February 15, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Santa Monica College Play Selected For Kennedy Center Regional Festival:

Santa Monica College’s Theatre Arts Department has announced that its production of “The Old Lady Shows Her Medals” has been selected to participate in the prestigious 2014 Regional Kennedy Center/American College Theater Festival, which will be held Feb. 12-15 at the Los Angeles Theater Center (LATC).

“The Old Lady Shows Her Medals” is one of nine plays selected from 185 productions at 56 colleges and universities judged throughout the western region: Southern and Central California, Southern Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Hawaii.

Fundraising performances of the play will be held at Santa Monica College prior to the festival on Sunday and Monday, Feb. 2-3.

Performances will be at 8 pm in the SMC Theatre Arts Studio Stage on the main campus, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. Tickets are $20 in advance or $23 at the door (plus a modest service charge). For advance tickets, please see www.smc.edu/studiostage or call 310.434.4319 Monday through Friday.

“I am very thrilled about our nomination, and even more thrilled that our student actors are being recognized for their outstanding work,” said Theatre Arts Department adjunct professor Pat Train Gage, who directed “The Old Lady Shows Her Medals.” “I chose this piece because of my attraction to the work of J.M. Barrie, the author of ‘Peter Pan.’ Similar themes run through ‘The Old Lady Shows Her Medals’ as in ‘Peter Pan,’ especially when we hear the young Scottish soldier, played by Michael Kripchak, propose to the Old Lady, Mrs. Dowey, played by Mannnette Cogan. In Peter-and-Wendy fashion, the Scot proposes that the Old Lady become his mother. The play also depicts WWI as highly romanticized and propagandized, which is not like war today, where instant media coverage shows the true spoils of war right in our living rooms.”

Train Gage added, “It was a joy to work with the mix of younger and older actors in this production. The older students are professional women who have come to our campus to learn a new skill set. This is the beauty of the community college, where young and old alike can find common ground in education. Having students of all ages is one of the really great and satisfying things about teaching at SMC.”

Considered one of the most amusing and touching plays inspired by World War I, “The Old Lady Shows Her Medals” tells the tale of an old Scottish charwoman who invents a son, and finds to her surprise that a fine upstanding soldier adopts her as a mother. The power-packed 55-minute production takes the audience on an emotional rollercoaster ride as it examines the bonds, expectations, and playfulness in relationships between mothers and sons.

Train Gage has taught on the SMC Theatre Arts faculty for more than a decade. Her current instructional focus is on introducing students to the art of acting, and building self-confidence that will serve them on stage, as well as in everyday life. “The Old Lady Shows Her Medals” is the third production Train Gage has directed at SMC, where she directed the Studio Stage productions of “The Boys Next Door” in 2010, and “The Father” in 2008. She also currently serves as Vice President and Treasurer of the SMC Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1956 to help SMC students realize their dreams of a college education.

“The Old Lady Shows Her Medals” was originally performed at SMC in November 2013 with another one-act play, “A Piece of My Heart,” directed by Terrin Adair-Lynch. The regional competition performance of the play at LATC is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 15, at 10 am, 1 pm, and 5 pm.

SMC has a history of success at both the regional and national levels of the Kennedy Center/ACTF competitions.

This is the third year in a row that an SMC production has been selected for the regional festival. Last year, “Heart Mountain,” a drama about the struggles of a family in a World War II Japanese internment camp, was picked for the regional festival. The year before that, “Cesar and Ruben,” a musical about the life of civil rights leader Cesar Chavez, was selected for the regional festival.

Previous SMC productions selected for the regional festival include “Slavery,” written by then-student Jonathan Payne, in 2002; “Vanya” in 1999; and “Once on this Island” in 1997. “Slavery” and “Once on this Island” went on to the finals at the Kennedy Center.

in News
<>Related Posts

Country Club Donates $1M for Palisades Recovery

February 14, 2025

February 14, 2025

The club has encouraged members and partners to contribute to an established fund The Riviera Country Club has pledged $1...

UCLA Suspends Pro-Palestinian Student Groups Following Protest at UC Regent’s Home

February 14, 2025

February 14, 2025

Chancellor Cites Potential Student Code Violations; Student Groups Reject Allegations UCLA has suspended two pro-Palestinian student organizations following a protest...

Black History Greens Festival to Celebrate Community Legacy of Virginia Avenue Park

February 13, 2025

February 13, 2025

The free community event is part of Santa Monica’s Black History Month celebrations, with the 2025 theme, “Roots and Reflections:...

Flash Flood Warning Issued for Burn Areas, LAFD Officer Swept off Road by Debris

February 13, 2025

February 13, 2025

Storm Damage Closes Pacific Coast Highway, Officials Urge Caution Not even members of the LAFD are being spared from the...

Film Review: Love Hurts

February 13, 2025

February 13, 2025

FILM/ REVIEWLOVE HURTSRated R83 MinutesReleased February 7th Valentine’s Day is written all over this movie. Love Hurts seems to be...

New Map Tracks Palisades Cleanup Progress, Identifies Phase 1 and Phase 2 Areas

February 12, 2025

February 12, 2025

New interactive map helps residents track debris removal progress as officials emphasize unprecedented cleanup speed A newly released interactive map...

Santa Monica Hotel Event Space Offers Affordability, Accessibility

February 12, 2025

February 12, 2025

Elevate Your Events with Versatile Venues and Exceptional Service Coastal stays and eclectic event spaces don’t have to be expensive....

Santa Monica Arson Suspect Arrested After String of Fires Across City

February 12, 2025

February 12, 2025

Authorities used aerial drone technology to assist in the investigation A man was arrested Saturday in connection with a string...

Tai Chain to Donate Santa Monica Grand Opening Proceeds to Wildfire-Affected Restaurants

February 12, 2025

February 12, 2025

The restaurant’s U.S. presence began in Arcadia, Calif., in 2000, and has since expanded to 17 locations  Din Tai Fung,...

SMMUSD Makes Rain-Related Announcement About Malibu Schools This Week

February 12, 2025

February 12, 2025

Road Closures and Flood Warnings Force the School District’s Hand All four public schools in Malibu will be closed on...

(Video) The Willows Students Bring a 50-Foot Dragon to Life Through Art and Teamwork

February 12, 2025

February 12, 2025

Kristy Acero, The Willows DK-4th Grade Art teacher, led her students in a large-scale, collaborative project, with each grade creating...

Man Sues Famous Marina del Rey Bar for Alleged Assault

February 12, 2025

February 12, 2025

The plaintiff is seeking compensatory and punitive damages By Zach Armstrong A patron has sued Brennan’s Pub in Marina del...

Phase 2 Debris Removal Underway in Palisades, Officials Tout Historic Recovery Speed

February 12, 2025

February 12, 2025

Residents Urged to Submit ROE Forms as Crews Accelerate Debris Removal Efforts Crews have begun Phase 2 of debris removal...

Powerful Storm to Bring Heavy Rains, Possible Debris Flow to Los Angeles

February 12, 2025

February 12, 2025

Officials Warn of Risks, Urge Residents to Prepare for Severe Weather A Pacific storm system is expected to bring widespread...

One of Palisades’ First Black Homeowners Seeks Support After Fire Destroys Home

February 11, 2025

February 11, 2025

Now displaced, she faces uncertainty in finding stable housing Nearly $42,000 has been raised for Louvenia Jenkins, a 97-year-old woman...