Director Paul Lazarus had never heard of the bracero program, which brought skilled Mexican farm laborers legally into the United States from 1942-64. But when his assistant Andy Martinez described the subject, Lazarus knew he had the perfect context for a new approach to John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men.” Lazarus’ production opens this weekend at the Pasadena Playhouse.
“I had been casting around to do a new version of an American classic for Sheldon Epps,” Lazarus said. Epps, the artistic director of the Pasadena Playhouse, rejected some of Lazarus’ ideas. “He said it was too soon to try ‘Death of a Salesman’ since Brian Dennehy had done such an outstanding job with the role (of Willy Loman).”
Epps suggested “Of Mice and Men”; Lazarus wasn’t excited at first. But when Lazarus settled on the idea of setting the rural California drama in the early 1940s, about five years later than its original period, and transforming most of its characters into Mexican and Mexican-American laborers, all the elements seemed to fall into place, the director said.
“When I read about it, I got revved up. I went looking for a book of photos of the era. I found one by Richard Steven Street called ‘Photographing Farm Workers in California.’ They were beautiful and descriptive photos by Dorothea Lange and others. Once I found that I got really jazzed. The original story is full of class issues, but they’re very translatable to these kinds of characters.”

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I eavesdropped on Jason Alexander last night at the opening of “Flora, the Red Menace.” Alexander runs the Reprise Theatre Company, and “Flora” is the kind of show — offbeat, seldom seen, provocative — that Alexander wants to feature. He was excited by the star-studded cast, especially O.C. native Eden Espinosa, who plays Flora. “Isn’t she great?” he said to his intermission companion, actress Sharon Lawrence, who’s a frequent player on Southern California stages herself.

Espinosa isn’t a perfect fit for the role, but she has her memorable moments. Read my review.

Think you’ve got what it takes to be “one singular sensation”? The Ahmanson Theatre is holding a contest to promote its upcoming production of “A Chorus Line.” Details here:

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Remember Garth Drabinsky, the man behind “Ragtime”? A decade ago, the ambitious Canadian impresario seemed poised to change the musical theater world.

Drabinsky’s decline has been spectacular. Here’s the latest on his wrongdoings, as reported in the Toronto Star.

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I just heard that Lauren Gunderson, a 26-year-old Atlanta native whose play, “Emilie,” was read Friday at South Coast Repertory’s Pacific Playwrights Festival, was offered a second commission by SCR. Gunderson told me that SCR literary manager Megan Monaghan made the offer Saturday.

That’s a pretty big deal for someone so young and relatively unknown — a seal of approval from one of the country’s most respected producers of new plays.

My profile of Gunderson and her experience at this year’s PPF will appear tomorrow on ocregister.com. I’ll post the link here as soon as I’m able.

I was a fly on the wall last Friday at South Coast Repertory’s 11th annual Pacific Playwrights Festival. It’s a tricky event to cover — critics shouldn’t review the plays being read, since they’re not finished (and, indeed, might be picked up by SCR for full production in a future season). I was there to cover young playwright Lauren Gunderson and get a feel for the initial reaction to her new play, “Emilie — The Marquise du Châtelet Defends Her Life at the Petit Théâtre at Cirey Tonight .” (My piece on Gunderson comes out Wednesday in the Register as a Morning Read.)

Seen and heard:

- MacArthur “genius” winner Lynn Nottage, looking pleased as she stood on the sunny patio and positive talk about her new script, “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark,” buzzed around her. The reading had run long, necessitating a half-hour delay for Gunderson’s reading, but nobody seemed to mind.

- Gunderson huddling with director Kate Whoriskey, who had just shepherded her much-revised script over a hectic four-day rehearsal period (Gunderson substantially rewrote the script in an all-night marathon session after the first rehearsal). “Are you nervous?” Whoriskey asked. “A little,” said the usually-confident Gunderson.

- “Is this the ’will call’ line?” somebody asked the last one in a 20-person queue at the ticket booth. “No,” came the reply. “It’s sold out. We’re hoping for no-shows.” That’s a pretty impressive turnout for Gunderson, a 26-year-old who’s a virtual unknown in these parts.

- New York Times theater critic Charles Isherwood, sitting in the back row of the Argyros Stage moments before the lights dimmed for the beginning of “Emilie,” looking suitably East Coast-y and stern. “I don’t know what he’s planning to write,” said SCR publicist Jeff Weiser. “Not a review, I hope.”

