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Time to get yourself and/or your kids signed up for a fun, exciting learning experience

Rubicon offers process-oriented acting classes for kids (beginning at age five) and adults. These programs focus on developing skills and technique, basic theatre terminology, building confidence and stage presence, learning proper voice techniques and developing an awareness of body language through character work, and other fundamental techniques through improvisation, scene study and theatre games. Participants are encouraged to increase their comfort zone and participate at their own pace.

Classes provide participants the opportunity to study with “teaching artists.” Teaching artists are working theatre professionals who hold a high level degree or experience in voice and speech, acting, playwriting, Shakespeare, movement or audition techniques. With an average class size of 16, these courses offer close interaction and individual attention and culminate with a final presentation of the student’s work for family and friends.

Acting (Ages 5-7): A perfect introduction to the world of theatre! Students play imagination games and learn the elements of storytelling.

Acting (Ages 8-12): This is an introductory class that exposes students to scripted scenes and monologues. Students will learn memorization techniques, stage presence, listening and working together with a scene partner as they work on contemporary scripted material.

Acting (Ages 13-18): These fast-paced classes are challenging and great fun. In a nurturing environment, students learn self-assurance while acquiring intermediate acting skills

Acting (Ages 19+): This very popular class looks to further student’s skills or try acting for the first time. Students focus on script analysis, character development, memorization techniques and stage presence while learning how to free the voice and body for individual expression.

Brian McDonald (Education and Outreach Director) is the instructor for the classes. He has directed many of Rubicon Theatre’s (and other theatre’s). As an actor Brian was honored to receive a Mayor’s Arts Award as “Emerging Artist” from the City of San Buenaventura.

Brian has been on staff at Rubicon since 2002 and served as Production Manager and Associate Producer before becoming the Company’s first Education and Outreach Director. Brian is a B.F.A. graduate of the Boston Conservatory of Music, Dance and Theatre.

Individual attention is given to each student and each class culminates in a final presentation for parents, family and friends.

Prices of classes range from $180-$240. To read more about specific class information, such as dates, pricing and class descriptions, and to register for classes please visit the Education and Outreach section at www.rubicontheatre.org or call 667-2912 ext. 234. Classes start on March 4.

Tickets on sale now for the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy’s Film Festival

Tickets are on sale now for the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy’s (VHC) 8th annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival (WSFF). Held high on the hill at Ventura’s Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill Rd., on Friday and Saturday, March 3 and 4, the WSFF offers audiences the chance to enjoy a series of award-winning short films that celebrate the beauty and bounty of our natural world.

This very popular annual event brings a national tour of award-winning independent short films to Ventura for two nights only. Highlights of this year’s film lineup, which differs each night, include: river rafting with President Jimmy Carter, swimming upstream with a wild salmon, scaling the Seven Summits with a female Bangladeshi adventurer and the hiking 60 miles in Utah’s back country with Genghis Khan, an articulate “desert dawg” and his owner.

In addition to viewing films, attendees also enjoy live music, special guests, popcorn, home baked cookies, food, beer, wine and the chance to win high-end raffle items that include original artwork, outdoor gear, dining-out certificates and more.

“The Wild and Scenic Film Festival helps connect the Conservancy’s work to the greater global environmental movement,” said Derek Poultney, VHC Executive Director. “The films are beautiful, educational, inspirational and just plain fun.”

Ticket prices are $20 for General Admission or $35 for “Silver Circle” seats. “Silver Circle” tickets include reserved seating plus one drink ticket for a glass of beer or wine. The festival also serves as a membership drive for VHC. For $50, purchasers receive a one-year VHC membership plus two General Admission tickets or for $100, they receive a one-year VHC membership plus two “Silver Circle” tickets.

The WSFF is supported by donations from several local businesses and community organizations. To purchase tickets, visit www.venturahillsides.org/events. For more information or to become an event sponsor, call VHC at 643-8044.

Mammoth skull to be studied

Scientists have begun their research and preservation of the mammoth skull that was excavated in September on Santa Rosa Island.

The public is invited to attend, and will also have opportunities to observe researchers who will be working on the mammoth skull every Saturday and Monday afternoon, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm, throughout the month of February, at the at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.

“The museum is excited to share this intriguing discovery. This mammoth find is of high scientific importance as it appears to have been on the Channel Islands at nearly the same time as humans,” stated Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History President and CEO Luke Swetland.

