Courtesy photo
CAMARILLO — What happens when one member of a family is a zombie? Or when some relatives decide that a family reunion is a perfect time to spill some family secrets?
As we enter the season of family holidays, CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI)’s Performing Arts program presents a collection of short plays exploring culture, language and what gets lost in translation in “Acts and Actos: An Evening of Short Plays in English, Spanish and Spanglish.”
“We’re trying to reach out to everyone we can,” said Performing Arts-Theatre Lecturer Laura Covault, who directed four of the seven plays in the show. “A couple of them are serious dramas, some are just for laughs.”
Shows start at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, Nov. 30-Dec. 2 in Malibu Hall on the CSUCI campus. The performance is free for CSUCI students, $10 for faculty and staff, $5 for non-CSUCI students and $15 for the general public.
The short plays include “Food for the Dead,” by Latina playwright Josefina Lopez, author of “Real Women Have Curves,” which was made into a movie in 2002. “Food for the Dead” is produced by special arrangement with The Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Ill.
Covault directed the play, which explores the Mexican tradition of putting up an altar with food in honor of dead relatives for “Dia de los Muertos,” or “Day of the Dead.”
Also included is “Night of the Living Relatives” by Judy Klass, a post-apocalyptic zombie comedy, directed by Performing Arts alumnus Phillip Sanders, and “Different Courts,” by student playwright and Performing Arts – Theatre major Jackson Miller.
“Different Courts” is about two men who grew up in different circumstances, but learn they have a lot in common.
One of the seven shows, “La Pesadilla de Una Noche de Verano” by Oscar Liera will be done entirely in Spanish, but guest director Rosa Sandoval, a Theatre Arts graduate from Cal State Northridge, said she directed the show so that it transcends language barriers.
“I’m a big fan of physical theater,” Sandoval said. “To me it’s the use of body language and the body as the artist’s instrument.”
A takeoff on “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the play’s title means “The Nightmare of a Summer Night,” and is about how people treat someone with a mental illness.
All performances are by CSUCI students and the show is made possible by CSUCI’s Instructionally Related Activities.
Seating is limited, so advance purchase or reservations are recommended. For tickets, call Brown Paper Tickets at their 24/7 hotline: 1-800-838-3006 or visit acts-actos.brownpapertickets.com.
For more information, contact laura.covault656@csuci.edu or visit: https://performingarts.csuci.edu/.
Limited complimentary parking is available on campus in designated spaces only. Upon arriving on campus, please follow the event parking signs. Free parking is available at the Camarillo Metrolink Station/Lewis Road parking lot in Camarillo with bus service to and from the campus. Riders should board the VISTA Bus to the campus; the fare is $1.25 each way. Buses arrive and depart from the Camarillo Metrolink Station every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For exact times, check the schedule at www.goventura.org.
About California State University Channel Islands: CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CSUCI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CSUCI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CSUCI’s Social Media.