Santa Monica Repertory Theater will launch its first theater festival called WaveFest Saturday night at the Church in Ocean Park.
WaveFest will comprise of three “waves” of short plays over six weekends through Oct. 13.
Centered on the theme “Go West,” the plays will explore many stories of the Westside and Southern California through the lens of history, neighborhood, cultural group, myths, and the entertainment industry.
Plays will include pieces by contemporary Los Angeles and Santa Monica playwrights along with staged snippets of fiction and poetry by well-known writers with deep local connections, including Bertolt Brecht and Raymond Chandler.
The plays will be interspersed with other live entertainment including music, poetry, and dance.
Santa Monica residents Eric Bloom, Jen Bloom, and Sarah Gurfield founded Santa Monica Rep in 2010.
Its inaugural offering was a series of highly popular staged play readings at the Santa Monica Main Library.
The company has gone on to produce a series of well-received fully staged productions: an inventive adaptation of “The Tempest” at the Annenberg Beach House; David Auburn’s “Proof” at the Church in Ocean Park; “How I Learned to Drive” at The Santa Monica Little Theater; and a recent sold-out run of the riotous comedy, “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged” at The Promenade Playhouse.
Santa Monica Rep’s mission is to establish and sustain a professional, regional theater in Santa Monica.
They produce classic and contemporary plays by great storytellers and present them in fresh, dynamic ways.
The company utilizes the unique capabilities of theater to engage their audience in an on-going conversation about relevant themes. They aim to serve the community by providing outreach and education, and through enriching cultural events.
WaveFest will be performed according to the following schedule:
• Wave 1: Saturdays and Sundays Sept. 7 & 8 and Sept. 14 &15.
• Wave 2: Saturday and Sunday Sept. 21 & 22 and Sept. 28 & 29.
• Wave 3: Friday and Sunday Oct. 4 & 6; Saturday and Sunday Oct. 12 & 13.
Performance times are Saturdays at 7 pm and 9 pm; Sundays at 7 pm.
Tickets are $20, and may be purchased in advance at www.SantaMonicaRep.org or by calling 213.268.1454.