U.S. Geological Survey geologists have dated charcoal samples adjacent to the specimen to approximately 13,000 years. The dating is significant, since it coincides with the age of Arlington Man, the oldest human skeletal remains in North America. Similar soil samples will also be analyzed to give researchers more information.

The National Park Service, The Mammoth Site, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History are working in close partnership to protect and preserve the mammoth specimen and conduct a multidisciplinary research process, which is expected to occur over the next few years.

Channel Islands National Park Superintendent Russell Galipeau said, “The National Park Service is very grateful to be working in partnership with the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and the Mammoth Site to conduct research on this rare mammoth skull, in an effort to uncover some mysteries associated with mammoth migration, the downsizing to a pygmy form, and the eventual disappearance of mammoths from the Channel Islands.”

Mammoths roamed the continent of North America beginning approximately two million years ago, with Columbian mammoths appearing a million years later. It is believed that the Columbian mammoths migrated to the Channel Islands during the past two ice ages when sea levels were lower and the island land mass was closer to the mainland coast.

Ventura gallery focuses on young area artists

Works by young local artists will fill Buenaventura Art Association’s downtown Ventura gallery for the next few weeks, thanks to three concurrent shows to run until March 11.

Entries in the 11th annual Collegiate Student Art Competition will be presented in the main gallery, three student winners of the last year’s BAA contest will have the Red Wall section, and a special Focus on the Masters exhibition of art by area students will be in the Clophine Dooley Gallery.

BAA’s yearly Emerging Artist Cup competition for students at a Ventura County college or university awards $3,000 in prizes: $800 for first place, $600 for second, and $350 for third in the form of scholarships to their schools; plus five honorable mentions that include $250 gift cards for art supplies. The prizes are sponsored by the Scripps Howard Foundation, Jessica and Stanley Prescott Trust, and others.

Top prize winners also get a free, one-year membership in BAA and no competition entry fees for a year.

The juror for this show is Bob Privitt, a Thousand Oaks artist and professor emeritus at Pepperdine University, where he taught art for 25 years. The awards will be announced at a gallery reception 3-5 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 18.

The Focus on the Masters show will feature art by local elementary and middle school students from its 2016 in-school Learning to See outreach program. These classes are taught by Aimee French.

Buenaventura Gallery, 700 E. Santa Clara St., is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. For more about the artists’ cooperative group and its programs, visit the Buenaventura Art Association website, www.buenaventuragallery.org, or call 648-1235 during gallery hours.

Antiquarians discuss history at Ventura County Museum

The panel was moderated by Megan Gately.

by Randal Beeman

On Wednesday, February 1st the Ventura County Museum hosted the first installment of its “Speaking of Ventura County” series, an 8 week program featuring local scholars discussing matters related to the county’s past. Among the future lectures are presentations on agricultural water use, travel writing, Ventura County’s Mexican-American community in the 1920s, and a talk on the Ventura School for Girls.

The series commenced with a session entitled “The Real Thing: The Value of Primary Resource Material in Research Today,” Charles Johnson, the Research Library Director at the Ventura County Museum, Michael Redmon, Director of Research at the Santa Barbara County Museum, and Frank Barajas, Chair of the History Department at CSU-Channel Islands, took turns addressing their own careers, the importance of primary source materials, and some of the challenges they have encountered in preserving history in Ventura County.

Johnson noted that without primary source research the public would rarely get new insights into the past as historians would simply repeat other authors instead of delving into new sources or new interpretations of historical events. Johnson and Redmon also lamented that aspiring scholars and even accomplished researchers have become accustomed to conducting all of their research on the internet. In fact, much of the historical record has yet to be digitized due to the immense cost of digitizing materials and the time involved in converting records into new formats,

Barajas spoke of how his passion for primary source research helped connect him to Alice McGrath, a communist civil rights activist who fought for the rights of Mexican-American youth during the infamous Sleepy Lagoon Trial during World War II. Redmon talked about a collection he acquired and processed from an early 20th century diabetes researcher who did some of the initial work using insulin to treat the disease. His clinic eventually evolved into the world renowned Samsung clinic.

All of the scholars agreed that capturing and maintaining digital documents and resources will be a challenge for future archivists, and the lack of space and resources are always problems in the public history business. The librarians continued with a discussion of some of the frustrations they encounter with individual researchers, with a common theme being that the public and scholars themselves are often unaware of the service librarians provide.

