Feathers, Teeth & Words, Words, Words

A spooky, scary monster play for Halloween, and studying Shakespeare with Bill Peters make for an exciting October at Actors' Theatre!

Feathers & Teeth opens October 16 and plays through the 31st. Get Tickets HERE.

Director Miguel Reyna shares his thoughts on our fourth Halloween production.

Why this play for the October show?

Miguel: Charise Castro Smith has written a clever and twisted piece of theater, tailor-made for directors with warped sensibilities like mine. She's woven a thought-provoking, funny, gruesome horror-dramedy. I've been holding onto this play for several years, waiting for the right time and place to produce it.

What's it about?

This play is a brilliant and bent examination of human grief, teen angst, and the toll they take on a fractured family. Plus a few genuinely scary monsters!

What drew you to this script?

It resonated with me on a deeply personal level. Having lost a parent at a young age and experienced a surviving parent remarrying shortly after, I found the desperation and irrational behavior of a grieving young person remarkably true to life. It represents how pain and domestic disruption can manifest as a literal and psychological monster. It effectively explores the friction in blended families and the facade of the 1970s nuclear family.

Anything else?

The cast and I had such a fun time working on this. Feathers & Teeth stars Jay Lokey, Ben Canant, Jennifer Deon Stanford and Toby Nolazco. They put so much hard work and dedication into these characters. There was so much to explore. I’d also like to thank this mastermind crew and designers for making the show look so great, and Santa Cruz Actors’ Theatre for entrusting me once again to helm their annual Halloween show.

Bill Peters returns for another Shakespeare workshop, starting October 19.

Sign up HERE.

The brilliant Bill Peters will once again guide a lucky group of actors through mastering the intricacies of Shakespearian text.

Why a workshop on Shakespeare?

Bill: Paul Robinson, an English director once said, “English is the only language that you can’t translate Shakespeare into.” Many actors and directors come to rely on substituting subtext for Shakespeare’s actual language as they work through the plays in rehearsal. The result is vague, watered-down performances that are confusing to audiences.

What will participants learn in this workshop?

The workshop is designed to help actors and directors master the intricacies of Shakespearian text. Over the course of 8 sessions, we will explore the nature of Shakespeare’s theatrical imagination, and the linguistic tools he used to create his themes, plots and characters. The work will consist of studying and performing various monologues and scenes from his collected works.

Do you have to already know Shakespeare to take it?

Not at all. I've designed it to serve actors and directors who have experience performing Shakespeare, as well as those who don’t. Folks who are Shakespeare-phobic are particularly welcome!

The 8-week workshop will be on Mondays, October 19 through December 7, from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm. There are still a few slots left so sign up soon!