In The Arts

The Park Avenue Players, Laguna Beach High School’s dramatic acting group, will stage Neil Simon’s “Rumors” to close out the theatrical year.

The production will open Friday night and run through June 3, the Players announced in a news release.

The cast is dedicating its rendition of “Rumors” to the memory of Andy Hedden, an adjunct teacher at the high school who died earlier this month.

“For several years, Hedden helped LBHS writers and actors present the annual Playwrights Festival, an inspiration for many aspiring Laguna dramatists,” the release noted.

Amanda Saunders, an LBHS graduate, professional actor and director, is leading the production. She also directed the Players’ recent productions of “A Lie of the Mind” by Sam Shepard and “Blithe Spirit” by Noel Coward.

“We pride ourselves on bringing a wide range of dramatic styles to our community,” Mark Dressler, director of the LBHS drama program, said in a prepared statement. “Everybody looks forward to the last show of the year because it is usually something contemporary and interesting, performed in a very intimate setting with the audience seated on the stage, almost within the scene. The proximity of the players to their audiences heightens the intensity of the drama or, in this case, the comedy.”

The shows will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday as well as on May 31 and June 1 and 2. The production of “Rumors” will close out with a matinee at 2:30 p.m. on June 3. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for students. To buy tickets, call the LBHS box office at (949) 497-7769.

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New gallery opens shop

San Diego-based Exclusive Collections Galleries has expanded into Laguna Beach by opening an art gallery in the Hotel Laguna.

EC Galleries, owned and curated by James and Ruth-Ann Thorn, has two galleries in San Diego and a third one in Las Vegas, according to its website.

A news release from EC Galleries said that Michael Flohr would be the featured artist from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Artist Michael Summers, whose work will be featured at the same times on June 2 and 3, will appear at EC Galleries from 6 to 8 p.m. on June 4. Gloria Lee will be the artist featured on June 16 and 17.

The Hotel Laguna is at 425 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach. EC Galleries operates from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, call (855) 372-8213 or visit https://www.ecgalleries.com.

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Legendary Chicago comedic troupe to play in Laguna

The Second City comedy theater will play at the Laguna Playhouse from Tuesday night through June 3, according to a news release.

The 52-year-old comedy theater company from Chicago was a springboard for giants of contemporary comedy, including Tina Fey, Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert, and an older generation who became famous as original cast members of “Saturday Night Live,” namely John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray.

The Second City will perform its brand of sketch comedy shows at 8 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday, June 2, and at 2 p.m. on June 2 as well as at 2 and 7 p.m. on June 3. Tickets range from $30 to $60. To buy tickets call (949) 497-ARTS (2787) or visit https://www.lagunaplayhouse.com.

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‘Another Day in Paradise’

Gallery Q at the Suzi Q Senior Center has opened an exhibit, “Another Day in Paradise,” which features artistic interpretations of Laguna Beach.

According to a news release, the following artists are featuring their work: Elizabeth C. Kramer, Beforah Sussex, Moji Mozaffari, Kathy Fellows, Linda McInnis, Merv McInnis, Truus Blankenzee, Marianne van der Veer, James Gothard, Shirley Fairburn, Doris Bender, James Nordstrom, Daryle L. Cornelison, Heather Parker, David Linnig, Maria Faur, Carol Swanson, Tom Joliet, Ben Albert, Sharlene Shipman Baker, Elena Srebnik, Marilyn Skonberg, Marilyn Salinas, Juliane Hodjera, Alfred Devito, Richard Olshausen, Lakshmi Devi-Dasi, Jean Ann Drake, Sheila Morshead, Dennis Piszkiewicz, Stefan Kitts,Vilit Saltus, Carol Brown, Sharon Denoff and Carole Zavala.

The exhibit also features artwork created by third-grade students at El Morro Elementary School. The show will run at gallery at the Suzi Q, 380 Third St., through July 10, with a reception and community open house set to take place there from 1 to 2 p.m. June 2.

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Yarn bombs away!

The Twisted Stitchers yarn-knitting group and others next week will begin to decorate a local tree with a city-approved yarn installation.

Starting June 1 and continuing through July 31, 24 people affiliated with groups including the Suzi Q yarn guild, CSP Youth Shelter, the Girl Scouts of Laguna Beach and stitchers from Laguna’s Australian sister city of Melbourne will be installing 35 knitted or crocheted pieces in a tree at Main Beach, near Coast Highway and Broadway, according to a news release.

—Imran Vittachi