Members of the public can be indirect and vague when asking about what they are seeking in the collection. The panel, moderated by Ventura County Museum Education Director Megan Gately, encouraged the audience to appreciate the value of primary source material in providing fresh interpretations of the past. Approximately 50 people attended the event.

Mental health first aid classes

Mental Health First Aid is a public education program that can help individuals across the community understand mental illnesses, support timely intervention and save lives. Whilst many people already go to physical-based first aid courses, this is hoped to bridge the gap and address the other side of health that is less discussed. The two part 8-hour course, hosted by the Ventura Police Department and Ventura County Behavioral Health, will be held March 7 & 8 from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Ventura Police Department located at 1425 Dowell Drive in Ventura.

Participants will learn about common mental health and substance use disorders, warning signs and symptoms of mental health problems, potential risk factors, local resources and support. The course also introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health concerns, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common treatments. The course uses role-playing and simulations to demonstrate how to assess a mental health crisis, select interventions and provide initial help. It also provides information on how to connect persons to professional, peer and social supports as well as self-help resources. Remember it’s always important to connect a struggling person to the correct professional instead of leaving it to yourself or another untrained individual, which is why it’s important to get in touch with a mental health therapist.

Mental Health First Aid allows for early detection and intervention by teaching participants about the signs and symptoms of specific illnesses like anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and addiction. The program offers concrete tools and answers key questions like “What can I do?” and “Where can someone find help?” Participants are introduced to local mental health resources, national organizations, support groups, and online tools for mental health and addictions treatment and support.

There is no cost for the course. Funding comes through Ventura County Behavioral Health. To register please email Mary Ellen Collins, Certified Trainer: [email protected] or call 657-4408. To learn more about Mental Health First Aid visit: www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org .

Ten artists selected for FOTM formal documentation

Don Bachardy will be a featured FOTM artist.

Focus on the Masters (FOTM) is pleased to announce that ten artists have been selected for FOTM formal documentation by a distinguished jury for the 2017 season. An artist will be featured monthly beginning with Jane Mulfinger, on Sunday, February 19 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. as part of FOTM’s popular Artist Spotlight interview series, now in its twenty-second year. Each artist’s interview will be filmed before a studio audience at Levity Live, 591 Collection Blvd., located at the Collection in Oxnard.

“The Levity Live venue is perfect! We could not have asked for a better location!” exclaimed founder and executive director Donna Granata. “Not only is it a state-of-the-art nightclub that meets all our technical needs, the location will offer our patrons a comfortable place to experience our programming while enjoying delicious food and beverages.”

The nine artists have been selected for formal documentation owing to the artists’ mastery of their craft, respect from their peers and their historic role in the life of our artistic heritage.

The series will kick off the season with A Conversation with Jane Mulfinger on Sunday, February 19 at 4:00 p.m. Mulfinger uses site-specific installations, performance and sculpture to examine and comment on the human condition.

Admission to the Artist Spotlight interviews is free for FOTM members; general admission is $10, seniors and students with valid ID $5. Guests with military ID attend free of charge. For membership information, visit www.FocusOnTheMasters.com.

To support the costs associated with the documentation of each artist, FOTM enlists the help of generous donors who wish to sponsor or co-sponsor a Spotlight Interview. Full sponsorship is $1,200; co-sponsorship is $600. AfterGLOW Special Events will be planned after each interview. February’s AfterGLOW will take place at Copper Blues, Levity Live’s on-site specialty restaurant. If you would like to sponsor an artist or host an AfterGLOW in your home, call Mary Galbraith at 653.2501 or contact FOTM by email at [email protected].

Temple Beth Torah

Temple Beth Torah presents “The Magic of Purim Carnival.” The theme for this year’s carnival is magic; those who attend are encouraged to dress in costume for the theme but by no means is dressing up a requirement. The location for the carnival is at Temple Beth Torah – 7620 Foothill Rd. The date of the carnival is Sunday March 12th, from 10:00 am – 12:30 pm. Admission is $12 per child and $10 for siblings. Activities at the event will include a Magic Show, Rockwall/Bungee Jump, Jolly Jump, Games & Prizes, Glow Room, Face Painting, and much more! Pizza, salad, snacks, and homemade baked goods will be available for purchase as well.

For more information contact 647-3798.

Ventura surfing champion Mary Osborne to serve as Grand Marshal of St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Osborne was the first woman to ride China’s Qiantang River tidal bore.