I sat in on a rehearsal of Lauren Gunderson’s new play, “Emilie,”  yesterday at Costa Mesa’s South Coast Repertory. It’s part of the 11th annual Pacific Playwrights Festival, a three-day, 18-performance donnybrook of readings and one lightly staged production (the world premieres currently playing on SCR’s two stages, Richard Greenberg’s “The Injured Party” and Kate Robin’s “What They Have,” are considered part of the festival line-up, too.)

Gunderson, a self-assured 25-year-old wunderkind who’s been a professional playwright for several years, told me she had completely rewritten the script earlier this week in a marathon all-night session; she didn’t seem any worse for the wear when I talked to her yesterday. Gunderson’s play stars the delightful Emily Bergl (above) as an 18th-century French noblewoman — a brilliant, puckish feminist centuries ahead of her time who carries on a long-term affair with Enlightenment thinker Voltaire, played by Daniel Blinkoff. Kate Whoriskey directs the reading, which also features the always-enjoyable SCR regular Linda Gehringer. There’s one reading only: today at 3:30 p.m. on SCR’s Argyros Stage.

I’ll profile Gunderson in a Morning Read on May 7. Look for it on the Register’s front page.

I ran into Ric Salinas and Herbert Siguenza, two members of Culture Clash, a few days ago at the Geffen Playhouse. They were thrilled at the success of “Culture Clash in AmeriCCA” at South Coast Repertory, and Salinas hinted that they’re already working on something new for the Costa Mesa theater. (Clash member Richard Montoya is already chipping away at a script.) It’s good to see them back in O.C.  after a shamefully long absence of almost a decade — they used to be  regular fixtures at SCR.

One of the O.C.-specific sketches in the Clash show concerned the strange husband-and-wife team who ran Club Amnesty, that infamous swingers retreat in Orange. The place recently closed down after a rash of negative publicity, including several stories in the Register and the OC Weekly.

“We were made aware of them through a board member at SCR,” Salinas said. (No, they never found out who he or she was — the information was relayed to them by SCR artistic director David Emmes.) “We thought it was too good to pass up.”

Salinas seemed a bit sad that Club Amnesty is no more, and slightly concerned that CC’s skit might have initiated its demise. “They were a nice couple. I just hope we didn’t start something.”

This weekend’s 11th annual Pacific Playwrights Festival at South Coast Repertory combines some of the most familiar names in American theater with relative newcomers, including one lucky student playwright.
Lauren Gunderson (above), a graduate student at New York University, is the author of the play with the windiest title at this year’s festival: “Emelie – The Marquise du Châtelet Defends Her Life at the Petit Théâtre at Cirey Tonight.” It will be presented in a staged reading on Friday. The heroine of Gunderson’s play is based on an obscure but brilliant 18th-century noblewoman who carried on a lifelong affair with Enlightenment writer and philosopher Voltaire.
“Lauren tends to write on historical subjects, and a lot of her plays deal directly or indirectly with science,” said John Glore, SCR’s associate artistic director, who helped organize this year’s festival. She’s a unique voice – I can’t think of another writer to compare her to.”
Gunderson shares the marquee with some household names. SCR favorite Amy Freed is represented by “You, Nero,” which like much of her work is rooted in historical fact but finds many points of fanciful departure. Freed speculates on what went on behind the scenes as the Roman Empire’s most infamous ruler presided over the burning of his capitol.
The festival also features a new play by Lynn Nottage, whose last play at SCR was “Intimate Apparel.” Nottage’s “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark” examines the role of African-Americans in Golden Age Hollywood through the tangled relationship of a mega-star and her longtime maid.
Two fully produced world premieres, both part of SCR’s regular season, are included in the festival line-up: Richard Greenberg’s “The Injured Party” and Kate Robin’s “What They Have.”
This is the first festival in which all seven plays are SCR-commissioned, Glore said. “I’d say there’s a fairly strong chance that the two remaining empty slots (in next season’s schedule) will be filled with plays from this festival,” Glore said. “We’re pretty excited by all of them.”
Here’s the schedule for this year’s Pacific Playwrights Festival:

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So when Orange County native Eden Espinosa landed the title role in the Reprise Theater Company production of Kander and Ebb’s first musical, “Flora the Red Menace,” she immediately started listening to Liza Minnelli, right? It was the performance that put Judy Garland’s young daughter on the map back in 1965, after all.

Nope.

“I didn’t listen to her,” Espinosa told me. “I actually made a point not to do it. They did a revival in1987. That’s the one I listened to — not only because it was the version we were doing but (because) I didnt want to have Liza’s sound in my head. I’ m not like her at all. I didn’t want to put pressure on myself to recreate her sound or style. To this day I haven’t heard Liza sing any of the songs. Maybe when I’m done!”

Reprise’s “Flora” opens next week in Los Angeles. Read my interview with Espinosa online soon.