and challenge me, all while exploring ideas that may not be familiar to me, but that connect in some unexpected way with my own experience,” Jones said of her one-woman show, which is being presented Jan. 28 to 30.
“And I always hope to give voice to characters that aren’t often heard. I like to bring them out of the realm of the marginalized ‘other,’ or the afterthought, the sidekick.”
Jones said the process of creating “Sell/Buy/Date” has been her most challenging project because of the subject matter.
Her research brought her in close contact with victims, Jones said, adding that she came to a new realization that no matter what the gender, race, social status, orientation or culture, everyone is vulnerable to predators.
The series will also present a musical performance by singer and songwriter Toshi Reagon, who will sing with her band BIGLovely on Jan. 22 and 23. Reagon is the daughter of Freedom Singers co-founders Bernice Johnson Reagon and Cordell Hull Reagon, a leader of the civil rights movement in Albany, N.Y. She grew up with music around her, she said, and traveled around the country with her parents singing “freedom” songs.
“I’ve been lucky to be around great musicians who dragged me around to give me access to the world,” Reagon said from her home in Brooklyn, N.Y. “The widest definition of my music is that it gets you through the day so that you live to fight another day.”
It will be Reagon’s debut at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. She said she appreciated the festival’s innovation and wanted to be a part of the community involvement.
“I love live performances,” she said. “It’s bringing people together and having them as strangers who can later become friends. It’s a beautiful thing to do.”
After performances, guests will be invited to Leatherby’s Cafe Rouge in the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall to meet festival artists and discuss their works. The restaurant has created a low-cost menu for audiences.
Two free Parties on the Plaza will be offered Saturday and Jan. 23, featuring live music, dancing and food-truck fare.
Tickets will be $25 except for the $39 admission to “Nufonia Must Fall,” which, according to the center’s website, is equal parts cinema, theater and musical concert, with puppeteers bringing the characters of Kid Koala’s graphic novel to life.
“I’ve seen the tapes and they all look exciting for different reasons,” Dwyer said. “You cannot imagine a greater contrast.”
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IF YOU GO
What: Off Center Festival
When: Saturday to Jan. 30
Where: Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
Cost: Most tickets are $25
Information: (714) 556-2787 or visit scfta.org.
