Players’ new season may be live or live-streamed
Palo Alto Players Artistic Director Patrick Klein chose an unusual spot for a video message about the theater company’s upcoming “reimagined” season: a bedroom in his home.
While he and managing director Elizabeth Santana are each sequestered in their homes, they wanted to spread the word about their expectations for restarting performances in September. The video is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q3NHA7L4bY&feature=youtu.be
“With cautious optimism and a spirit of innovation, our new lineup of shows is designed to withstand these uncertain times,” says Santana.
Klein echoes Santana’s hopefulness and says that the venerable theater company—now in its 90th season—is “weathering the storm. Our new motto is ‘Be nimble, be flexible and adapt.’ We had to take a hard look at what we think might be possible for next season, with safety being our No. 1 priority.”
Klein the five shows in the upcoming season will either be live-streamed over the internet or live at Lucie Stern Theater. There’s also a third possibility, giving patrons a choice to see a show in person but socially distanced or to watch it via video.
The updated 2020-21 season begins with “An Act of God,” written by “Daily Show” head writer David Javerbaum and running Sept. 4-20.
In November, the Players will mount the Peninsula premiere of “Allegiance” by George Takei of “Star Trek” and social media fame; the musical depicts Takei’s experience in a Japanese internment camp in World War II. “Men on Boats,” written by Jaclyn Backhaus, opens in mid-January 2021, and Klein says it features “no men and no boats.” It’s described as a 21st-century telling of a story about a 19th-century American explorer.
Roald Dahl’s “Matilda the Musical,” which had a run at Contra Costa Musical Theatre earlier this year, is scheduled to open next April. This production had been in rehearsal for three weeks when the coronavirus shut down theaters everywhere in March. Klein says nearly all of the original cast will be back when it opens in 2021.
The company’s season closes with William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” next June. It will be performed by “our friends from the Gunn High School community,” according to Santana.
The company will follow whatever state and local mandates regarding gatherings are in effect at the time, adds Klein. But he promises, “The show must go on!”
Tickets go on sale in August for “An Act of God” and in October for the remainder of the season. At that time subscriptions can be purchased at paplayers.org or 650-329-0891. Five-show subscriptions and “flex” subscriptions for five tickets will be offered, with discounts available for seniors, educators, military and anyone under 30.