Saturday, May 31, 2008

Pacific Resident Theater - Venice

Pacific Resident Theater Presents Saroyan's THE TIME OF YOUR LIFEPacific Resident Theater - VeniceThe Time of Your Life - Original Broadway Photograph

Pacific Resident Theater - Venice

The Time of Your Life by William Saroyan

From Wikipedia:

In March 2008, on the 100th anniversary of Saroyan's birth, the play was performed at the Pacific Resident Theater in Venice, CA. It was directed by Matt McKenzie and produced by Matthew Solari. The cast featured Robb Derringer as Joe, Matt McTighe as Tom, Shiva Rose as Kitty Duval, Christopher Shaw as Nick, Lee DeBroux as Kit Carson, Will Rothhaar as Newsboy/Sailor, Steve Markus as Arab/Society Man, Sarah Zinnser as Killer/Ma/Society Woman, Andrew Ebert as Dudley, Nick Rogers as Harry, Vince Melocchi as McCarthy, Dan Kozlowski as Krupp, Michael Redfield as Wesley, Rebecca Crandall as Mary L., Cheryl Dooley as Lorene/Elsie, Dennis Madden as the Drunk, William Lithgow as Blick, Corey Craig as Anna, and Norman Scott as Willie. Norman Scott designed the set, Michael Redfield designed the lights, and Alexander Enberg designed the sound.

Aram Saroyan, the son of William Saroyan, saw the production at Pacific Resident Theatre. His widely circulated email was this:

From: Aram Saroyan

Date: 4/11/2008 9:19:05 AM

Subject: The Time of Your Life

Last night I saw the Pacific Resident Theater's new production of "The Time of Your Life," a play I've seen many times over the years, and somehow it was all new. This is the most intimate and nuanced production I've seen: the actors never slide into generalities, each moment is mined. And sometimes silences comes into play the way it does in music.

It opened on Broadway in 1939 and it's as if it opened last night. The Time of Your Life eased the way for everybody from Tennessee Williams to Ionesco. It's a big American jazz poem--but intimate, the way Ellington is. It will swing you into bad/good health.

Go see it while it lasts.

Aram