Champion long boarder and professional surfer Mary Osborne will serve as Grand Marshal when the annual Ventura County St. Patrick’s Day Parade marches up Street for the 29th time in downtown Ventura on Saturday, March 11.

The theme of this year’s parade, which begins in front of Mission San Buenaventura at 10 a.m., is “The Sporting Life: The Games We Play.”

While best known for her athletic endeavors – in 2010 the Ventura resident became the first woman to ride China’s Qiantang River tidal bore, the largest and fastest bore in the world – Osborne also is a women’s sports advocate, environmentalist, writer, model, TV personality and businesswoman. She has been ambassador to the United Nations Environmental Safe Campaign, the 5 Gyres Institute, Project Save Our Surf, a Patagonia ambassador, and in 2015 was guest of honor at the Women’s Sports Foundation’s annual event.

The whole county will be turning out in green on Main Street. Last year’s parade drew over 90 entries, including floats sponsored by civic groups, nonprofits and local businesses and restaurants; marching bands; car clubs; horses; clowns and the Biggest Green Pig in the World. There also will be high school pep bands, youth groups and fun-loving adult groups entered in the parade.

In the spirit of this year’s parade theme, the organizing committee also encourages Ventura County teams from all sports and from every age group to join in the parade. That includes school teams, Little League and adult league baseball teams, football, softball, soccer and basketball teams. Individual sports enthusiasts such as skateboarders, golfers, bowlers and swimmers also are invited.

The Ventura County St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which ends at Laurel Street, is presented by the Ventura Elks Lodge #1430. The event’s committee is accepting entries for the parade. For entry forms or more information about the parade, visit www.venturastpatricksdayparade.com, email Jim Monahan at [email protected] or call him at 643-4275 or email Nan Drake at [email protected].

Vol. 10, No. 10 – February 15 – February 28, 2017 – A View from House Seats

Camarillo Playhouse makes Much of Much Ado About Nothing
by Shirley Lorraine

The wisdom, humor and wit of The Bard merrily graces the Camarillo Skyway Playhouse stage in Much Ado About Nothing, considered to be one of Shakespeare’s best comedies. Penned toward the middle of his career, Much Ado glides forward with charm to warm the hearts of all Bard fans, and those new to the works as well.

The plot involves classic mistaken identities, prank-playing, mischievous behavior and, of course, unrequited love and wronged lovers for whom all is well in the end. The quick pace is set early on through rapid-fire repartee and action. The entire cast is fully immersed in the jocular style which has delighted audiences for hundreds of years.

For her directorial debut, accomplished Ventura County actor Vivien Latham has assembled a stellar cast, all of whom deliver delightful performances. No novice to Shakespeare’s works herself, Latham set the action in the Jane Austen era which worked beautifully with the timeless material. The cast maintains such a lively pace, one almost expects the cast to burst into Gilbert and Sullivan type song at any moment.

The enchanting female leads Beatrice (Genevieve Levin) and Hero (Dawn Notagiacomo) are well matched by R. Shane Bingham as Benedick and David White as Claudio. The four play off of each other extremely well. They are well met by a highly capable supporting cast including Brandy Jones as the maid Margaret, Mark Heulitt as Leonato and Scott Blanchard as Don Pedro.

Adding superb comedic touches are Robert Reeves as Dogberry and his band of watchmen. Reeves’ verbal timing is especially spot-on throughout. The running gags alone are priceless.

In every work there must be a character of villainous nature and this role is well filled by Brian Kolb as Don John, Don Pedro’s illegitimate brother, who employs several unsuspecting scapegoats to stage the scene falsely accusing the fair Hero of being less than pure the night before her wedding.

Costuming is credited to Erin Heulitt, who has assembled a visually pleasing and colorful array of costumes that not only look terrific, but accent and compliment the actors’ movements as well. The garden setting by Dean Johnson also contributes to the overall visual beauty. Multiple settings were able to be visualized without a change of scenery. Masterful.

Much Ado… is simply a delightful production. It would be an excellent introduction to Shakespeare for anyone unfamiliar with, or frightened of, the works. A number of the actors profess to be new to performing Shakespeare although no hesitancy was detected as all rose to the task admirably. No doubt this experience will encourage them to tackle even more challenges on local stages.

Much Ado About Nothing runs Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m., Sundays, 2 p.m. through March 5.

Camarillo Skyway Playhouse
330 Skyway Drive, Camarillo
Camarillo Airport
388-5716 or [email protected]

Adults $20, Students, seniors and military, $15, Under 12, $10

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